Cloud Business Suite – Increase in the Efficiency of Everyone in the Company
After the big economic recession, markets are once again balanced to be ready for growth. Since companies that grow fast achieve higher market penetration and receive more number of customers, they experience challenges of expansions to new sites and increasing their business efficiently. They need to be able to manage their channels and sales teams, and achieve greater back-office efficiency, while at the same time ensuring greater levels of customer service. Cloud computing is a convincing alternative available for several small, medium-sized and large businesses, because it provides low-priced ownership and quicker time to the market in comparison with traditional onsite business software and servers. However, companies should first decide what to choose between the two options – individual cloud system or a cloud business suite.
Individual cloud system offers key processes like CRM, finance and ecommerce, while cloud business suite offers still more along with all these functions. It should be kept in mind that though cloud model fixes many troubles that come with on-premise software, individual cloud system can bring integration challenges, inefficiencies and administrative and IT overhead.
Risks of Fragmentation with Individual Cloud System
Without integration of cloud applications, businesses may be forced still to navigate multiple data repositories and applications of data for their daily activities, thereby decelerating processes and decreasing the suppleness the company requires for growth.
Even if multiple cloud applications are executed, data fragmentation continues. It becomes necessary to consolidate and reunite overlapping databases to form a comprehensive sight. The on-premise software hairball is only moved to the cloud.
Benefits of Cloud Business Suite
To avoid the limitations posed by individual cloud system, it is necessary to have a range of cloud applications that are incorporated around a single database and codebase, and which consists of an included business process perception. Features of such a system are:
- CRM, ERP, HR, warehouse management, ecommerce, customer service applications and project management function upon a common mutual application stack and database
- A single repository for concurrent reporting allows everybody to see a common view of the business, without needing a costly data warehouse
- Processes in the business flow easily from one department and application to another – from procurement to final payment to vendor, or from sales quotation to order
- The fundamental platform can be modified easily to suit the needs of the company as well as its industry, and allows the application to develop as per the changes in the business
Self-service reports and analytics can be tailored and extended easily
A cloud business suite even enhances IT productivity of the business as compared to the individual cloud solutions.
Development in Awareness: Easy access to information denotes that everyone can get the information without making IT requests every now and then.
Alignment in IT and Business: Automation of data and process can be delivered with ease whenever and wherever required, being free from technical restrictions.
Sped up Innovation: As the process and information changes can be applied faster, normally by users themselves, the business organizations lines can innovate themselves instead of depending totally upon IT.
Efficiency in Processes: Automation of processes flowing from section to section, across application created to work together eradicates the need of costly and error-prone work of application integration.
The ability to customize must not be only in the possession of IT department. Because of a cloud solution which authorizes daily business users to customize applications to their requirements from a joint platform quickens the processes and enables users to use their business function skill. In the meantime, IT staff is free to concentrate on strategic initiatives and innovation that can offer value to the end product.