Top 10 Reasons to Move to the Cloud

By Jennifer Hauge , Clay Boss

Cloud computing is a new topic that comes up more and more as technology increases and people demand information more quickly.  In the fast paced internet world we live in today, cloud computing allows people to utilize software and hardware technology that they never had the luxury of taking advantage of.  While technology can make people apprehensive, here is a top 10 list of reasons that moving to the cloud is an option that will save you time and money:

1.     On-demand:

The most important difference you will find over on-premise systems is the flexibility of the on-demand option.  Cloud options are robust yet flexible enough to accept the cyclical nature of manufacturing.  You won’t have to worry about the capacity of your system since you pay for only what is used.

 2.     Industry changes:

Corporate infrastructures are changing all the time, IT especially.  There is more and more pressure for IT departments to get the biggest bang for their buck.  This goes hand in hand with having a flexibe, on-demand system.       

 3.     Reduced Costs:

The costs of hardware are allocated and spread across more units, making the total cost of ownership much lower than if you owned it yourself.  With shared ownership you can take advantage of having your infrastructure stored at a state of the art datacenter, and not blow your entire budget. 

 4.     Rent vs. Own:

Why own all that expensive equipment when it requires extra resources to test, fix and manage?  These costs will never decrease, so renting, or pay-per-use plan is a better option.  Servers have to be upgraded, whether it is for space, or regular use.  There is also important network hardware and other datacenter infrastructure that is continuously upgraded and monitored.

 5.     Space/Time Saver:

As the saying goes, time = money.  With SaaS, companies are able to access real-time information of inventories and production leads to more accurate reports and better decision making for scheduling, forecasts, and budgets.  This allows for prompt responses to customer questions and can help you with Customer Relationship Management.  This is a small but crucial piece of cloud computing.

 6.     Reliability:

How reliable is your back-up plan?  Do you have a back-up system in place in case your servers crash, or the power goes out?  How about a duplicate or redundant system in another location in case of serious failures?  This is all planned out with cloud applications.  Testing is done frequently to the back-up systems to ensure integrity and functionality. Monitoring is done 24x7x365 to make sure you have the highest possible uptime rate to access your applications.

 7.     More frequent upgrades & add-ons:

Cloud applications are easily customized with support to all modules when upgrades are performed, which ranges from one to several times a year, depending on the need or requirements.  Upgrades are added to the system so that you see them when you login, rather than having to deal with software updates on every machine.

 8.     Integration flexibility:

Legacy systems will always be in contention with cloud options.  Retrofitting these systems or other 3^rd party systems may take some work in the beginning, but it beats having to duel enter historic information.  So instead of fighting it, have a plan to integrate the 2 options together.  Cloud applications can be interfaced with existing systems so you are getting the benefits of your legacy system plus all of the advantages of moving to the cloud.

 9.     Internet Security:

How secure is your internet?  SaaS options have the highest level of internet security possible with firewalls, dedicated T1 lines, with frequent patches and testing.  This is far more sophisticated than most SMEs can do in-house.  An added benefit is that IT staffs can now focus on managing core projects.

 10. Access 24x7:

All that is needed is an internet connection.  Staff has connectivity on the road or after hours.  Systems with mobile applications create another arm of connectivity besides a laptop.  Global connectivity is available to you and all users of your system wherever your business might take you.

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