To the Cloud
1 November 2021
1 November 2021
Chris Stock looks at why the time is now for manufacturers to move their enterprise software to the cloud.
As we’ve all witnessed over the past 18 months, business agility really is more important than ever before. The ability to respond quickly and effectively to challenges and opportunities alike has never been more crucial, giving organisations that can do this a distinct advantage over those that can’t.
For the manufacturing sector in particular, resilience and agility are two of the core competencies that businesses should be aiming for, putting the infrastructure and processes in place to build an effective, responsive and, ultimately, successful enterprise.
For those manufacturers who already have agile systems and processes in place, it’s possible to enhance operations further still, by looking to the cloud.
By shifting core business management systems and solutions to the cloud, manufacturers can reap further benefits, boosting business agility, resilience and efficiency.
With cloud-based enterprise software solutions, manufacturers are guaranteed maximum system availability and optimum uptime.
It’s hosted in the cloud with any scheduled downtime planned for when it causes the least amount of disruption. And for even more peace of mind and less disruption, business continuity and disaster recovery capabilities far exceed those that can be provided in-house, with software delivered in the cloud proving far more reliable than in-house alternatives.
Additionally, updates and enhancements are delivered automatically and remotely, again minimising disruption to operations while ensuring the business is always using the most up-to-date version of the software, without the need for costly and time-consuming downtime.
This also makes sure that manufacturers’ systems are operating within the latest legislative and regulatory parameters too, for watertight compliance and business transparency.
In-house teams no longer have to worry about the day-to-day management of business software, spending less time fire-fighting issues and more time supporting valuable strategic initiatives.
It’s the same for the additional tasks involved in hosting and managing the software in-house, which are no longer required, enabling IT experts to deliver real value to the business, doing what they do best.
Cloud-based solutions also reflect the technology that we use in our daily lives. Too often employees install their own workarounds, using their own choice of cloud-based apps and systems to get access to the information they need or to achieve the seamless functionality they’re looking for wherever they are, putting the business at risk in the process.
By heading to the cloud with enterprise software, manufacturers can avoid this, giving people timely access to the systems they need to do their jobs, paving the way for more efficient and less risky working practices.
The fact that the cloud facilitates access to the solutions needed to run and manage operations from multiple locations makes for more efficient processes and a more joined-up way of working too, seamlessly uniting different parts of the business in the cloud.
Perhaps most importantly for manufacturers, cloud-based solutions can be catalysts for growth.
Software in the cloud can scale and flex in-line with changing business needs, supporting business development without heavy investment in the IT infrastructure.
New revenue streams can be easily brought on board and it’s straightforward to expand existing ones too, with manufacturers no longer held back by the limitations of the very software that was designed to help them grow.
A move to the cloud can lay the foundations for further digital transformation right across the business.
By delivering the continuity, scalability and stability of software functionality that manufacturers need, the right cloud-based solution can represent a platform for innovation, helping businesses to innovate faster than ever before with the support of effective, agile enterprise software.
By working with the right partner, manufacturers can ensure they choose not only the right software solution for their business, delivering the precise, industry-specific functionality that’s needed, but a solution that’s deployed in the right way to optimise operations.
The right cloud-based enterprise software solution will establish a solid foundation on which to build a responsive, agile business, one that’s able to seize opportunities and meet challenges head-on with robust yet agile processes in place to support even the most ambitious growth strategies.
For more information on how Inforlogic can help you to maximise your project management using Infor, get in touch or call the team on 01606 720499.
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