The world is fast moving to the Cloud as we speak. As the IT in-charge of your company, you are aware of the importance of moving from on-premises to a cloud-based ERP given the current crisis the world is facing.
Even as your company looks for ways to survive and focus on business, as usual, you want to convince the Board of your company that moving to the Cloud is the right option.
However, the Board may hesitate to make the decision due to the numerous changes that will take place when you move to the Cloud. Some of the main objections the top management may have against this move could include the following:
• Our current ERP is working fine, why do we need to change it?
• How about the security of our data when we move to the Cloud?
• What happens to all the customization efforts we put into our current ERP?
• Do you think our company can afford to invest the time and money into migration in the current situation?
At Columbus, where we have been helping our clients digitally transform their business over the past three decades, these are the objections we come across frequently.
Our answer to this is three-pronged. We generally ask the person making a business case of moving the on-premises ERP to the Cloud to look at the impact it would have on three aspects—technology, business, and people.
The three-pronged approach can help you convince the Board of Directors that it is indeed the right time to make the change.
When you move from an on-prem ERP to the Cloud, two main elements become better. These include:
Easy and automatic upgrades
Often, you will notice that the older the ERP, the more chances that the solution provider stops supporting the software with upgrades, patches, and updates, or the process for the upgrades is too complicated. With on-cloud ERP, the enhancements would be automatic and occur with minimum disruption.
Improved security
When you opt for a reputable cloud ERP provider, you can be assured of the best defenses in place for your software. Security is fast becoming one of the biggest concerns for most companies, and this is something that will improve when you migrate from on-prem to the Cloud.
The business aspect
The continuity of the business and the way you meet customer needs is an essential aspect of any business. Here are two business elements that migration to the Cloud can help with:
Changing from CapEx to OpEx
With the move from on-prem ERP to ERP on the Cloud, you will be able to move away from dependence on servers and local systems to browser-based access. When this happens, your ERP expenses become variable costs rather than fixed costs enabling you to pay only to the extent of usage instead of a fixed payment.
Updated data for decision-making
In any business, there comes a time where you need to make quick decisions. One of the inputs that you require to make these decisions is updated data that is verified. With on-prem ERP, this may not always be the case. However, with ERP on the Cloud, you will eliminate data silos and gain access to real-time data.
The human aspect
Your business can progress well only when you have taken care of the people who are involved with it. By this, we mean not only your employees but all your stakeholders. Here’s how ERP on the Cloud can help in this aspect:
Easy access anywhere at any time
The need of the hour is always to enable access to the right people (based on the requirements of their role) to be able to access their systems from anywhere . With the migration of your ERP from on-prem to the Cloud, this can be enabled. What is more, you can also tailor access based on the role and hierarchy to ensure continued security.
Better information sharing to stakeholders
With the move to the Cloud, it is not just your employees who benefit but also your other stakeholders. Take, for instance, the way you can enrich stakeholder experience with self-service portals and sites. Or the way your vendors will be able to access information on purchase orders, payments, disputes, etc. from anywhere.
Some next steps
Now that you have the right information to present to your Board, you need to be aware of the next steps involved in the process.
• Find the right migration partner to ease your journey to the Cloud
• Ask them for the process and assess your business for Cloud readiness
• Discuss the process for migration to the Cloud
• Ensure that you know the next steps after assessment and migration
Want to know your options for migration to the Cloud? Click here to read the Guide on “Benefits of lift & shift strategy to upgrade to Dynamics 365”