Understanding the Many Routes On Your “Journey to the Cloud”

IT thought leaders sometimes speak of the “journey to the cloud.” Like any journey, there are many ways to get where you’re going. The same goes for your growing business’ “journey to ERP.” Different vehicles, different paths, and different stops along the way.

Destinations Matter, But You Have to Understand How to Get There

Journeys—from point A to point B, from entry-level accounting software to ERP, or from spreadsheets to the cloud—each carry their own risk. You could get a flat tire, get lost, or worse.

The cloud indeed has much to offer, but realizing cloud plans is not always so easy. Why? Options are often overwhelming and there is no “right” solution for everyone. Some companies have higher risk tolerances, some have longer runways, and some are just jumping on board.

This is a problem. According to Forrester, too many companies are being torn in different directions. As discussed in their report, Finding The Right Technology Strategy For Your Unique Business Priorities,

“[The] rapid speed of change is a double-edged sword: While survey respondents want a technical foundation to adapt quickly to changing business requirements, they also struggle to keep up with the latest technology.”

The phrase “technical foundation” is an important one. Too often, companies will jump on board and select applications with no due diligence, resulting in poor governance, faulty connections, and disparate data. In turn, with no strategy, these companies will require users to learn and use a variety of interfaces that leave departments scrambling to understand how everything works.

While some companies may benefit from going all in on the cloud, even the best cloud can’t fix bad foundations. If that’s your goal, the right partner can help you make the journey to cloud-native easier, but too often, business leaders may be led into a decision that neither they nor their people fully understand.

Why Growing Firms Need to Focus on the Journey

For those companies who just want a bit of headroom, a lot of flexibility, and a minimal amount of risk, a pragmatic approach generally serves them more effectively. Solutions need to be built around business priorities, and Forrester notes that companies should look to whichever option provides “the most bang from a cloud investment.”

In this, the report found that companies are taking a hybrid approach—mixing on-premises and cloud-based solutions for different systems—as they try to right-size their technology strategies for the best overall outcomes. Analysts note, “there is no silver bullet for ERP deployment, as SMBs each have their own unique combination of priorities, internal skills, and resources that must be considered.”

With Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) solutions, which are core to business operations and financial management, the “journey” doesn’t have to be all at once. Forrester recommends you evaluate where you are today, looking at a variety of factors to determine how ready you are. Ask yourself how much control you’re willing to give up, how technologically-savvy your team is, and how likely your people are to adopt solutions.

How Sage100cloud Helps You Set and Achieve Your Technological Priorities

Sage 100cloud makes it easier than ever to build an ERP strategy that works around your needs.

Combining a solution that fits into your business strategy with cloud tools and add-ons, this path helps your company to experience benefits of cloud connectivity without going completely cloud-native.

By seamlessly bringing together cloud-hosted functionality designed to improve specific business processes such as inventory with the trusted and well-supported Sage100cloud product, this solution can empower leaders to get the most bang from their cloud investment buck.

How Kissinger Helps You with the Journey and the Solution

No matter where you stand and where you hope to be, the right partner can help you to pick the destination and guide you on your journey. There is never a cookie-cutter approach, and if you’re looking for someone with the expertise and experience you need to guide you, look no further than Kissinger. We’ve been a Sage ERP Partner for over 30 years, and have been incredibly successful making Sage products work for our customers.

We help you understand your options and determine what will make the most sense for your business. To learn more, contact us for a product demo and free consultation.