Why Using Cloud Technology Can Propel Your Business Forward
When competition is fierce, small and medium businesses need every advantage they can get to go toe-to-toe with established industry players. However, they also have the added challenges of needing to operate inexpensively and swiftly, all while demonstrating a commitment to innovation in order to entice customers. In short, they need the benefits of cloud technology to remain viable.
Cloud technology is growing in prominence among the business strategies of SMBs. Such technology promises the ability to access powerful capabilities at a fraction of the cost while allowing these companies to remain agile and cost-effective. Here are the three biggest reasons why SMBs adopt cloud technology.
1. Flexibility and Scalability
A universally common theme for SMBs of almost every industry is the need to change in order to stay competitive. In this regard, they’re often much more prone to change than other, more established large companies, and routinely need to be flexible and able to scale rapidly to adapt to shifting environments.
However, at the same time, the reality of our digital world necessitates the use of sophisticated IT infrastructure. Such infrastructure is costly and time-consuming to install. Crucially for SMBs, customers want modern businesses of all sizes to be able to meet their expectations. They want to see a professional web presence, fast customer service, and up-to-date cybersecurity measures for their personal information.
These aims make cloud technology a necessity for most SMBs today. Being able to unify a business’ core functions through the cloud gives a unique advantage to a company that established tech infrastructure can’t. The main advantage being that is can be monitored, maintained, and updated remotely—two crucial aspects to a cloud system.
In addition, cloud technology’s scalability is one of its primary appeals. For example, acquiring more cloud storage space is a simple prospect, and no longer requires updating on-site servers. The same applies to the extent of cloud usage throughout an organization—decision makers can dictate how much or how little they want to roll out tech in their business.
Whether they just want a simple cloud ERP, a CRM, better cybersecurity, or a comprehensive cloud suite for their every need; there’s something for everyone.
2. Increased Capabilities
Cloud computing in business a one strategy which companies utilize to make their lives easier. In one sense, cloud computing allows SMBs to do more with less—which is necessary because they already tend to have smaller resources at their disposal.
Cloud technology also lets SMBs access more sophisticated technology remotely so that they can compete with more established industry rivals more readily. This has particularly been the case as the cost of cloud solutions has reduced significantly since they gained prominence in the 2000s.
In both cases, cloud technology increases the system capabilities of a company while decreasing the workload or number of people it would take to complete tasks in traditional ways. For example, you can drastically reduce the 1.5 hours the average office employee spends looking for documents per day with cloud tech, allowing them to better allocate their time.
That’s just one example of using the cloud in regard to document management. When applying the same principle of the cloud to other aspects of business, SMBs can expect to see improved results across the board.
SMBs use cloud computing in business across a wide variety of applications. Some examples include:
- Marketing and social media presence
- Analytics
- Customer support
- Payroll and accounting
- App creation and hosting
- Data backup and disaster recovery
- Internal communications
Cloud computing has applications in every aspect of business operations. It helps a business move faster, do more, and stay responsive to market conditions.
3. Cost-Savings Via Efficiency
By reducing the number of human resources it takes for a business to perform its vital functions, cloud computing helps save money by increasing the efficiency of processes that are already in place. In particular, SMBs can enjoy:
Increased integration
Cloud software often comes with built-in integration capabilities. Integration brings multiple environments together; whether it is numerous clouds, or a cloud and a non-cloud environment. For example, a cloud-based document management system can integrate with a printer fleet to streamline printing or document capture.
Increased integration allows businesses to streamline their workflow processes company-wide. The result is a more efficient and better integrated workplace.
Automated maintenance
Like any other piece of technology, IT infrastructure requires maintenance. Likewise, patches, software updates, and upgrades all take time, plus the oversight of IT personnel. However, cloud-based technology has automated support built in. Whether a public cloud or a private one, such preventative maintenance is performed automatically so that employees can focus on doing work which requires a human touch.
Reduction of hardware and redundancies
Much like integration, cloud technology can often bundle multiple programs or capabilities into one application of software suite. Commonly in the form of cloud ERPs, which can be remotely controlled and managed by an MSP, requiring little to no maintanence from the company side. ERPs like this can allow employees to use one piece of software rather than several, and it eliminates the common problem of too much or the wrong hardware.
Remote workers
One of the most prominent selling features of cloud computing for small businesses has long been the fact that it’s accessible from any place, on any device as long as the correct credentials are entered. Companies have long realized that remote workers are cost-effective and still productive—such work configurations are finally going mainstream. Organizations that possess the capability of conducting their work for clients remotely are shifting towards “officeless workforces”, made possible through cloud computing.
Leverage the Benefits of the Cloud Today
The benefits of the cloud are particularly valuable to small and medium businesses. A growing number of companies are using cloud technology to amplify their scalability, flexibility, and cost-effectiveness. For SMBs especially, thoughtfully applied cloud technology can mean the difference between failure and cutting-edge success.
More and more SMBs are leveraging the use of managed IT services to support their transition to the cloud. Combined with the benefits of cloud computing, this combination allows SMBs to achieve the maximum potential in their productivity and savings.