Regardless of what their business continuity plan was, businesses have had to quickly roll out remote work and teleworking protocols while closing physical offices for weeks.
Those who are using on-premises business management software probably found it a difficult transition. On the other hand, those companies using cloud business management software would have found the transition to be much easier.
When using a cloud ERP system, businesses can access a truly mobile solution. With a cloud-based ERP your ‘office’ can be anywhere your team members happen to be when they need it. This helps your team remain productive, connected and effective. Additionally, your core business processes such as accounting, distribution or project management don’t have to be affected.
Now that many people and companies have experience working from home, how is this going to affect your future? Many have confirmed and proven that it can be done, and the workflow challenges will have been addressed. If this continues or resurfaces, or if you found it is more cost effective to have certain staff members working from home are you prepared?
Here are three ways cloud-based ERP systems will help businesses leverage this situation, maintain day-to day business continuity and lay the foundation success following COVID19.
Visibility
Cloud ERP systems enable your people to take their work with them and easily access their data in real time. People won’t have to rely on in-person meetings or paper documents because the single source of data of a cloud ERP system is always accessible and always up to date. With an internet connection you have guaranteed access to the latest, most accurate information about your business.
The best cloud ERP systems provide browser-based access as well as Android and iOS native apps that provide a convenient, easy way to view dashboards and performance metrics specific to the person’s role. These apps also allow people to perform simple yet important tasks such as approvals while being truly mobile. Cloud ERP systems empower users with current information that is always accessible and that allows them to make quick, agile decisions at the time they are needed.
- Need to know the status of an order? – check it now
- Need to know current pricing for a product? – view it now
- Need to know the status of a project? – access it now
- Need to approve a payment? – do it now
These apps also allow people to perform simple yet important tasks such as approvals while being truly mobile.
Efficiency and Effectiveness
A fully integrated cloud ERP system will give you the same efficiency you expect to have in a traditional office environment. A cloud-based ERP system provides a current 360-degree view of your business which allows your people to quickly generate reports, track finances, review product data and manage customer relationships all of which contribute to proactive and timely decision making.
In today’s rapidly evolving world business needs to be nimble and able to adapt. Cloud ERP adapts with you to ensure you continue to succeed while maintaining accountability and transparency. Modern cloud ERP also supports collaboration with third parties such as consultants and vendors by making it easy to share data and information. These capabilities are more than improved functionality, they improve a company’s ability to respond quickly and effectively to the ever-changing world.
Ease of Use
What better way encourage users to adopt new technology than by adjusting the ERP software to fit the user’s needs through allowing user interface personalization. Low code, no-code personalization allows users to alter their cloud ERP solution without relying on a developer or programmer to write a customization. Users can tailor their cloud ERP system to meet the business’ unique needs.
Ease of use is about personalization and relevancy. A cloud ERP system provides the SMB user what is meaningful to them. The charts, KPIs and reports provide information that is relevant and specific to the individual user and is both cohesive and easy to access. SMBs need solutions that will quickly and easily adapt to their needs yet be solutions they can control. Cloud ERP systems offer that kind of ability to adapt to each company’s unique goals.
As the work environment changes in response to COVID19 business leaders will be considering how to improve their business. For businesses operating with legacy ERP systems, it isn’t too late to migrate to the cloud. Now may in fact be the perfect time to make that change to transform business management practices and prepare a foundation for the future.
Cloud-based ERP systems offer a single source of truth that supports businesses connectivity, flexibility, and innovation that is not available from legacy systems.
Here’s an example of what that means to you:
How does a company that has been in business for more than a century navigate this new digital economy?
