The  Answer  is  in  the  Cloud  for  Small  to  Mid-­‐Sized  Business  

Enterprise  Resource  Planning  (ERP)  systems  have  become  an  integral  part  of  doing  business  for  a  wide-­‐range  of  industries  over  the  last  two  decades.    More  small  to  mid-­‐size  businesses  are  reaching  for  this  

technology  to  consolidate  all  aspects  of  their  company’s  operations  under  a  single  streamlined  system.      Now,  with  the  advent  of  SaaS  platforms  from  Plex,  Netsuite,  Epicor  Express,  and  SAP,  companies  of  this  size  are  taking  their  ERP  framework  and  looking  for  cloud  providers.    This  new  delivery  model  has  

prompted  many  questions  from  executive-­‐level  decision  makers,  such  as:  

• Is  it  affordable?  • Is  it  scalable?  • Is  it  efficient?  

Affordability  

Cloud  ERP  systems  eliminate  the  need  for  costly  hardware  that  would  normally  be  required  for  an  on-­‐

premise  system.    The  costs  involved  in  managing  and  maintaining  a  legacy  ERP  environment  are  substantial.  Moving  these  operations  to  a  web-­‐based  service  allows  for  your  capital  to  be  free  to  invest  in  other  areas.    As  this  infographic  suggests,  additional  benefits  include  predictable  monthly  fees,  

limiting  the  need  for  in-­‐house  IT  support,  and  paying  only  for  the  services  you  require.  

Scalability  

As  many  companies  make  the  jump  from  small  to  mid-­‐size  in  the  scope  of  their  businesses,  many  CFOs  understand  the  struggle  in  adding  infrastructure  as  the  volume  and  demands  of  customers  increase.      With  ERP  in  the  cloud,  you  are  guaranteed  the  flexibility  that  is  required  when  your  needs  change.    By  

simply  adding  user  licenses  and  application  services  or  taking  them  away,  you  can  make  the  necessary  adjustments  with  little  to  no  infrastructure  costs  within  the  walls  of  your  business.      

Efficiency  

The  hallmarks  of  cloud  ERP  systems  are  efficiency,  accessibility,  and  security.    You  can  now  take  your  

work  wherever  you  are  in  the  world.    Making  adjustments  to  your  supply  chain  is  now  as  simple  as  logging  in  from  your  smartphone  or  tablet  through  custom  apps  or  via  a  mobile  web  browser.    With  integration  across  all  platforms,  executives  can  now  shift  their  focus  back  to  strategic  planning,  and  

spend  less  time  focused  on  how  their  legacy  ERP  system  affects  their  bottom  line.      

A  recent  USA  Today  article  made  the  case  for  an  efficient  and  secure  cloud  system  when  faced  with  a  crisis  situation.      

One  weekend  last  month,  thieves  broke  in  and  stole  eight  desktop  PCs  used  by  his  office  staff,  along  with  a  truckload  of  recycled  tech  equipment.  Smith  was  unruffled.  "On  Monday,  we  went  

out  and  bought  new  computers,  plugged  them  in,  and  we  were  back  up  and  running  by  noon,"  he  says.  "We  didn't  have  to  re-­‐create  anything."  

Regardless  of  theft,  inclement  weather,  or  countless  other  disaster  scenarios,  a  cloud  ERP  system  is  off-­‐site,  backed-­‐up  on  multiple  servers,  and  does  not  interrupt  the  data  stream  that  is  so  vital  to  your  

business.  

Affordability,  scalability,  and  efficiency  are  certainly  top  of  mind  to  most  executives  when  it  comes  to  implementing  new  technology.    For  small  to  mid-­‐sized  businesses,  ERP  cloud  systems  become  even  more  appealing  during  growth  periods.    Historically,  only  large  businesses  have  had  the  competitive  

advantage  in  developing  their  own  data  solutions  during  times  of  growth.  Today,  ERP  in  the  cloud  allows  the  smallest  of  businesses  to  level  the  playing  field  and  compete  effectively.