In my last blog post, I wrote about the necessity of gaining a dominant position in your industry. The pace of business innovation continues, with innovative companies being rewarded with increasing market share. Cloud services can’t possibly solve all the concerns facing a business owner, but if you begin now they can become a base layer for a successful operations strategy.
A technology strategy is successful when it becomes essentially invisible. In primary research that was conducted within the Kansas City Metro Area, a qualified sample of technology managers reported that their biggest frustration with technology was the need for continual upgrades. The technology landscape is always subject to the next latest thing, and there are many reasons for a firm to upgrade to a new software platform. Unfortunately, this means that new technology becomes an unwanted disruption to the business environment. Workflow has to slow down while new solutions are implemented and tested. Even a routine upgrade will cause work to slow. It’s interesting then, that another technology comes along and claims to be the answer. If you are represented in this sample, then you are probably yelling: “No more change! No more software migrations. No more dreary technology lectures!” Change is the problem, and unfortunately the need for continual upgrades means that your team can never get into a groove with a stable technology environment.
Software as a Service (SaaS) attempts to make these painful changes invisible. Does it work? The answer is a qualified yes. When basic business applications achieve an economy of scale, then you are the beneficiary. You will be able to enjoy a massive infrastructure that benefits from the most sophisticated engineering on the planet. And the best part is, it is invisible. Many of the software upgrades (including the operating system itself) and data backup scenarios will fade from view. Many clients who have migrated to a SaaS solution need to be reminded of the work going on behind the scenes, or they will think that nothing is being done. This is the best case scenario: you are free from the complexity of technology management. Cloud based solutions may not solve your SWOT analysis, but they can set you free from painful technology to focus on what really matters.
