A recent study by the Cloud Security Alliance found that almost two thirds of organisations are now shifting their Enterprise Resource Planning, or ERP, systems to the cloud
With this modern approach leaving many businesses changing their strategy, it’s only a matter of time until on premise application management becomes a thing of the past.
Cautious of stepping outside of their comfort zone and causing business-wide disruption, when moving their ERP solutions from on premise to cloud platforms, to businesses are taking a staggered approach. The processes at the top of the check list, are usually those considered to be less risky, such as email and Office 365. This move to the cloud, however careful and quick it might be, means that ERP systems will soon enough be capable of operating on an independent basis from the businesses that they run.
The CIO challenge
In this new transitioning process to the cloud, business leaders might encounter some additional workforce challenges.
With millennials becoming the core workforce, Chief Information Officers (CIOs) have to focus on managing this new wave of talent, which seek the best breed of technological solutions, whilst also smoothly handling the previous era of talent. An effective technology strategy is key to achieving this.
The solution is simple – a hybrid cloud strategy with built in automation. This strategic approach will enable CIOs to gradually make the move to the cloud, while phasing out the old school technology and knowledge that the millennial workforce is not interested in building up.
This strategic approach will enable CIOs to gradually migrate to the cloud and bridge the millennial gap. As they work on phasing out old school technology and replace it with relatable knowledge, they will be able to help the incoming generation adapt to the new ways of working.
The role of the vendor
CIOs may now find themselves concerned with managing the complex variety of cloud based solutions. This is where third party vendors come into play.
While the practical and financial advantages of hybrid cloud automation no longer need to be reassured, third party vendors have to work with business leaders on identifying the components that will quickly benefit the most from cloud based automation.
As brands are now ready to make the critical business move to IT automation, CIOs may still feel as though they are losing control. The collaboration must reassure them that the businesses they manage are not at risk when systems of record are moved to the cloud.
Taking the cautious route
The initial move of an ERP software to the cloud undeniably gives organisations a wider range of innovative opportunities and more accessibility, but there are still other processes running on premise that need to be cautiously moved to the cloud. And these are the ones that will ultimately benefit the most from the shift.
Third party vendors are responsible for providing helpful automation platforms for the full migration to the hybrid cloud. It is no shocking revelation that businesses don’t like to play with fire, therefore automation providers need to prove that they can move each business application individually, without losing the integration built up over the years by the company. These are the gradual processes that are allowing strong operations to still be run on the hybrid landscape as applications migrate to the cloud.
If a company that is using automation to run their day-to-day services wants to successfully differ from the competition, it needs to run activities fast. Today, it is crucial for businesses to decide whether there is a case to transfer critical processes to automation platforms.
In the current digital era, the industry is responsible for educating businesses and their leaders on the different options offered by cloud based automation, as each unique platform can be tailored to the future individual growth plans of a business.
About the Author
Devin Gharibian-Saki is Chief Solutions Officer at Redwood Software. At Redwood Software, we help our customers stay ahead by freeing people from repetitive manual tasks Redwood Robotics solutions help businesses optimize processes for digital operations, while RunMyJobs supports IT teams that want freedom from repetitive manual tasks in the services they provide to the business. We design easy-to-use, flexible and scalable solutions and our customers tell us that we offer unparalleled levels of service and support.
