By 2020, a corporate “no-cloud” policy will be as rare as a “no-internet” policy is today, according to Gartner. There has been a transformational shift in the way IT spending is happening – making cloud one of the most disruptive forces since the beginning of the digital age. “Cloud-first strategies are the foundation for staying relevant in a fast-paced world,” said Ed Anderson, research vice president at Gartner.
But for organizations that are yet to take the plunge (flight), there are more reasons than one to consider! Worldwide spending on public cloud services is expected to grow to more than $141B in 2019. Let’s look at why it’s about time for you to embrace cloud AX ERP (also known as Dynamics 365 for Operations) and how it can help avoid major business disruptions for continued growth:
- Geographic Expansion: If you’re setting up offices at different locations around the world, congratulations! Your business is doing really well, and there’s enough reason to celebrate. But new locations mean new (and rather massive) capital expenditures. Is your staff ready for this expansion? How would you merge new systems with the existing ERP system? Have you considered existing technology infrastructure that’s reaching end of life, and understood the repercussions of an integration? With the Dynamics AX cloud system, you no longer have to worry about these issues. Just (physically) set up the infrastructure at the new location, and add all the data you need to move to the cloud for easy and quick, anytime, anywhere, access and say goodbye to traditional, location-dependent worries.
- Regulatory Alterations: Compliance, though expensive, is never an option, but a requirement. As the world progresses towards a more governed and compliant setting, with new rules and regulations arising, how do you think your team will deal with integrating your existing on-premises ERP infrastructure compliance with new and changing regulations? And how will they cater to mission-critical infrastructure that no longer meets standards? With Dynamics 365 for Operations investing heavily in ensuring compliance (making regulations and governance a standard), you can easily and seamlessly adopt and implement any changes that happen in the regulatory space. Microsoft’s hybrid cloud model with a compliance-as-a-service offering can aid in meeting compliance requirements specific to your industry – from PCIDSS to HIPAA – adhering to compliances is a breeze with Microsoft Dynamics AX cloud.
- Data Security: No matter how strong your security policies are, data breaches (especially due to the vast amount of data stored) are an indispensible part of every industry that can bring your systems under scrutiny. Although leaked financial information might make the headlines, breaches involving trade secrets and intellectual property can be far more catastrophic. How well is your organization prepared to handle such an event? With Dynamics AX , you can easily enable multifactor authentication, one-time passwords, threat modeling applications, encryption tools, and change management processes to protect sensitive data against security breaches.
- Variable Demand: Imagine the plight of an eCommerce giant, which needs to handle a massive number of users (and sales) during the holiday season. Or the plight of a small but successful delivery organization which has all of its data on-premises? Scaling up – or scaling down – is expensive, especially if all IT is managed on-premises. How would you handle the need to rapidly scale seasonal operations? Or operate a new application that has a highly variable demand over time? Dynamics AX cloud offers organizations, both big and small, the opportunity to scale their computing resources whenever necessary. By paying only for resources you require and utilize, you’re not only saving costs, but also preparing yourself for a sudden surge (or decline) in demand. So, if you’re struggling to predict the future (through a crystal ball), this cloud ERP system provides the perfect safety net for when your needs and demands alter.
- Business Continuity: If a disruptive incident hits your on-premises location, the aftermath is unimaginable – both in terms of data as well as costs. If such a situation were to arise, how well equipped is your ERP for a disaster that causes total loss of on-premise infrastructure? Will you not be under immense pressure to reduce your RPO without increasing costs? With Dynamics AX, disaster recovery becomes a very cost-effective option as backups of critical servers can be spun up in a matter of seconds. You can not only rapidly failover to the disaster recovery site, but also quickly return to the production site when the disaster has ended, ensuring uninterrupted business continuity.
Be a Front Runner
Staying ahead in a highly competitive world tops the list of must-do’s for every organization. One way you can be a front runner is by embracing a cloud ERP like Dynamics 365 for Operations (and all the benefits it offers) to avoid the common business disruptions and ensuring a significant cloud ROI. From seamlessly growing your presence worldwide to adhering to new industry regulations and compliances, being prepared for data breaches, catering to seasonal (and sometimes unpredictable) demand, and ensuring business continuity in the event of an incident – a cloud system has you covered, no matter what the circumstances.