Here’s What It Takes to Succeed at Cloud

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What does it take to succeed at cloud? You can have a successful migration to cloud and still not experience the benefits you expect. Truly succeeding at cloud begins with understanding the technology, having a strategy that aligns cloud use with business needs, and putting appropriate support teams and systems in place.

Understanding Cloud Technology

There are many different kinds of cloud, and you won’t succeed if you pick the wrong cloud model for your business. In addition to choosing from Software as a Service, Infrastructure as a Service, and Platform as a Service clouds, you also need to decide whether you need a public cloud, a private cloud, or a hybrid cloud. You also need to decide whether you want to use a single cloud provider or create a multicloud environment leveraging multiple cloud providers. You need to know how cloud will fit into your end-to-end business workflows.

Along with understanding what cloud offers, you need to understand what cloud doesn’t offer. Cloud can free your team from much routine support, but cloud doesn’t free your team from responsibility. You’ll still need to make sure you have a way to monitor your infrastructure and have a backup strategy if there’s an outage (cloud is highly reliable, but all the big and small cloud providers have had incidents that impacted customers).

Cloud also doesn’t eliminate the need for you to implement security controls. The cloud provider protects the physical infrastructure and may implement patches, depending on the kind of cloud you’re using, but they do not completely protect applications and databases from unauthorized access. Your team needs to ensure appropriate configurations and roles are in place to keep private systems private. You need to continue to review logs to detect breaches.

Plan to Use Cloud Strategically

Cloud can be used simply to alleviate the burden on your IT team. It can also be used to provide business advantages, but that requires thinking strategically about using cloud rather than seeing it simply as a fix for technology challenges.

To create a cloud strategy, you need to understand how your current IT is limiting the business, whether they aren’t able to roll out new products and services quickly enough, there isn’t enough capacity to support demand, or other challenges.

Once you know the business problems, you can identify ways to leverage cloud to address these business needs. You can address these department-by-department or take a higher-level view and implement your cloud capability as a collection of services that can support multiple departments.

Put the Right Support in Place

Cloud changes how your technology team interacts with technology and how your end users interact with technology. You should anticipate reorganizing and retraining your technology team to provide them with the tools and skills to support the new cloud-based systems and resolve users’ problems. This may require hiring new staff or engaging a support organization that’s already deeply familiar with cloud.

How successful have you been integrating cloud technology into your organization? CCS Technology Group provides cloud services to help you understand cloud technology, develop your strategy for using cloud, and support your cloud effectively. Contact us to learn more about what it really takes to succeed with cloud.

Additional Cloud Resources

The Cloud Solutions Primer eBook

Calculating the ROI of Moving to the Cloud

5 Changes to Make When You Switch to Disaster Recovery in the Cloud

5 Tips for Getting the Best Results from a Managed Services Provider

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There are many things to think through when you choose a managed services provider, and hopefully you select a provider that’s a good fit for your business. But don’t stop thinking about your managed services provider once you sign the contract. Think through how you’ll work with the provider so they can succeed in delivering services that help your business succeed.

1. Make sure you get the right services from the right provider

There are two ways to think about this. The right services are the services you need to address your business’s IT problems, whether it’s help with your network, cloud, desktop support, or security. You want to make sure you get the services you need from a provider that’s got the skills and experience to deliver them effectively. If your provider doesn’t have a background in a technology or service you need, you’ll be better off contracting with a second provider who does have that expertise, even if it means you add complexity to managing your providers.

2. Get clear about service delivery

It isn’t likely you’ll completely eliminate your internal IT team, so carefully define the boundaries around the work you’ll do yourself and the work you want the managed services provider to handle. If the contract didn’t define a detailed set of deliverables, have a meeting when the contract starts to spell out your expectations and address concerns. Along with this, carefully define the communications process so both you and the provider know how new requests will be handled and how you’ll work to resolve any problems.

3. Set metrics

You should have a plan for how you’ll evaluate the effectiveness of your managed services arrangement. Define metrics before the contract starts, and be sure to let the provider know. That way they can focus their efforts on the concerns that really matter to you. Don’t wait until the end of the contract to let the provider know if they aren’t measuring up. Do a periodic assessment and bring your concerns to them when there’s still time to make changes and get a positive result.

4. Treat the managed services provider as a member of your team

The more the provider knows about your business, the better they’ll be able to tailor the services they deliver to your business needs. While you may not want to give them all the details, if you give the provider information about your business problems and strategies, they’ll be able to give you better support that helps you meet long-term goals.

5. Let the provider do their job

Pay attention to what the provider delivers, but let them figure out how they want to provide the service. Managed services providers support many businesses, and they’ve most likely found a way of working that works for them as well as the clients they support. As long as they’re not doing something illegal, unethical, or disruptive to your business, you should focus on their results and not how they’re getting them.

CCS Technology Group is dedicated to providing top quality managed services to our clients. Contact us to learn how our team can help solve your business information technology challenges.

Additional Resources

6 Big Benefits from Using Managed Services

How Managed Services Make the Difference

Qualities to Look for in a Cloud ERP

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Businesses in every industry and sector are looking for ways to improve efficiency and internal processes to boost growth and, ultimately, profits. Manufacturing and distribution are a couple of areas that are greatly realizing the benefits of a modern ERP solution.

A cloud-based system offers organizations state-of-the-art technology, which is revolutionizing the way professionals work. There are clear advantages that a cloud-based ERP can offer a business.

Top 7 Reasons to Adopt a Cloud-based ERP Solution

1. Budget Savings

Business leaders are often hesitant to move forward with an upgrade or first-time installation, as they worry about cost. There’s good news: moving to the cloud can actually save an organization money. In fact, according to Acumatica, a leading ERP provider, 82% of companies have cost savings when they move to the cloud.

While on-premise ERPs generally require a hefty startup cost, cloud-based systems should prove easier on the purse strings. Decision makers should plan to do some investigative work and steer clear of vendors that charge per user, as those fees can add up and the plan would prove more difficult to adjust as needs evolve. Acumatica, for instance, offers an unlimited number of users and is scalable, adjusting to what suits the customer without added cost.

2. Easy Implementation

Implementing a new system can be daunting, but moving to the cloud makes the process much easier. No longer are companies concerned with finagling servers, installing software, and hoping that the system works well with the supporting network.

A cloud-based system is housed off-premise and can be managed without straining internal employees. The IT department can then focus on much more important matters that can generate increased business and profits. Implementing a streamlined ERP solution that lives in the cloud will make employees’ lives easier, not create issues and more work.

3. Reliability

Business leaders are typically concerned with ensuring that any steps forward will not cause delays or slow down functionality. They can rest assured that cloud technology has been a steady piece of business management for a couple of decades; and it is now proving to be even more reliable than out-of-date legacy systems.

The key is to partner with a solid vendor that has proven results — ideally in the same industry that the company works in. Designate a team from the IT department, as well as those from other departments throughout the organization, to lead the project. They should read testimonials, interview other clients of top finalists, and, if possible, visit their offices to see the system at work.

4. Performance

It’s a common myth that working in the cloud brings with it slower results. Speed is not an issue with a modern ERP — today, cloud-based systems can compete or even beat out on-premise systems.

Improved connection speeds and other advancements in technology have paved a new way forward in the cloud computing ecosystem. While business leaders may express concerns around drops in efficiency and response, they can rest assured that today’s ERP systems are truly industry-best.

5. Easy Maintenance

On-premise ERPs are frustrating to the internal team, as they require server and local maintenance. When a business hosts its ERP solution, it is fully responsible for maintaining its upkeep, which can be extremely time consuming.

There’s also obvious risk of in-house management — if it goes offline there can be dramatic, and even devastating impact, to the operational side of the business. A cloud-based system mitigates the risk that comes with on-premise systems. The business will not be taxed with hiring additional staff to maintain a new server and see it through its ups and downs. Instead, the provider will handle all problems; an employee simply logs in and reports what is needed.

6. Security

The provider will also be able to provide the necessary security the system and business need. While concerns do loom about security in the cloud, it is much safer than most would think.

There are also steps that can be taken in-house, such as safe record-keeping. Make sure the company that is hired includes high standards of certification, compliance, and data backup and recovery. If it is determined that the ERP vendor’s efforts to ensure security aren’t adequate, boost an internal strategy to protect the business from cyber attacks.

7. 24/7 Access, From Anywhere

One of the best benefits of a cloud-based ERP is the opportunity to access important information and data at any time and from any location, as long as WiFi or a browser and Internet connectivity exists. This type of accessibility was unheard of until the past few years.

With this type of convenience, teams can work at full capacity in the field or remotely. Dashboards make function-centric visuals available at the touch of a button, giving the workforce an obvious advantage. Likewise, this frees leadership, which can move approvals along quickly. Customers will benefit as well, as the entire team will be working in real-time, offering consistent updates.

Join the Cloud, Today!

CSS Technology has the knowhow to take businesses into the future by streamlining process management, particularly for Small to- medium-sized businesses (SMBs) that are looking for an opportunity to improve efficiency. Put the power of a cloud-based ERP to work, in a cost-effective and effortless approach.

Contact us to find out more about how state-of-the-art technology can transform and prepare for growth.

Additional ERP Resources

ERP for Distribution Companies

How to Improve Efficiency with a New ERP Solution

How to Select an ERP Solution

ERP for Distribution Companies

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Distribution companies are eyeing the future with a bold, new outlook. Modern ERP solutions are beginning to change the way these businesses operate. Cutting-edge, cloud-based software is changing the game in the way distributors operate — in what is known as one of the world’s most pervasive and complex industries.

By implementing cloud-based ERP software, companies are better able to manage supply chain and logistic activities, which includes warehouse management, inventory management, and order management (sales and purchase orders), and integrate these activities with the company’s financials and sales.

ERP software that is built for wholesale distribution leaders, can help drive business due to improved customer satisfaction, reduction in order times, and cost control across the entire supply and distribution chain.

Insurance for Supply Chains

Today’s business environment is very much a global one with bigger audiences, and further-reaching vendors hitting previously untapped markets. There is great reward for companies that are able to reach worldwide, but with that comes substantive risk.

Half of all businesses experience more than one supply chain disruption per year, and almost 55% of such events cost more than $25 million; further, one-in-five costing over $500 million, according to the International Risk Management Institute.

Needless to say, there are not many companies that could shoulder such a hit — most would end up shutting doors and closing up shop indefinitely. What should a company do? The best bet is to try to circumvent such an occurrence from the offset.  

Modern ERP software can help to prevent risky disruptions, keeping manufacturers armed with powerful analytics capabilities and data-driven insights that will help them to steer clear of trouble and costly mistakes.

Cross-Channel Visibility

Breaking down silos between work teams can prove beneficial to distribution companies; however, employees will need a data management system that can do the same. Bringing departments together connects partners, countries, cultures, and also currencies. Integrating software capabilities connects financial and operational matters in cross-border commerce with key metrics that can be viewed and digested via dashboards.

Transparency isn’t only beneficial to those working for the business, but also for customers and partners, as well. Relaying information to clients through fulfillment notifications before and after delivery is a great customer satisfaction strategy. Field work and remote reporting is on the rise, and companies that make working off-site easier will reap the benefits.

Mobile access requires all workers to be able to access inventory levels and include real-time updates that can add value for the entire team. All that’s required for mobile login is a Wifi signal or a browser that allows for Internet access. With this helpful feature, employees won’t feel tethered to their desks or limited by typical 9-to-5 office access, to complete tasks in a timely manner. It may make the difference in sealing a deal, beating out less agile competition.

Automate for Efficiency

Workforces that are optimizing to modern ERP systems will likely see an evolution in their internal competencies. Software such as this is created to make working easier. This means, staff will be able to learn how to benefit their job flow, using the time it saves to focus on other efforts that increase efficiencies and also grow the business.

Distribution includes many moving parts — manufacturing and safely delivering product doesn’t have to be a cumbersome, manual process. That’s now a thing of the past!

Thanks to automatic notifications, processes move much more smoothly. An ERP system is fast at work to ensure that all is optimized and products are moving through the supply chain efficiently. A new sale or return sets matters in motion with data transmitting to the appropriate parties for follow up or sign off. Everything is documented within the system, so users and departments can be tracked or identified as need be.

Seamlessly defining data and having it readily available to be be shared across various operational areas moves a company’s performance leagues above those that are not working with an ERP solution.

Getting Started

Realizing when a company is ready for a cloud-based ERP is the first step of the journey. The award-winning Acumatica Cloud ERP offers its Acumatica Distribution Edition, which includes Advanced Inventory, Requisition Management, Purchase Order Management, Warehouse Management System, and Advanced Financials. The system integrates fully with Acumatica’s CRM, Manufacturing, Field Service, and Project Accounting software —- providing clear visibility across the complete business.

The ideal partner should understand a company’s capabilities, as well as how to improve efficiency to optimize growth. CCS Technology Group brings cloud expertise, developing, implementing, monitoring, and supporting effective cloud-based solutions.

Read testimonials and contact us to learn more about implementing a cloud-based ERP solution that will take your company into the next decade and beyond!

Calculating the ROI of Moving to the Cloud

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Streamlining resources and investing in the valuable time a company spends around efficiency means increase in the valuable time employees have to perform substantive work. This can also lead to a reduction in paperwork that can, otherwise, be redundant at most. The implementation of ERP software can smooth processes within a business, improving the overall ROI (return on investment) of an organization.

With an automated control system that enables businesses to manage core processes around finance, human resources, services, etc., a business can contribute to the increased efficiency of the workforce by utilizing time more effectively. While the thought of implementation of an ERP system may raise brows across the finance department, it’s important to remember that such a system also can greatly benefit a company’s bottom line.

Here are a handful of the ways an ERP system can improve ROI for businesses.

Information Sharing

ERP software is built on a single platform, which can be used to monitor various databases controlled by different departments throughout the organization. Users benefit from this integration because it allows better decision making that enables business professionals to improve operations.

Conversely, when data is hosted in multiple platforms, overseeing and managing the system becomes more difficult. When approached in this way, data must be collected and then used to generate reports and data-driven analytics. While the process is much more involved, and requires more time, making an integrated system significantly much more desirable.

Efficiency

Updating and managing data for different functions across an organization can cost a lot of money. It’s an exhausting task that involves a lot of effort from staff, who can be responsible for submitting duplicate entries or various other manual mistakes that can hit a company’s profits.

An ERP system provides a platform that helps to reduce human intervention — and with this, it also helps to eliminate mistakes that can cost the company considerable amounts of money. Savings on the financial side also help to protect resources; employees who are working in better systems with safeguards to protect against error typically have a better work quality and happiness in their positions. Employees that are dedicated to learning a system and working in it are able to fine-tune processes and increase ROI. It’s understandable that ROI will increase over time, due to the performance of the ERP system.

Learn more in How to Improve Efficiency With a New ERP System.

Data and Governance

ERP software has many benefits — the most obvious is that it brings up-to-the-minute results in real time. Information is available to the entirety of the company, on premise, working virtually or in the field. Platform security provides access to reliable data, which allows both leadership and staff to make the most educated of decisions at a moment’s notice. The more agile a company, the better it will perform.

Cloud-based ERP systems offer another significant advantage: mobility. No matter where employees are located, they are each able to access information anytime and anywhere a Wi-Fi or mobile internet connection is available. With personalized dashboards, individuals or departments are able to see insights that reflect the current ecosystem of the business; views are determined by the user and also the functions they serve.

Inventory Management

With an ERP there are an array of areas that can be better managed, such as production, distribution, warehousing, and more. Keeping track of the activities in these areas, through an ERP system, can provide a company with timely information on inventory; for instance, what is in stock, on the way, or needed.

When inventory is under control, there are fewer shortages or interruptions that can cause issues with efficiency. Through insightful enhancements, the software enables businesses to plan future production well in advance.

Cost Reduction

Operating costs can be cut considerably when an ERP is in use. When implementation is given ultimate consideration it is able to perform functionality that can elevate the work a team does. Procurement and payment tools help to reduce material cost, while the software also easily handles improvement around staff allocation in efforts to reduce overtime and labor costs, and additionally knocking down incurred administration costs and other regulatory compliances.

It’s a collection of information that helps to improve ROI for a company, and implementing an ERP system will help to bring results sooner. Look forward to running a more organized business, reducing needed processes such as manual data entry, etc. — all of these points can help business leaders to reduce wasted time and money.

Getting Started

Understanding a business is ready for a cloud-based ERP is only the first part of the journey; the remainder is finding a partner that offers understanding of various capabilities, as well as how to implement efficiently. CCS Technology Group combines its cloud expertise with business continuity insight to develop, implement, monitor, and support effective cloud-based solutions.

Acumatica’s Modern CFO ERP Buyer’s Guide offers ERP insights for business leaders who are ready to take their company into the modern technological age. The easier working is, the more freedom a company will have to achieve its goals. Read testimonials and contact us to learn more about how to implement a cloud-based ERP system to improve processes and efficiencies that can jumpstart a company’s ROI.

Additional Cloud Resources

Are You Fully Committed to Using Cloud?

Choose the Right Approach for Moving Applications to the Cloud

Why SMBs Should Upgrade to the Cloud

Different Kinds of Malware Need Different Kinds of Defenses

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One of the reasons information security is so difficult is that there are so many different threats you need to defend against. Malware can take many different routes to get into your systems, and once there, it can do many different things. Keeping your data safe requires protecting against all of those different potential paths and actions.

Malware Can Take Different Routes Into Your Systems

As computers get more and more connected and more of our work and personal lives move online, there are more and more ways for malware to penetrate your defenses. The potential vectors include:

  • viruses. A virus attaches itself to legitimate files so it executes along with the underlying file.
  • worms. Small and self-replicating, worms spread without any user action.
  • trojan. Like the Trojan horse, this malware dresses up as legitimate software to hide its dangerous instructions.
  • malvertising. Online ads aren’t just annoying; they can include malware. In some cases the malware can execute automatically.

Malware Can Do Different Things

Once malware gets into your systems, it allows the hackers to use your systems and steal your data. Malware has the capability to:

  • steal data. Malware can steal data in different ways. One type of malware does this by keystroke logging; by capturing users’ data entry, hackers can learn passwords, account numbers, and other sensitive information. Other types of sophisticated malware can target specific files.
  • hold data hostage. Sometimes hackers don’t want your data, but they know you need your data. Ransomware encrypts your data files so you can’t read them and requires you to pay a ransom (usually in bitcoin or other cryptocurrency) to regain access. This malware can completely shut down your operations until you pay or restore data from clean backups.
  • redirect your browser. Some malware, called adware, displays unwanted advertising. This malware can sometimes take over browsers and redirect them to pages with ads rather than the requested site.
  • turn your PC into a bot or cryptominer. Malware can take over your PC and force it to perform other operations, including participating in a DDoS attack, emailing spam, or cryptomining. This malware doesn’t harm your device or data directly, but can result in poor performance.

Protecting against all these types of malware requires a comprehensive information security strategy. Tools such as firewalls and antivirus software can help keep dangerous software out of your systems. Training users is key to recognizing phishing emails and other malware that makes it through the automated systems. CCS Technology Group helps businesses develop and deploy complete cybersecurity solutions to protect vital company data. Contact us to learn more about the different threats your data faces and how you can defend against them.

Additional Cybersecurity Resources

7 Common Mistakes That Place Your Data in Danger

Phishing 101: What it is, how it works and how to avoid it

Spoofing: What it is and how to avoid it

Understand the Different Cloud Options for Your Backup and Disaster Recovery Strategy

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Effective backup requires more than simply making another copy of a file. You need to track the files you’ve backed up, provide appropriate security, and know how to restore them when needed. If you’re planning to backup files in the cloud, it’s important to know how to use the different options to get the right level of protection.

Cloud Storage

Cloud storage simply provides a remote filesystem for you to use. How you use the available space is up to you; depending on the cloud provider’s capabilities, you may be able to access it as a local filesystem. Unlike local filesystems, the capacity is unlimited, and you pay only for the capacity you use. An additional advantage of cloud storage is that cloud providers usually have several regions, allowing you to store data in a different geographic location.

Cloud Sync

Cloud sync copies folders from your local filesystem to a filesystem in the cloud. This is often used to share files so they can be used from anywhere, making them production data rather than a backup. Depending on the vendor, cloud sync may or may not allow you to access older versions of files. 

Cloud Backup

Cloud backup operates like traditional backup software, but with the cloud rather than a local filesystem as the target. The software operates on a schedule to backup changes to the cloud, with historic versions preserved. Cloud backup can be implemented with backup software running in the cloud or in your local data center. Cloud backup give you more control than cloud sync with respect to when and how data is duplicated. Cloud backup often uses compression and deduplication to reduce the space and cost of the backed-up data; it may also apply encryption for security. 

Cloud Disaster Recovery

It’s important to note that getting data out of the cloud is often more difficult and more expensive than getting data into the cloud. Cloud disaster recovery provides additional support needed to restore files and virtual machine images in case of an outage. Disaster Recovery as a Service (DRaaS) uses high levels of automation to bring systems online in the cloud rapidly.

Understanding the different capabilities between these cloud services is key to implementing an effective backup and disaster recovery strategy in the cloud. CCS Technology Group combines its cloud expertise with our business continuity insight to develop, implement, monitor, and support effective cloud-based backup and disaster recovery solutions. Contact us to learn more about how your backup can leverage the cloud to ensure a smooth backup and disaster recovery process for your business.

Additional Disaster Recovery Resources

Don’t Lose Your Files to Ransomware

5 Changes to Make When You Switch to Disaster Recovery in the Cloud

Backups Are Not A Disaster Recovery Solution

How to Improve Efficiency with a New ERP Solution

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A modern ERP system can help businesses to better communicate goals, objectives, and strategies.

Today, there is technology available that offers a multitude of opportunities to increase the efficiency of business operations, along with the effectiveness of the company’s workforce. When operating at maximum potential, an organization will have more time to invest in marketing the company, which in turn increases profitability.

ERP systems provide business owners and leaders with peace of mind in knowing they have the tools to overcome day-to-day challenges, such as executing business strategy. These tools empower companies by giving them what they need to prosper and grow.

By automating processes that come with the use of business productivity software, all areas of the business experience are smoother and benefit from more timely execution — this allows employees to spend more time on key priorities!

There are other significant benefits that arise due to the implementation of ERP software, including:

Employee Productivity

With modern ERP solutions, leadership can more easily monitor and track the progress of staff, as well as every phase of a project to ensure benchmarks are being met. Tracking step-by-step progress keeps everyone in the know before critical issues can offset progress.

Managers are better able to realize when an employee needs assistance to meet goals; they can offer additional coaching or mentoring as needed to ensure that the project the employee is working on does not derail, but instead stays on-track and is delivered on time.

Team Collaboration

Team sites and employee portals help project teams unite across the organization, regardless of where employees are stationed or located. Even different departments of an organization can be better connected to achieve success on a particular project. It helps to eliminate obstacles that can hinder communications by ensuring team members are on the same page.

ERP software creates the opportunity for project team members to reach out to others within the organization and to provide additional assistance or insight, as well as to tap into other “experts” within the organization, who can provide answers to the issues the project team faces.

Improved Communications and Problem Solving

Putting company information in one easy-to-access place helps leadership to better circulate that information across the organization. Managers are better able to express the company’s business strategy with ease, which can prove helpful when handling performance appraisals. An online system can help communicate consistently around measurement and goals, ensuring the company’s overall objectives are addressed to all team members.

With greater visibility into leaderships’ expectations for the workforce, there is a greater likelihood that a more open environment will be created and nurtured. Employees will benefit from being a part of the larger vision and having a greater understanding of how the goals of an individual employee or team fit into the wider-ranging overall business objective of the company.

Analyze Business Performance More Easily

Advanced reporting options and business analysis capabilities are available in today’s ERP software solutions. This helps business owners and the C-Suite gain a better understanding of how the business is performing, key market trends to be aware of, and customer preferences.

Accessing analytical reports and performance metrics give both employees and management the insights they need to work together and tweak strategies that are underperforming, and to find solutions that bring promise for future growth. The ERP system can also play a vital role in refining inventory management, working to tie together key metrics across the organization.

Finding the Best Solution

There isn’t a one-size-fits-all approach to ERP systems. There are a variety of solution types that can be tailored to satisfy individual needs for certain functions or to meet the requirements of a particular industry. Whether a company is looking for software to address accounting and customer relationship management (CRM) needs, or the nuances of industries like manufacturing or healthcare, it’s quite likely modern software can address a company’s unique challenges.

In essence, the term enterprise planning software was introduced to describe a broader system that integrated a variety of applications, many of those are mentioned above. Decision makers should be thorough as they research the options — identifying a handful of top performers — before deciding what software to invest in.  

Getting Started

Business leaders that are ready to improve efficiency and boost their bottom line should consider implementing a cloud-based ERP solution. Acumatica offers a Modern CFO ERP Buyer’s Guide to assist leaders in their search for the best possible ERP solution.

CCS Technology delivers IT support that is responsive, effective, and convenient. Technology should bring with it a sense of freedom; this means it should make working easier and more efficient! Read customer testimonials to learn how our services helped clients grow their businesses, and contact us to learn more or to request a complimentary consultation.

Additional ERP Resources

How to Manage Your Business Processes in One Solution

How CFOs Can Utilize Modern Technology to Their Advantage

5 Things to Look for in an ERP Software

Are You Fully Committed to Using Cloud?

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What does it take to make a full commitment to the cloud? Some might say it means moving all your applications to the cloud and eliminating your on-premises data center. But there’s another step to making a complete transition to the cloud: using cloud native applications.

Cloud Native Is Built to Leverage Cloud’s Advantages

It’s entirely possible to move one of your virtual machines off a physical server in your data center and drop it onto a physical server in the cloud. That’s the “lift and shift” model of cloud migration. It’s quick and simple, but applications designed to run in the data center can have limitations that don’t let them take advantage of cloud capabilities like automatic scaling.

Cloud native applications are designed and built in ways that let them get the maximum use of the cloud’s flexibility and availability. They’re typically built as containers, which allows them to be easily deployed on any available instance. That’s often combined with microservices, which allows them to easily scale. An agile, DevOps development approach makes it possible to rapidly deploy new builds.

Advantages of Going Cloud Native

Building applications using the cloud native approach offers several advantages. It’s agile, allowing businesses to rapidly respond to change. It can be heavily automated, allowing changes to be make quickly without the time and risk of manual intervention. Scaling can happen automatically. The microservices approach provides great flexibility and allows services to be used to meet needs the original developers didn’t foresee.

Those are beneficial characteristics on their own, but for smart companies, those benefits combine to create an even bigger benefit: competitive advantage. The ability to respond faster gives businesses a leg up against their competition. You can rapidly make major changes in technology to respond to new opportunities or changes in the business environment.

Disadvantages of Going Cloud Native

Given those benefits, why would you not go cloud native? The biggest reason is that it’s highly disruptive. Migrating to cloud is always a disruptive process, even if you lift-and-shift. If you choose to go cloud native, the disruption increases exponentially. Developers need to learn a new way of thinking about the applications they build, and operations needs to adapt to new ways of deploying, monitoring, and supporting them.

In addition, going cloud native means a slower transition to the cloud. Cloud migration planning always requires assessing whether workloads should be moved to the cloud at all; choosing to go cloud native requires a second level of analysis to decide whether each individual workload should be moved as is or rebuilt as a cloud native application. Once you decide to remake an application, you need additional analysis to identify the tools and design the technical architecture. Then executing the work of making an application cloud native can mean the cloud migration timeline stretches out much longer than the lift and shift approach.

Finally, if you have concerns about vendor lock-in, those issues are even more significant when you go cloud native. If you build a cloud by lifting and shifting virtual machines (VMs), it’s relatively straightforward to lift and shift those VMs over to another cloud provider. But when you go cloud native, you completely tie your application to your cloud provider’s available tools and API. Those won’t be the same over at another cloud provider, so moving to a different cloud is a bigger project.

There are many important decisions to make as you transition to cloud. CCS Technology Services can help you think through them to design and implement a cloud strategy that meets your business needs. Contact us to learn about our cloud services.

Additional Cloud Resources

Choose the Right Approach for Moving Applications to the Cloud

Advantages of a True Cloud Management Software

Why SMBs Should Upgrade to the Cloud

Choose the Right Managed Services Provider for Your Business

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Once you consider the big benefits of using managed services and understand how they’ll help your business, you can confidently make the decision to use a managed services provider to handle your information technology. Next you need to select the right managed services provider to get the best results.

There are many factors you’ll want to consider, including:

  • Cost. There’s no denying that opting for managed services is often driven by cost considerations, so you’ll definitely need to understand how much you’ll pay for managed services. Don’t simply compare the numbers you’re quoted, though. Different providers have different pricing models, and their quotes may include different levels of service and support. Look for a package that offers the services you need at a price you can afford, while providing flexibility to add additional services if you need them.
  • Expertise. Technical expertise is the second most important factor to consider; there’s no point in paying for outside help if they aren’t as competent as your own internal team. Your managed services provider should hold current certifications in the technologies you use in your data center.
  • Experience. The expertise referred to above can come from book learning. Another aspect of expertise is learned through the experience of applying that knowledge in real-world situations. Your managed services provider should have a track record you can evaluate; this track record shouldn’t be reflected simply in the company’s longevity but also in the experience of the specific staff who will provide your support.
  • Industry knowledge. Every industry has its own specific challenges, and understanding how to use technology most effectively in your business requires understanding your industry. Look for a managed services provider who has previous experience delivering IT solutions in your industry.
  • Good references. Don’t rely on a company’s word that they deliver excellent services; make sure you get the names of some other clients and talk to their references to learn about their experience with the provider.
  • On-site services. Remote services are a good solution for addressing many problems; however, there are some issues can’t be resolved without a hands-on presence. Make sure your provider can deliver services on-site when required.
  • Creativity. Standard solutions solve standard problems. Look for a provider with creativity that can develop innovative solutions designed to meet your specific needs.

Download our guide to managed services to learn more about how managed services can help your business. Then contact us to learn why you should choose CCS Technology Group for your managed services provider.