Many typical expectations and realities shifted during 2020, resulting in widespread changes affecting every level of operations. It’s no longer enough to rely on your storefront as your only source of income. Nor can you guarantee employees can always pop by your office to ask a question or forward a call to the sales team.
However, with significant change comes immense opportunities, and the cloud makes it all possible. With an eye towards innovation, you can future-proof your business. Learn how digital advancements and a reliable business cloud solution support existing systems and improves future outcomes.
1. Reclaim Your Time and Boost Worker Productivity
Every second your team waits for an answer or a program to load results in downtime. Minor interruptions slow thought processes and lead to more errors. Furthermore, updating software or syncing new devices is time-consuming. The cloud frees up your time so you can invest it where it’s needed.
For instance, switching to the cloud increases collaboration. According to the Deloitte report, The Collaborative Economy, key drivers of collaboration are video conferencing and real-time electronic document management. Employees:
- Work 15% faster when they collaborate.
- Say collaboration helps them improve the quality of their work.
- Feel teamwork increases their innovation.
Moreover, companies who develop a collaborative strategy gain a competitive advantage and improve their profit. By embracing cloud computing, you give your staff the tools to access data whenever and wherever they need it. Whether you’re working remotely or in the office, teams can reach out to various departments, update data in real-time, and stay productive.
2. Support Remote Work and Improve Data Access
Data availability is a critical factor for remote workforces. However, many executives also voice concerns over monitoring employees and providing the same support they’d receive in the office. To meet these challenges, executives enlist cloud technologies.
According to KPMG, 69% of CEOs plan to downsize office space and embrace a virtual workforce. To manage this shift, 77% will increase their use of digital communication and collaboration tools. Cloud computing allows global teams to access real-time data from any location and on any device. This flexibility puts critical information at your team’s fingertips.
Cloud technologies, like Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) services, give teams a way to make, answer, and forward calls regardless of location. From managed call services to cloud-based phone features, each element supports the needs of future virtual teams.
Cloud software and storage enable staff to share files and collaborate on documents online easily. Furthermore, instant messaging systems and video conferencing capabilities allow teams to connect across different offices, sites, or when working from home.
3. Gain Access to Remote IT Management Capabilities 24/7
Currently, you may handle your IT needs in-house. But, as you grow or attract global customers, you may discover a need for around-the-clock oversight. However, adding IT experts is costly, especially when they need a broad skill set to assist clients and staff while maintaining business-critical systems.
Managed IT services partner with your organization to cover gaps in your support and management teams. Providers offer monitoring dashboards allowing you to see what’s going on with your systems anywhere and on any device. So you can enjoy your time away from the office yet be prepared to assess and respond to a crisis immediately.
4. Cloud Solutions Mitigate Security Risks
81% of businesses must spend money to resolve a cyber-attack, according to BullGuard. Plus, many companies experience significant downtime, jeopardizing relationships with clients, and diminishing worker productivity. After an attack, downtime varied, with:
- 50% taking 24 hours or more to fix the problem
- 29% spending 12 hours on finding a solution
- 21% needing an hour or less
Fortunately, cloud storage and backup solutions come with many safeguards to protect your business against cyber attacks. Cloud technologies provide different security levels, depending on your data, industry, and business requirements. For instance, data storage centers keep your data backups in secure locations that use preventative, detective, deterrent, and corrective controls. Managed cloud backup providers focus on one thing: Keeping your data safe.
Another option is business security systems, which offer antivirus, business firewalls, and other solutions to enhance your safety. With cloud solutions, you can customize it to fit your needs and scale as you grow. Your providers automate functions like updating antiviral software or backing up proprietary data. These actions save you time and take some of the burdens off of your IT teams.
5. Enable Seamless Collaboration Via Video Meetings
Nothing beats a face-to-face conversation, whether it’s to hash out a problem or close a deal. To position your company for growth, it’s essential to find ways to communicate even if you can’t be in the same location. Fortunately, video meetings solve this problem. According to a Global Industry Analysts, Inc report, the Web and video conferencing market is anticipated to grow by an incredible 110.3% in 2020.
However, you’ve likely heard horror stories (or experienced one yourself) where spotty connections and slow services led to tons of tech troubles. Difficulties are often due to a lack of bandwidth or overloaded video software servers during business hours.
The solution is using a managed cloud provider with demonstrated reliability and performance in web conferencing tools. These digital technologies allow you to scale or up or down as needed. Plus, you can always depend on your provider to ensure every video call is clear.
6. Cloud-Based Tools and Software Increase Opportunities
The majority of organizations already use some form of cloud-based tool or application. From Microsoft Office 365 to Salesforce, web-based software keeps your business flexible. Although Software as a Service (SaaS) is well-known, several options exist, such as:
- PaaS: Platform as a Service
- IaaS: Infrastructure as a Service
- DaaS: Desktop as a Service
- Cloud security and management services
- BPaaS: Business Process as a Service
However, for seamless adoption into your workflows, your software and services must integrate with other systems. Moreover, it’s vital to look for long-term solutions that grow with your company while fitting your current budget.
7. Add High-Quality Employees to Your Workforce
According to the KPMG study, CEOs believe the “number one threat to long-term growth is talent risk.” Attracting and retaining the best people is vital to your organization. By enhancing your digital technologies, you improve employee engagement and satisfaction levels. And Deloitte reports that “almost 69% of digitally advanced businesses stated that digital tools improve employee satisfaction in their workplace compared to only 19% of companies at the basic level of digital engagement.”
The cloud gives teams access to the information needed to be productive while building efficiency into various workflows. It also demonstrates that your company is forward-thinking and innovative. All of which help you attract a tech-savvy high-quality workforce.
8. Cloud Services Help You Attract and Retain Business Clients
As consumer behavior and habits change, your company must also evolve while continually identifying and addressing new pain points. Cloud services reduce customer wait times and give clients more ways to access what they need. On your end, it’s tough to track all communications when each one opens up in a new application, and not all applications integrate well. However, cloud-based technologies, like unified communications, put all conversations in one spot. Your team can oversee customer care, connect clients to the right people, and quickly resolve problems.
9. Build IT Resiliency Into Your Business Operations
Resiliency is key to future-proofing your business. While many executives analyze financial and operational resilience, you also need to look at your IT resilience. A report by the International Data Corporation (IDC) finds, “93% of respondents have experienced tech-related business disruption in the past two years.” Of those reporting disruptions, they had the following consequences:
- 53.3% needed employees to work overtime.
- 49.9% lost employee productivity.
- 42.2% paid direct costs for recovery.
- 37% faced a direct loss of revenue.
- 34.4% had unrecoverable data.
- 28.6% reported minor damage to their corporate reputation.
- 19.8% experienced a permanent loss of customers.
- 19.4% suffered major damage to their company’s reputation.
Cloud computing supports business IT resilience by reducing risk from disruption and making it easier to recoup after a disaster. Moreover, enlisting cloud services as part of your digital transformation strategy makes your company more flexible while giving the right employees access to data.
10. Make Informed Decisions Using Accessible Cloud Data
You hear the term big data thrown around a lot. But it’s the small data that overloads your staff and often goes unnoticed. Cloud technology helps you regain control over your information and use it to your advantage. Tools, like unified communications, deliver real-time insights in easy-to-understand formats. By customizing your analytics, you can develop reports to assist stakeholders and employees with their decision-making process.
Future-Proof Your Business With Cloud Technology
Are you ready to connect teams and reduce workplace disruptions? Reach your goals and gain a competitive advantage by working with a technology partner who helps you select customized cloud solutions.
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