1. The
Answer
is
in
the
Cloud
for
Small
to
Mid-‐Sized
Business
Enterprise
Resource
Planning
(ERP)
systems
have
become
an
integral
part
of
doing
business
for
a
wide-‐
range
of
industries
over
the
last
two
decades.
More
small
to
mid-‐size
businesses
are
reaching
for
this
technology
to
consolidate
all
aspects
of
their
company’s
operations
under
a
single
streamlined
system.
Now,
with
the
advent
of
SaaS
platforms
from
Plex,
Netsuite,
Epicor
Express,
and
SAP,
companies
of
this
size
are
taking
their
ERP
framework
and
looking
for
cloud
providers.
This
new
delivery
model
has
prompted
many
questions
from
executive-‐level
decision
makers,
such
as:
• Is
it
affordable?
• Is
it
scalable?
• Is
it
efficient?
Affordability
Cloud
ERP
systems
eliminate
the
need
for
costly
hardware
that
would
normally
be
required
for
an
on-‐
premise
system.
The
costs
involved
in
managing
and
maintaining
a
legacy
ERP
environment
are
substantial.
Moving
these
operations
to
a
web-‐based
service
allows
for
your
capital
to
be
free
to
invest
in
other
areas.
As
this
infographic
suggests,
additional
benefits
include
predictable
monthly
fees,
limiting
the
need
for
in-‐house
IT
support,
and
paying
only
for
the
services
you
require.
Scalability
As
many
companies
make
the
jump
from
small
to
mid-‐size
in
the
scope
of
their
businesses,
many
CFOs
understand
the
struggle
in
adding
infrastructure
as
the
volume
and
demands
of
customers
increase.
With
ERP
in
the
cloud,
you
are
guaranteed
the
flexibility
that
is
required
when
your
needs
change.
By
simply
adding
user
licenses
and
application
services
or
taking
them
away,
you
can
make
the
necessary
adjustments
with
little
to
no
infrastructure
costs
within
the
walls
of
your
business.
Efficiency
The
hallmarks
of
cloud
ERP
systems
are
efficiency,
accessibility,
and
security.
You
can
now
take
your
work
wherever
you
are
in
the
world.
Making
adjustments
to
your
supply
chain
is
now
as
simple
as
logging
in
from
your
smartphone
or
tablet
through
custom
apps
or
via
a
mobile
web
browser.
With
integration
across
all
platforms,
executives
can
now
shift
their
focus
back
to
strategic
planning,
and
spend
less
time
focused
on
how
their
legacy
ERP
system
affects
their
bottom
line.
A
recent
USA
Today
article
made
the
case
for
an
efficient
and
secure
cloud
system
when
faced
with
a
crisis
situation.
One
weekend
last
month,
thieves
broke
in
and
stole
eight
desktop
PCs
used
by
his
office
staff,
along
with
a
truckload
of
recycled
tech
equipment.
Smith
was
unruffled.
"On
Monday,
we
went
out
and
bought
new
computers,
plugged
them
in,
and
we
were
back
up
and
running
by
noon,"
he
says.
"We
didn't
have
to
re-‐create
anything."
2. Regardless
of
theft,
inclement
weather,
or
countless
other
disaster
scenarios,
a
cloud
ERP
system
is
off-‐
site,
backed-‐up
on
multiple
servers,
and
does
not
interrupt
the
data
stream
that
is
so
vital
to
your
business.
Affordability,
scalability,
and
efficiency
are
certainly
top
of
mind
to
most
executives
when
it
comes
to
implementing
new
technology.
For
small
to
mid-‐sized
businesses,
ERP
cloud
systems
become
even
more
appealing
during
growth
periods.
Historically,
only
large
businesses
have
had
the
competitive
advantage
in
developing
their
own
data
solutions
during
times
of
growth.
Today,
ERP
in
the
cloud
allows
the
smallest
of
businesses
to
level
the
playing
field
and
compete
effectively.
