Cloud Deployment Tips

Cloud computing is here to stay. Manufacturers and distributors are pining for its mobility, improved asset management and affordability. While many businesses with on-premises enterprise software are working to migrate to the cloud, other companies are just beginning their software journey and diving headfirst into cloud computing.

But before plunging into a cloud-hosted ERP or CRM implementation, businesses must decide on the ideal cloud hosting option and lay out a comprehensive plan to effectively deploy their software instance. Read on for some tips on successfully implementing enterprise software in the cloud.

Communicate Effectively

Though it sounds simple, communication with colleagues and management is often derailed at some point in the implementation process. From the beginning, plans for implementing cloud-hosted software should be conveyed clearly to your enterprise, not just the IT team. Address any concerns of cloud computing. Explain the advantages of faster deployment times and lower implementation costs. Debunk myths that the cloud doesn’t securely store data. Cloud evangelism will motivate workers throughout the training process. In addition, alert employees of possible outages or new URLs throughout the software project to ensure that everyone can plan ahead for these occurrences and stay in the know.

Select Your Cloud Deployment Method

Your deployment choices aren’t just cloud or no cloud. When you make the decision to implement cloud-hosted software, you then have to figure out what kind of cloud platform works best for your company. We’ll lay out a few of the options:

• Multi-tenancy: In this model, one instance of the cloud software and supporting infrastructure serves multiple clients. This option has gained popularity because of its flexibility and scalability. Plus, the host vendor invests heavily in the security of each client’s data and takes care of upgrades and maintenance. Multi-tenancy is often the safest, easiest model.
• Single-tenancy: As the name suggests, a single instance of the software and supporting infrastructure serves one client. This is an appropriate choice for clients who want more control over their software deployment.
• Hybrid cloud: The hybrid cloud integrates public cloud resources with private cloud services. This model is most common among global organizations with strong centralized IT departments who need to support a global IT footprint.

Before narrowing down your cloud hosting options, check out which deployments are supported by your vendor. Epicor ERP, for example, supports a range of hosting methods, including all three mentioned above and on-premises software. Other ERP systems, however, are more limited.

Look Through Current Processes and Applications

Our blog constantly harps on the importance of diligently modeling business processes in order to determine the best enterprise software solutions. Cloud-hosted software is no exception. As you plan for cloud deployment, take inventory of workloads and applications. Are there any difficult legacy applications that need to be redesigned or eradicated altogether? Can you find any business processes or software tools to improve upon? Most importantly, businesses migrating from an on-premises solution to the cloud will need to reconfigure their security strategy. Though the cloud tends to be safer than on-premises, it’s still crucial to deploy cloud-native security features to fully protect your data.

Wrap Up

The cloud continues its climb in popularity, and for good reason. By streamlining processes, enabling mobility and making crucial enterprise software features more available and affordable for midmarket manufacturers and distributors, cloud computing is transforming businesses through software. But to fully enjoy the advantages of the cloud, it’s important to craft a strategy that ensures success.

To help build this strategy, enlist the guidance of expert software consultants. As an Epicor Platinum Partner with over 20 years of software consulting experience, Datix has a reputation for providing premium software solutions. We have the expertise to guide businesses in choosing the correct deployment option for ERP as well as CRM and eCommerce. In addition, we built Unity, a multi-tenant integration platform that connects a variety of software into a streamlined solution that enhances productivity across your enterprise.

Ready to take advantage of cloud computing? Contact Datix today to learn how to find the right cloud solution for your business!

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