Technology advancement has a huge impact on almost every sector. In business, it not only provides benefits but also a great challenge to keep the corporation to stay updated. Nowadays, entrepreneurs or companies need to consider implementing enterprise Software and cloud services. But how?
Following the vast technology capabilities, this digital transformation movement promises a better future for the company. In the case of cloud services and enterprise software, digital transformation affects a company on a large scale. Thus, a proper set of steps should be taken properly for the process. Here is the guide for you.
Assessing The Business Need
The first step is always crucial! In the case of implementing enterprise Software and cloud services, the first thing to do is assess. Every company has its own system or corporate infrastructure. Implementing the cloud system or services plus integrating the enterprise Software means you are going to change most of the system.
That is why a proper assessment is needed to determine the real process or necessity of digital transformation. What do you want to change? How do you want to change? And who will get the change? The three basic questions can help you underline the importance of migrating to cloud services.
At the same time, you might also need to consider finding the details of business needs and identify any workloads that will migrate to the cloud services. Then, you can also evaluate the potential benefits of using the enterprise software. This information will help you develop a clear roadmap and foundation for a smooth transition.
The idea is that you will use cloud computing to provide various functions. They include storage, servers, networking, software, analytics, and databases. The cloud puts all processes working under the internet connection to bump up the business scale operations, flexibility function, ease of access, and various other benefits.
Choosing The Right Cloud Model
What kind of cloud services do you need? This is why you need to assess your business. Cloud platforms offer several types of models with different benefits and access. First is the IaaS, or the infrastructure as a Service, it is the model that offers the organization access to the infrastructure such as devices, web service, networking equipment, and many more.
With IaaS, users will have to pay per use. It is a great solution if you are looking for a cost-effective solution as it only asks you to pay for what you need. The good point is that IaaS still offers great security measurement, networking, servers, operating systems, and many more to deploy various cloud functions.
The second option is PaaS, or Platform as a Service, which offers solutions in the form of platforms and environments with apps and services. Customers do not have access to manage the infrastructure but can work with any needed software or tasks through the Internet. It also means you don’t need to have in-house hardware or install software.
However, you still have the chance to control the apps and hosting environment configuration settings. The last one is software as a Service (SaaS), the cloud solution that only offers the already made software or applications via the Internet. You don’t have to install or maintain the software. You can only access it with the Internet, which also saves money or costs for hardware.
So, which one do you need to choose? This is where you need to consider the technical requirements, goals, and budget. The model will shape almost all cloud strategy, control, flexibility, and cost. Don’t forget that it may also affect your company, whether the efficiency or the need for professional workers.
Types Of Cloud Computing Models
Similar to the service models, you need to determine the computing models. In this part, enterprise software & cloud services will affect the business needs and security. How so? Because the cloud also runs with different types of methods and infrastructure types, such as public, private, or hybrid.
Public cloud is the type that is provided over the internet by third-party providers. It falls under SaaS, which means everyone can access similar apps or software. The public products are more scalable and affordable options. However, the security measure is a bit lacking. It is good if you are just starting a business and looking for a cost-friendly app.
The private cloud is the opposite. It is the IaaS, which allows a lot of changes and reconstruction on the cloud service. It has greater control and security, which is a very important aspect of a big-scale business. It will hold the data privacy properly and make changes to the infrastructure as you need it.
If you are looking for the middle ground, take part in the hybrid cloud. It is a combination of public and private clouds that blend all the properties of IaaS and SaaS. The services allow data and applications to be shared between them. It also gives more optimization or flexibility based on the needs with different prices on tags.
Pick The Right Cloud Provider
Next up is the provider. Pan out the possible information on every provider you are interested in, but you can also thin out the options by considering your plan or cost. In one way or another, don’t just get the cheap options. However, it is okay to pick providers that offer higher capabilities, functions, or securities.
What are the options? Among the most robust and popular ones are Amazon Web Services (AWS), Google Cloud, and Microsoft Azure. All of them offer a range of enterprise software & cloud services, such as cloud storage, data computation, security, and so on. What if you are not sure or familiar with the options?
In a way, a familiar provider such as Google Cloud might be a good option for you. Some features such as Google Drive for storage, doc or sheet for data sharing, Google Meet, and so on. Some of them are easy to access, with pretty small restrictions. Some of them are also free to use. Consider your business objective, needs, pricing, customer support, and security.
Planning The Migration Process
Implementing cloud services or enterprise software is not just about picking the best options out there. You also need to prepare the internal factors. In this case, try to develop a proper strategy for migration. Migration strategy means determining various details such as data, applications, services, and processes that should be moved to the cloud.
It is worth noting that migration can take time, adaptation, and training. So, to avoid any potential error, try to work with a phased process. Do it little by little, starting from the non-critical function. The idea is to minimize risk and allow the team or the users to adjust to the new system and usage.
In this case, you can decide which application or data to migrate to the cloud or one that should be on-premise. Do you need to migrate everything? Considering the needs and functions, you may not need to do everything in the cloud. It is worth mentioning that the cloud works under an internet connection. What if you cannot access the internet? That will be a huge problem.
You can also consider the cloud service benefits, such as flexibility or scalability. Take an example of a workload that has critical functions and needs expansion. You can pick that workload using the cloud and get the benefit of the scalability function. Another key point to pay attention to is to make a backup solution.
While migrating the workloads, consider the enterprise software & cloud services backup solution such as downloading offline and uploading online. It will ensure that you can minimize the chance of data loss. Don’t forget to integrate with your on-premise environment, so every data is accessible and working efficiently.
Training Your Employee
Implementing enterprise software is not only about the apps or computers. You also need a proper worker to run the application. If in this case, you are trying to make a new migration, take time and attention to employee training. Cloud computing needs comprehensive knowledge, especially when it comes to security and data safety.
So, give time for the employee to familiarize with the cloud platform, best practices, and security protocols. Don’t stop just teaching the basics, you can also call a tutor to encourage potential improvement in the future. As cloud services are pretty complex, especially during migration, a well-informed team will make the process smooth sailing.
Highlighting The Data Security And Compliance
Whether you are still looking for the option, provider, or training employees, be sure to highlight data security and compliance. Those two factors are critical to your business, especially since you are working with third parties. One mistake can lead to data loss, hacking, or many other problematic situations.
So, always work closely with your provider. Check their credibility and customer services or contact during the implementation. Pay close attention to encryption, multi-factor authentication, and data backups. Make sure you don’t miss any details so you won’t lose access. Additionally, pick a provider that complies with industry regulations to handle sensitive data.
Optimizing The Cloud Resource
Is the implementation and migration done? Even if everything is done, there are chances that you need to make optimization for all the enterprise software & cloud services. Most of the time, the optimization comes as you run the program or applications. You might find small to big issues that affect the use of the services.
As an example: you are immigrating from an offline data processing application to the cloud. While the cloud app is relatively easy to use, it requires a more powerful computer. In this case, you may have to optimize your computer to support the minimal requirement. The point of this optimization is to ensure peak performance.
Don’t forget about the cost-efficiency aspect. With the help of the cloud, you may be able to cut some slack in computer units. You can cut several computers to save up operational costs. Other than that, you can assess many other aspects of enterprise software. Pay attention to cloud usage and resources. You can implement cost management to avoid overspending.
You can also fine-tune the hardware to comply with the software needs. Don’t forget that some cloud services allow users to adjust the software or application infrastructure. Do what you need to leverage the cloud’s full potential and avoid buying any unnecessary features.
In many ways, proper monitoring is needed from time to time. Continue to check the health and performance of the cloud environment. Yes! Cloud services or providers can crash at any given time. To help you with it, you can utilize monitoring tools to identify issues, track performance, and compliance with service level agreements.
Integrating Into The On-Premise System
Planning, implementing, and integrating everything always takes time. It is not an easy job that the benefits can be seen in one day. To fully realize the changes and benefits, you may have to seamlessly integrate with the existing system. In another world, you are either opting for full migration or integration.
Various success stories of enterprise software & cloud services come from businesses that can connect the cloud to the on-premise application or other software from a third party. It will take time and effort to make everything connected. But when it succeeds, you can expect enhanced collaboration across organizations, smooth workflows, and no data silos.
Continue To Improve The services
Similar to the never-ending technology growth, you should embrace the continuity of Cloud services improvement. Every provider will likely offer updates from time to time. It also means you need to adjust to the new changes and keep on making regular assessments. You won’t be left behind by improving your system.
As the scale of enterprise Software and cloud services is large, it is best to plan everything ahead of time. Remember that every change by the provider can affect almost all parts of the business. So, be sure you have the proper model, process, training, and integration for the future. Don’t make a mess.
