Around 88% of UK businesses are using some form of cloud technology to optimise their business operations. 250 IT decision-makers in large and small companies were surveyed, and both groups are adopting these technologies at a similar rate. 74% are keen for a cloud service to help make delivery easier, 72% want to cut costs, and 65% care most about scalability.
Your organisation has probably already adopted some form of cloud technology, but if decision-makers are resisting further change, it could be slowing the whole business down. Efficiency demands a bit of time and investment at the very beginning, but updating legacy systems to adaptable cloud technology could speed up your operations dramatically.
1. Deal with customer service demands in an agile way.
The way your business stores data needs to be accessible, secure, and adaptable, making cloud service the ideal choice. Every customer services team would benefit from a cloud database they can access on demand during calls - the more knowledge they have, the more they can advise and sell to customers.
Customer service is about more than keeping customers temporarily happy, it’s about satisfying their future needs too. A suite of cloud services and databases that send alerts and reminders to a sales team could improve profit and retention dramatically.
2. Make backups safer and more reliable.
A cloud-based backup system should be used alongside physical and offsite backups as extra insurance. Cloud backups are often more secure, update far more frequently, and prevent loss from multiple sources - ideally, you want it to be automatic, so there’s as little room for human error as possible.
Cloud storage will ensure your data, website, databases and files are encrypted, whether they’re stored on computers fixed to the office, or on laptops, smartphones and tablets. If staff regularly take equipment out of the office, there need to be strict rules as to how they store the data on it.
3. Keep growing without huge expense.
By their very nature, cloud services are adaptable and upgradeable. ‘Future proofing’ is never entirely possible, but a service that changes as you need it to keeps your business mobile and flexible.
The functions that many cloud services are capable of used to be the domain of expensive specialists and even more expensive software. Now, they’re accessible at a reasonable cost for businesses of all sizes. Thanks to Open Source, tools which were previously only available in extremely expensive systems, are now downloadable for everyone to use and adapt.
4. Help all departments work together cohesively.
Disjointed processes can waste a lot of time and money for a business, so a small amount of investment can make a big impact. Smaller businesses are far more able to use cloud services for all their processes, and the easier they integrate with each other, the easier it is for everyone in a business to be on the same page.
With that, however, are security concerns. It’s advisable to have the option of giving people visibility and access only when they need it for their role. This minimises the risk of data being exposed or shared without authorisation. And if it is, your team will be able to identify the breach quickly.
5. Cut down the amount of time spent on repetitive processes
It’s likely there are tasks completed by your IT department that you really want to reduce. It’s not just small business owners wasting considerable time on admin, IT teams are regularly relied upon to complete basic tasks that could be automated.
Cloud services that pull data in a few clicks, automate tech support responses, and backup at regular intervals give your team more time to use their specialist knowledge, and complete tasks that need a human touch.
Vohkus supports businesses with technology installation, management, and maintenance. Find out more about Vohkus’ core capabilities and how we transform your ideas into real outcomes, by requesting a call back today.
