Collaboration in a Socially Distanced World: Starting to See the Benefits of the Cloud Yet?

If your workplace is following the advice of the Center for Disease Control, you’re probably reading this from home. If this is a new experience for you, welcome to the remote work world. Though many companies have been considering the concept of remote work for years and others have already put such programs into place, it’s a different experience when an entire workplace is working from home.

A New Experience at Some Workplaces

Unfortunately for many, this is a new experience, not only for the workers, but for the infrastructure as well. While your marketing and sales teams may just need access to a CRM, your web developers can work from anywhere, and even your technical support team can do what they need with a phone and a laptop, those in the AP department might not be used to the work or even have access to systems.

Knowing this, studies have found that remote workers are generally more productive, comfortable, and less stressed by the daily grind. However, it takes a small amount of time to adjust. Remote work requires a different mentality, exposes workers to new distractions, and needs an infrastructure built to enable it.

Is Legacy Software Preventing Your Business from Protecting Workers?

The last of these three is often easier said than done—especially when relying on legacy systems to operate. Many companies spend months or years planning for the move to allow remote work, few were ready when health officials recommended the concept of social distancing less than a month ago.

From communication tools to enabling secure remote access, companies who weren’t prepared for this have been left scrambling to connect employees. Ask yourself the following:

• Do employees have the hardware they need to be successful?
• If they’re using their own devices, how are you securing your systems?
• Do employees need to jump through hoops to access tools?
• If you’re using a VPN, does your company have the bandwidth to deliver software to employees?
• Is your tech support team ready to be flooded with calls?
• Are workers able to leverage collaboration tools?

Often, for companies relying on outdated, on-premises, legacy products, the path to accessing software from anywhere besides their work computers is a nightmare.

Secure Anytime and Anywhere Access in the Cloud

Never has the case for the cloud been clearer. Built to provide anytime and anywhere access to employees who need it, software-as-a-service products are created for scenarios like this, allowing employees secure, anytime and anywhere access using little more than a browser or app.

Cloud platforms aren’t novel either. The first cloud products came out more than two decades ago and have evolved ever since, going above and beyond to deliver access. Cloud 9 ERP Solutions and our flag ship ERP solution, Acumatica, offers 24/7 system access from any location on any device. Content automatically reflows to respond to various screen sizes, orientations, and resolutions, which ensures the interface and workflow is consistent. This translates into improved freedom and productivity, allowing people to choose where they work and on their preferred device.

Anytime, anywhere access for your customers, too!

Acumatica’s Customer Portal, part of the Customer Management Suite, allows your customers perform account-related activities, such as balance inquiries, support requests, and access to product documentation.

Help for the road warriors

For simple but frequently used tasks that field staff need, such as time or expense reporting, the Acumatica mobile app for iOS and Android is available at no charge.

While legacy ERP must be maintained on your site and is limited in scope and flexibility, cloud applications, like Acumatica, are limitless, flexible, and scalable—ready to deliver what your employees need, when and where they need it.

COVID-19 Affects Us All: Take Steps to Protect Workers

Protecting your workers should be a top priority for your company, and if it comes down to shutting down your offices for weeks or even months, understand that it is possible to do so in the modern business environment without losing sight of your business.

Cloud 9 ERP Solutions and Acumatica is committed to providing system uptime and business continuity to its partners and customers, while at the same time protecting employee health and safety. Those two responsibilities drive our business practices every day, and you can rely on Acumatica Cloud ERP for the duration of any Coronavirus impact.

The Cloud 9 ERP Solutions Team is proud to work with Acumatica and works with companies to configure and implement this powerful software. Stay safe, and we hope to hear from you soon.

Learn more in our article - Mobility: Information, When, Where, and How You Need It