Stopgap vs. Strategy in the Cloud: From a Right-Now to Right Solution

“The possibilities are numerous once we decide to act and not react.”– George Bernard Shaw

Throughout 2020 and even into 2021, businesses spent a lot of time and effort reacting to new demands and challenges thrust upon them.

Transitioning their workforces to remote environments, enabling remote collaboration among team members, and offering virtual and remote services for customers were ways organizations adjusted.

Leaders needed quick answers to keep their businesses operational, and many couldn’t thoroughly vet the solutions. They took a stopgap approach, temporarily solving an issue or meeting a need with a “right-now” solution.

Taking a stopgap approach to implementing business technology comes with risks:

• Rushed decisions
• Greater inefficiencies
• Workarounds that hurt productivity

“The world is different. The challenges we face are different. They’re impacting our ability to manage our business. We see varying approaches. One would be the stopgap approach, where due to the challenges out there in the economy, you had to put a Band-Aid or temporary fix in place.”–Kevin Armstrong, Enterprise Strategy Leader, Enavate

Stopgap Measures Won’t Sustain You: Get Strategic

It’s time to plan for the right solution, instead of the right-now option; Chances are some of the solutions deployed in the past year didn’t work out as expected. But a strategic approach can drive optimal results.

A strategic approach involves:

• Building an organized technology roadmap
• Planning for how you’ll solve day-to-day business challenges
• Utilizing cost-effective solutions built specifically for your business needs
• Capitalizing on a market opportunity

Having a strategic plan also can be more cost-effective, particularly when migrating your applications and data to the Cloud.

“What is the best defense? It’s an offense. So, how do you as a business owner look forward and drive your organization into action and be proactive in what you decide to set up now for the next year, for the next two years, for the next decade of your company?”–Chad Sogge, Pod Meister™, Enavate Partner Services

Here are a few considerations to help you lay a foundation for your Cloud strategy:

• What strategic partner will you work with?
• What challenges are you solving?
• Should you do a phased implementation?
• Which functions are the best building blocks to move first in a phased implementation?
• What licensing option do you need?
• Do you prefer a public, private or hybrid Cloud?
• What applications, modules and customizations do you have?
• What independent software vendors (ISVs) have you used?
• What is the size of your organization (users/companies)?
• How are you using your data?
• Is your database modified?
• Should you finance your technology investment?
• Can you claim a Section 179 tax deduction on your investment?

The right strategic partner can help you assess these facets of your decision and offer guidance, helping you make the most of your investments. With the answers to these questions, the right partner can help design your unique path to the Cloud in a way that optimizes your spending, lowers your total cost of ownership and sets the stage for continual growth and progress at your organization.

"ERP decisions are the lifeblood of an organization. That's where everything's going into, and business decisions are being made. You need to plan out your journey. What will this look like for me this year in 2021? What do I want to be doing in 2022? What size organization are we going to have 12, 18, 24 months from now? How do I prepare for that?" - Ryan Grant, Sales Leader, North America Managed Services Team, Enavate.

No matter where you are in your Cloud journey, if you’d like to learn more about your Cloud options, connect with one of our Enavate experts for custom advice on the right path and pace for your company.