Avoid the Pitfall of Not Asking the Right Questions About Moving ERP to the Cloud

There’s no doubt that moving your business software to the Cloud can be an exciting change for any business. Gone will the be the huge upfront investment in infrastructure and the ongoing costs and hassle associated with maintaining it. Gone will be the need to schedule updates around your work time, and the possibilities that the Cloud opens up for an increasingly mobile and international market are growing each day. But as with any change, being equipped with information before you start the change will make your transition smoother and help you avoid potential pitfalls.

Here are some issues and the questions you should ask about moving your financial ERP systems to the cloud:

1. Access

Does your internet provide the bandwidth, speed, and reliability you will need and what are your options in case connection is lost?

2. Browser

Using a web browser to access software will be different. What browser should you use?  Can learning new browser techniques help you create the familiar multi-window environment you ’re used to? Will you be able to practice before you take the leap?

3. Hidden Costs

Will you be paying for each user? Will prices change? Will there be extra cost for a higher volume of transactions coming in from websites or other imports? Will costs increase as your database grows? Will there be extra cost at peak hours? Can you scale up and down temporarily for busy seasons?

4. Upgrades

Will you have any control? What if you don’t want the upgrade or the new features? Can you do testing before upgrades? Is there an extra cost for testing?

5. Data

Will you have access to all of your data? If you decide to leave the Cloud, what format will your data be in? If you switch to another Cloud provider, will there be a charge for retrieving your data and what will be the timeframe?

6. Renewals

New customers always get the best deals. What will the ongoing costs be when it’s time to renew?

These are some of the important questions that your cloud implementation partner can help you answer.

Not asking the right questions is just one of the pitfalls to avoid when transitioning your business software to the Cloud.

If you are contemplating a move to the cloud, there are other pitfalls you’ll want to be aware of. Download the free white paper: 7 Pitfalls to Avoid as You Transition Business Software to the Cloud (no registration required).

CAL Business Solutions is an experienced Enterprise Resource Planning – ERP partner focused on Microsoft Dynamics GP and Acumatica financial management systems both on-premise and in the Cloud.

Contact our experts at CAL and let's talk about how your company can make a smooth transition to the Cloud.

By CAL Business Solutions, Microsoft Dynamics GP and Acumatica partner, www.calszone.com