4 Critical Considerations When Selecting a Cloud Platform

Gary Feldman • September 8, 2022

As the trend towards cloud service continues, making certain you pick the right cloud platform(s) is a critical factor to long-term success. Cloud has become much more than outsourcing IT or software as a service. Use of the cloud has become an integral part of the way companies transact their business, design their processes and adapt to a changing marketplace.


So how do you select the right cloud platform for your company? A defined selection process that looks at the outcome from a business perspective using technology and partnerships as key considerations.


Define Business Outcomes


The answer always starts with your core business vision, mission and plan. Start with the Why! Some common reasons company’s choose cloud include:

  • The burning platform – Many companies are forced to move because their server operating system is no longer supported by Microsoft or their business management system was acquired and is being neglected.
  • Need to improve efficiency – Outdated “legacy” software restrict a business process to work the way the system does. For example, a distributor using older software is forced to pick pack and ship by the order as opposed to grouping orders by location or better yet routing pickers based upon picking efficiencies.
  • Cut costs – Many companies think moving to the cloud will cut costs. Cost evaluations are hard unless the direct cost savings are obvious. In small to mid-sized businesses the cost justification is often the reduction in IT personnel headcount. The true costs and benefits of the cloud can be hard to quantify without some pretty sophisticated analysis, but the savings are there to be had.
  • Cyber attack – Unfortunately the cost and risk of cyber attacks and cyber insurance are increasing. Several surveys estimate that 60% of small businesses are unable to survive six months following a cyber attack.
  • Improve business agility – Agility refers to the ability to adapt to changing economic or environmental circumstances. The COVID pandemic drove many companies to the cloud to support remote working. Although that phase of the pandemic is mostly behind us, a cloud platform should provide the flexibility to expand or contract, integrate and connect your business from anywhere to anywhere at any time.

These outcomes should be expanded into SMART goals. Specific, measurable, actionable, realistic and time-bound goals specific to your organization. The objective create the guiding principles for the SMART goals. The objectives and goals drive the selection process which becomes the How.


Define Cloud Strategy


As described in a LinkedIn Article regarding OnPremise vs. Cloud, we are all in the cloud and on-premise! Going cloud does not mean flipping a switch and poof our business is now digitally transformed. At I-BN we have identified three core cloud strategies:

  • Cloud Connected – Critical business systems remain on-premise but are connected to cloud services to optimize their efficiency and effectiveness of your on-premise or hosted technology solutions.
  • Hybrid – Re-platforming your critical business systems onto the best platform for your technology and business strategy. Hybrid cloud offers an incremental approach to digital transformation by incorporating the best of cloud with proven solutions
  • Cloud First – A cloud first strategy puts the cloud at the center of your business. Going cloud first requires selection of the right cloud platform for your business and redesigning your business processes to take advantage of that platform

There is no one size fits all solution to a cloud strategy. A number of different factors must be considered:

  • How core is technology to your business? A kitchen cabinet manufacturer may use sophisticated equipment for building their cabinets, however, technology is rarely their core competency. Alternatively, a high-tech company which develops software for computerized machinery often lives and breathes technology.
  • Is technology already disrupting your industry? You don’t have to be a taxi company to feel the disruptive impact of an Uber or Lyft. Many industries are feeling the Amazon or Wayfair effect from large online players eating into margins. Best Buy is a great example of a company that turned its brick-and-mortar stores into an advantage while embracing digital transformation.
  • How adaptable is your company to change? Just because you are interested in going cloud, doesn’t mean your company can turn on a dime. Small and mid-sized businesses are often thought of as nimble and easy to change when compared to huge corporations; however, this is not always the case!

Often companies take an incremental approach to digital transformation, moving from cloud connected to hybrid before embracing a cloud first strategy.


Evaluate Cloud Platforms


There are three general cloud platform types:

  1. Public Clouds are typically very large pools of IT infrastructure, partitioned and redistributed to multiple “tenants.” Most are sold based upon resource consumption with discounts for guaranteed minimums over longer terms. The most well-known public clouds include Amazon’s AWS, Microsoft Azure and Google Cloud
  2. Private Clouds are resource pools which are dedicated to a single customer or group. Often managed private clouds are offered by niche service providers specializing in a type or specific of application or by an IT consultancy which builds clouds as a service. These are quite often described as Dedicated Clouds.
  3. Hybrid Clouds blend aspects of public and private clouds. Typically, a hybrid cloud will have some components shared amongst several private clouds. This can include the Windows Active Directory service or backup facilities.


There are no hard and fast rules for what type of cloud platform is best, but rather characteristics that can be described as benefits and constraints

The cloud platform should be selected to maximize the business benefit based upon the cloud strategy.  

  • Cloud Connected – When the core business systems are on-premise cloud connections could be provided by the publisher of those business systems or connected via integration platforms in the cloud or on premise. Many of the services being connected are served up by public clouds.  
  • Hybrid – When the core business system is in a Software as a Service (SaaS) application is in a proprietary cloud, other systems may be in the cloud or on premise.  
  • Cloud First strategy often results in a multiple - Cloud strategy with a central orchestrating cloud.


Cloud Integration Strategy


It is becoming increasingly rare to see all cloud services delivered from a single platform.


  • Mail is outsourced from a hosted Exchange server to Microsoft 365 or Gmail 
  • Tax services are offered by a cloud like Avalara rather than from within the software 
  • Payroll services outsourced from within the ERP to a specialized HR or PEO platform 
  • E-Commerce sites are hosted at a specialty hosting firm and not a web server managed by internal IT. 


How do you maintain a “single version of the truth” when data is outsourced in a multi-cloud world? Strategies include: 

  • Follow the ERP Lead – When a company uses a platform provided by the Software as a Service (Saas) application, like Sage Intacct, NetSuite or Salesforce, that platform typically offers their tools on their on proprietary platforms. Other core applications like SAP Business One, Acumatica and SageCRM offer a choice of publisher or partner platforms, but also provide “Certified” integration solutions. 
  • Integration Platforms – Often called Integration Platform as a Service (iPaaS) companies like Dell Boomi or BPA Platform are used as a common connector to one or more clouds or cloud services. These tools have built in connectors to platforms like Shopify, Magento, etc. in a store like fashion Microsoft Azure Logic Apps and SAP Business Transformation Platform (BTP) also provide similar functionality optimized for their cloud platforms. 
  • Custom Development – There are a number of tools designed for Extraction Transformation and Loading (ETL) of data. Using an ETL tool you can connect anything and add logic in the middle to create custom solutions. An ETL tool can be housed on premise or in the cloud.  

iPaaS platform often can serve as custom ETL tools in the cloud, and typically have more built-in connectors and more limitations.


Conclusion


Every business has unique business processes, management styles, and competitive advantages. Similarly, each company should design their cloud operations to optimize their processes, compliment their management style and maximize their competitive advantages. Partnering with I-Business Network, you can leverage our 20+ years of experience turning the internet into a competitive advantage to optimize your cloud experience.

About the Author

As a former CPA, Accenture executive and now as a business owner and consultant, I-Business Network (I-BN) helps companies grow their business and create efficiency by increasing sales and streamlining business processes through technology.   Using process redesign and re-engineering techniques aligned to cloud and other technology, we help companies on their digital transformation journey.


A pioneer in the Cloud Services market, Gary Feldman formed I-BN in 1999 as an outsourced application hosting service focusing on mid-market ERP systems. Landed first hosting agreement with Sage Software (State of the Art), Advanced Software Development Company and SAP Americas (for SAP Business One) allowing I-BN to offer these products in the  Software as a Service (SaaS) model. Prior to forming I-BN, Mr. Feldman was a CPA for BDO Seidman and started the consulting practices for Eisner & Lubin, CPAs Miami office and Windham Brannon, CPA firms before joining Accenture.

You can contact Gary here:
gfeldman@i-bn.net

By Nicole Laurier January 28, 2025
From managing inventory to processing sales data, repetitive manual tasks can drain employee time and increase the risk of costly errors. Whether you operate a brick-and-mortar store or an eCommerce platform, these challenges can impact productivity and profitability long before your product reaches the shelves. Business Process Automation (BPA) offers a game-changing solution by eliminating the need for manual data processing. BPA Platform automates essential retail tasks such as updating product information, generating sales reports, and handling returns, allowing employees to focus on more strategic responsibilities. By reducing operational costs, minimizing human error, and streamlining workflows, automation empowers retail businesses to process sales and manage critical data more efficiently—all without employee intervention. Keep on reading for more details! What is a Business Process? Business processes refer to a series of interrelated tasks or activities performed within an organization to achieve a specific goal or deliver a desired outcome. They represent the systematic way in which work is organized, executed, and monitored to ensure smooth operations and efficient resource utilization. Business processes can encompass various functional areas such as sales, marketing, finance, human resources, operations, customer service, and much more. These processes often involve the flow of information, materials, or services across different departments or individuals, following predefined rules or guidelines. They can range from simple tasks to complex workflows, and their optimization is crucial for enhancing productivity, quality, and overall organizational performance. Automated Business Process Examples So what types of business processes can be automated? Well, the list is endless and is dependent on the type of business or company structure that it is going to be applied to, and the specific needs, goals and challenges of the organization. Business process automation provides the ability to carry out and fulfill business processes without human intervention. These processes can cover a wide variety of business activities, tasks or workflows, ranging from order management and financial reporting, to data monitoring and critical notifications. Likewise, automated workflows can be used across a variety of industries and functions, from customer service and marketing, to finance and HR. Here are some common examples of business processes that can be automated: Invoice processing: Automating the invoice processing workflow involves capturing invoice data, validating it against predefined rules, routing it for approvals, and generating payment notifications. This automation can streamline the accounts payable process, reduce manual data entry, and improve accuracy. Order fulfillment: Automating order fulfillment involves integrating systems for order capture, inventory management, order processing and shipping. Automated workflows can help track orders, update inventory levels, generate shipping labels and send order status notifications to customers. Customer Relationship Management (CRM): Automating CRM processes involves capturing and managing customer data, tracking interactions and automating communication workflows. This automation can help in lead generation, sales pipeline management, customer segmentation and personalized marketing campaigns. Performance reporting: Automating performance reporting involves collecting data from various sources, aggregating it, and generating reports for analysis. Automated reporting can save time, provide real-time insights and enable data-driven decision-making. Expense management: Automated systems can capture expense data, validate it against policies, route it for approval and streamline reimbursement processes, saving time and reducing errors. Why BPA Platform is the Right Choice BPA Platform provides the tools needed to quickly and easily build automated processes that are unique to the way a business works. It allows for changing business environments by providing the flexibility for automated processes to be adapted or completely re-written to meet new conditions. BPA Platform also provides a powerful and flexible workflow automation solution for managing and monitoring the flow of work within an organization, ensuring that business rules are adhered to and administration is removed. It permits users to receive and authorize multi-level workflow jobs, regardless of the device and business system the workflow starts or ends within, and creates an audit trail for complete peace of mind. Additionally, BPA Platform makes it extremely easy to automate any number of data management alerts and notifications for a host of different scenarios. They can be sent automatically in response to predefined conditions or events and be used to notify customers, partners or administrators of important, informative or critical system events. BPA Platform can monitor business systems for key data changes (to business rules) and automatically send email or SMS business alerts to both internal and external recipients when needed. They can be generated based on specific business events, such as stock level notifications, sales notifications, delivery alerts, service alerts, credit control notifications, support team updates or warehouse alerts. Ready to Automate your Business? Business Process Automation (BPA) is transforming the retail industry by streamlining operations, reducing costs, and minimizing errors. By automating essential workflows—from inventory management to performance reporting—retail businesses can save time, improve accuracy, and focus on delivering exceptional customer experiences. With the flexibility and robust functionality of BPA Platform, your business can adapt to changing demands and achieve greater efficiency. Ready to unlock the potential of automation for your retail operations? Contact Fisher Technology today to learn how BPA can elevate your business processes and drive lasting success.
December 17, 2024
Digital transformation is a broad and complex process, and navigating it successfully requires the right tools and strategies. That’s where BPA Platform comes in. This powerful platform is designed to help businesses drive digital change efficiently, from automating processes to streamlining workflows and improving decision-making. In this blog, we’ll explore how you can leverage BPA Platform to accelerate your digital transformation and achieve measurable success. Why Digital Transformation Matters Digital transformation isn’t just about adopting new technologies; it’s about reshaping your business processes, culture, and customer experiences to thrive in the digital age. The right strategy can improve efficiency, enhance customer satisfaction, and foster innovation. However, getting there requires a clear roadmap—and the right tools. Key Components of Digital Transformation Establishing very clear business transformation objectives Identifying where current business processes do and do not align with these objectives Validating that the business transformation objectives and proposed transformation changes will deliver the desired business benefits Executing a controlled rollout program Monitoring and reporting on digital innovation achieved against the expectations set out during the validation stage Benefits of Digital Transformation Automating processes in daily operations such as order management, fulfillment, invoicing, cash collection, and expense approvals enables businesses to eliminate manual data inputting and each system can utilize real-time data. This will boost the capacity of a business, as staff and business processes become quicker and more efficient. It will also enable businesses to redeploy staff to higher-value tasks to help the business grow. With full integration between systems, every department will have access to the most up-to-date information, which will enable them to perform their jobs better as well as explore new growth opportunities and improvements to procedures. This is particularly relevant for the marketing department which will be able to analyse all the data available to deliver effective campaigns and content that customers are looking for. Much of this can also be automated, thus improving response times and making sure that the message is timely and relevant. Digital Transformation Challenges Knowledge Most businesses–regardless of size–struggle with the strategic planning aspect of business transformation. In too many instances, businesses rush out and purchase business systems badged with ‘digital transformation’ with no clear objective, process-aligned plans, validation, or rollout, monitoring, and reporting plans. Existing Systems It’s important to understand that business transformation does not necessarily mean new systems. In many instances, software integration, process automation, or portal creation will enable you to leverage your greatest assets: your existing processes, data, people, and systems. Available Budget The availability of a budget is often the number one challenge you could face, but it really shouldn’t be. If you have planned your automation and digital transformation initiative correctly, this should remove any budget objections you may face. If the business benefits exceed the initial investment there really cannot be a case for not pursuing a business transformation strategy. Using BPA Platform to Transform Your Business BPA Platform offers a comprehensive solution for organizations looking to automate and optimize their operations. Here’s how it can support each stage of your digital transformation: Identify and Validate Your Goals Before diving into any transformation effort, it’s important to understand your objectives and validate your approach. The platform provides real-time data and insights to help you align your transformation goals with tangible outcomes. Create and Execute Your Plan Once you've identified your priorities, BPA Platform empowers you to design and automate workflows that integrate seamlessly across your organization. Whether you’re automating repetitive tasks, enhancing customer interactions, or improving back-office operations, the platform ensures that execution is streamlined and scalable, making the entire transformation process more efficient. Measure and Report on Success A key part of any transformation journey is tracking progress and measuring success. BPA Platform allows you to define and monitor critical KPIs, so you can assess how well your digital transformation is progressing. With built-in reporting tools, you can easily track performance, identify areas for improvement, and ensure that your transformation is delivering the expected results. Getting Started with BPA Platform Embrace the power of automation, optimize your workflows, and unlock new levels of efficiency and innovation. BPA Platform is your partner in driving sustainable digital transformation across every aspect of your business. By leveraging BPA Platform’s capabilities, you can not only survive the digital revolution but thrive in it. So, what are you waiting for? Start transforming your business today!
By Nicole Laurier November 20, 2024
Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems are deployed to consolidate diverse business processes, such as finance, human resources and supply chain into a unified platform. However, many businesses install and use multiple third-party applications and business systems to perform certain tasks or operations. ERP integration is therefore essential to facilitate real-time communication and data sharing between these systems and across departments, breaking down silos and enhancing collaboration. In this article, we delve into the core concepts of ERP integration, exploring its significance in optimizing resource utilization, improving communication across departments, and providing real-time insights for informed decision-making. What is an ERP System? At its core, an ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) system functions as a unified database that facilitates seamless communication and collaboration between different departments. This integrated approach eliminates data silos, where information is isolated within individual departments, leading to a more holistic view of organizational data. ERP systems are designed to break down traditional barriers, fostering collaboration and enhancing decision-making processes. The architecture of an ERP system typically consists of modules, each catering to a specific business function. These modules can include finance and accounting, human resources, procurement, manufacturing, and some of them incorporate sales, and customer relationship management. The modules work in harmony, sharing a common database and ensuring consistency and accuracy of information across the organization. One of the key features of an ERP system is its ability to automate and standardize business processes. By defining standardized processes within the system, organizations can ensure that operations are carried out consistently and in accordance with best practices. This standardization not only reduces the risk of errors but also enhances operational efficiency by minimizing manual intervention. ERP systems often include reporting and analytics tools, allowing organizations to gain valuable insights into their performance. These tools enable the generation of real-time reports and dashboards, providing management with the information needed to make informed decisions. The ability to access up-to-date data empowers organizations to respond promptly to changing market conditions and make strategic adjustments as needed. Using BPA Platform for ERP integration One of the primary benefits of using BPA Platform for ERP integration is its ability to overcome the challenges posed by diverse IT landscapes. In many organizations, different departments may operate on specialized systems, each with its own data formats, protocols, and communication methods. BPA Platform acts as a unifying force, providing a common language and framework for these systems to interact seamlessly. BPA Platform also enhances the agility of ERP systems by making it easier to adapt to evolving business requirements. As organizations grow or change their operational processes, it simplifies the integration of new applications. This flexibility is particularly valuable in dynamic business environments where the ability to quickly incorporate new technologies or respond to market trends is essential. Unlock the Full Potential of Your ERP System with BPA Platform! As organizations continue to embrace digital transformation, integration platforms remain a key enabler for successful ERP integration, promoting collaboration, efficiency and innovation across the enterprise. If you’re ready to take your ERP system integration to the next level, Fisher Technology is here to help. Reach out to us today to learn how we can assist in optimizing your ERP integration with BPA Platform for maximum efficiency and business success.
Share by: