Head in the Clouds: Floating toward Cloud-based Solutions

Kiara Walker • July 11, 2022

Should I stay or should I go...

Within the ERP eco systems, a push toward cloud-based solutions from on-premise has been in recent time accelerated. Rapid growth and development from legacy and new systems are growing the number of available options for those looking to leverage a cloud infrastructure. But it leaves us to wonder- why now and what could it mean for your business processes going forward?


When you imagine cloud-based solutions, we don’t necessarily mean stratus or cumulus ones but instead a new way to manage solutions in real-time from any location around the globe, even a beach! Cloud based solutions refer to using a network of solutions connected to the internet and grants you the ability to access services from anywhere via the internet. Businesses are starting to step away from the hassle of dealing with on-premise solutions and on-site maintenance. With products like SAP S4 Hana and Sage Intacct, it is becoming increasingly popular to move toward cloud-based solutions for several reasons.


  • Cost 
  • Security 
  • Accessibility 
  • Reduced Risk 

“You know what's unique about Fisher Technology? Whether or not you decide to stay on-premise or explore the opportunities of a cloud-based solution, our experts will guide you through all options for your BPA Connections and help you figure out the best next steps” - Penny Process

Why the Switch?

As mentioned previously in an earlier blog, it is no secret that businesses are not too fond of dealing with on-premise issues and on-site server maintenance. After switching to the cloud, there are a far less tasks to worry about. While directly handling on-premise solutions may seem like an advantage, that's not always the case. Employees may end up spending more time on maintaining servers, updating software, or creating backups instead. Additionally, there may be certain system requirements needed for on-premise servers and, in all likelihood, need an IT services team to keep systems running at peak efficiency.


Thinking about switching to the cloud? It's important to advancing your business goals when determining which solution best fits your needs. Take time in exploring both the advantages and disadvantages of integrating. Here's a few key points to keep in mind:


Advantages Disadvantages
No need to use on-premise hardware and reserve server space Data limitations based on storage and cost availability
Access key information at anytime and anywhere Internet outages cuts access to your information
Ability to back-up data in regularly scheduled intervals Time consuming data recovery
Software updates and maintenance handled by the cloud provider Dependence on cloud provider
Cost can be low, spread evenly through a subscription-based model Discontinued support if a product successor is released


What do cloud-based solutions mean for you? 

It is important to address the elephant in the room…Yes, I’m looking at you, on-premise solutions. With the great migration to on-cloud, there becomes less of a roadmap for products like Sage 100 or 300 as well as SAP Business One, the predecessors to Intacct and S4 HANA.


Security and control play a factor in whether a company decides to switch from an on-premise solution to a cloud-based solution. In an on-premise environment, enterprises retain all their data and are fully in control of what happens to it, for better or worse. Companies in certain industries with extra privacy concerns are more likely to hesitate to leap into the cloud before others because of this reason.


In a cloud-based environment, the validity of ownership of data is one that many companies – and customers, tend to have doubts about. Unexpected errors or system outages can render your software unusable, meaning during that time you may not be able to reach valuable information and data.


Because the software does not often run on allocated hardware, this makes local hardware requirements significantly lower. Additionally, maintenance of the hardware and software is also carried out automatically by the cloud provider. Software updates are installed automatically. Those advantages significantly reduce the workload for the company's IT department (if they have a department at all, and they could choose to outsource IT entirely).

The Fisher Difference 

We challenge you to look at what a cloud based solution means for your day-to-day business operations. Can you avoid manual entry and avoid critical business errors by optimizing your workflow?


Regardless of whether you are using an on premise system or and in-cloud solution, the bottom line is that BPA Platform will fit perfectly into either environment. For existing customers, we want you to know that Fisher Technology is here to help you move toward a system that works for your business process. If you currently host an on-premise environment, we encourage you to see what your future may look like if you decide to stay with your existing configuration or explore the possibility of moving to a cloud-based solution. Whether it is ease of use or convenience, those using a cloud-based system should know that there are numerous features accessible to use through BPA Platform, we’re here to connect with you and demonstrate which ones best suits your needs in any environment of your choosing.


That is where BPA Platform comes in. More than just offering a piece of software, Fisher Technology provides unparalleled service, and consulting that not only gets your automation started, but optimizes and enhances your existing processes.


P.S. Are you following us on LinkedIn yet? That is the best way to stay connected with us on a daily basis! Like, comment and share all of our posts!

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.
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