Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) software is going through a revolution. It is time to loosen the grip of inefficient and expense legacy ERP systems. It is time to look to the cloud.   Embracing a Cloud ERP can empower your resource-strapped accounting and IT teams and help everyone work more efficiently. Cloud ERP can help your business make a digital transformation. But, what exactly is Cloud ERP?

Cloud based computing or SaaS (Software as a Service) means you gain access to software on shared computing resources via the internet. Cloud ERP is SaaS for your ERP software.

There are several benefits to Cloud ERP. You can avoid the upfront cost of purchasing all the computing infrastructure that would be need for an on-premise (installed at your site) solution. Instead you pay a predictable monthly fee. This can result in a lower total cost of ownership (TCO)

By moving to a Cloud ERP you can focus on running your business rather than IT administration. It support is provided by the cloud vendor. The cloud vendor handles all updates, upgrades and backups.

Your business also gains a great deal of flexibility. As you would expect, you can access the system from anywhere you have an internet connection. Your employees will have greater accessibility and mobility. You can adjust the amount of cloud service you need as your needs fluctuate, for example if your business is seasonal. In addition, you can scale up quickly if your needs increase. And because you are already in the cloud you can recover more quickly from a disaster.

But, not all clouds are equal. Beware of “faux cloud” that requires software to be installed locally. Some vendors will place legacy software on a hosted server and call it cloud. Be sure you are using a true Cloud ERP.