As Abraham Lincoln once famously stated: “Give me six hours to chop down a tree and I will spend the first four sharpening the axe”.  It is the plight of all small to midsize business to determine how they will plan ahead and prepare for the operational hurdles that are sure to challenge them.  What is the sharpest tool available to ensure your business is operating efficiently?

In this fast paced, high tech work environment to which we’ve become accustomed, a beneficial and fundamental component is found in enterprise resource planning ( ERP ) systems.  These all-in-one business management software tools enable respective departments to track data in real-time through one streamlined solution.  Within the last several years, cloud-based ERP business networks have further empowered employees, customers, partners, and suppliers to stay organized and efficient with no bulky or dated hardware to deal with.

If you’ve outgrown your current accounting software, or are looking to transition into a more sensible cloud based system, let’s look at some of the ways your axe will be sharpened by upgrading to the connected technologies of ERP in the cloud.

Agility:  With cloud-based ERP, employees can access data and make timely decisions wherever they might be.  This 24/7 access can be utilized at home, in remote locations, or on the go.  This freedom provides additional control and convenience to your enterprise.

Flexibility:  CIO’s and executives within the information technology realm know that the ability to scale with the growth of their ever expanding data requirements, not to mention the organization as a whole, is an imperative.  The flexibility of a cloud based ERP is instantaneous, and can grow with your increasing data or business needs.

Speed:   The need for speed is an adage that continues to be significant within this hyper-competitive digital age.  The capability to get products or services to market in a timely manner is a definite make-or-break element.  A cloud-based ERP will track transactions immediately and reliably.

Cost:  As briefly referenced earlier, with no expensive and cumbersome hardware to maintain, the price of ERP has become more customer friendly as these services are paid for in a subscription model.  Overall, the total cost of ownership for a cloud-based solution can be 50-60% less over a 10 year period.

As you can gather, there are multiple reasons to why sharpening your axe in the fashion of Cloud ERP makes sense.

Have questions?  With 500+ ERP implementations, and the distinction of being named SAP’s #1 Cloud Partner of 2015, Navigator stands ready to place a sharp axe into your company’s hands.  More information can be found here .