Enable a Remote Workforce With Cloud ERP Solutions

The pandemic has forever changed the way we work. Employee expectations have shifted. Many workers have stated that they would resign or take a pay cut for better work-life balance and more flexibility. Nearly 70% of the U.S. workforce shifted to remote or hybrid archetype. Another 84% stated that they wanted to continue working remotely after the pandemic. This means that employers might want to alter their workplace policies to retain valued employees and win new ones.

Some companies have opted to continue with a remote workforce. Other employers are embracing a hybrid model, while still others are back in the office full-time. Whatever option your organization chooses, you must empower and support your employees from wherever they happen to work. Industry analysts agree that the remote and hybrid workforce paradigm is here to stay.

The analysts at Owl Labs published a research report about the current state of the workforce. Here are some statistics from that report.

• 83% of employees say they are at the same productivity level or higher working from home.

• 55% say they work more hours working remotely than at the office.

• 76% said that working from home after the pandemic would make them happier.

• 70% want a hybrid or remote option after the pandemic.

• 39% of employers are requiring their employees to be in the office full-time post-pandemic, but only 29% want to be.

In a PwC survey of nearly 700 CEOs, 78% agreed that remote collaboration isn’t going anywhere. It’ll be here for the long-term.

That’s not to say that remote work doesn’t present challenges for the employer. In addition to security concerns, many companies don’t have the right software systems to enable a remote or hybrid paradigm. If you rely on a legacy, on-premise solutions instead of modern cloud software, you cannot support a remote or hybrid workforce.

Even if your day-to-day work hasn’t changed too dramatically, your business model has likely had to make some adjustments. If your company is one the many businesses offering their employees work from home options, you’ll need the right tools. Cloud-enabled enterprise resource planning (ERP) solutions give your team access to company data from any browser and from any web-enabled device. This accessibility makes working efficiently outside of the office easier than ever before.

If you’re hesitant about making the switch, consider this—moving your ERP to a cloud deployment model ensures business continuity, even in the face of crisis. Cloud-based ERP guarantees instant access to information 24 hours a day and has enhanced security features that legacy systems cannot offer.

If you’re currently using manual processes to run your operations or utilizing an on-premise solution, you may now be realizing that migrating to the cloud would be the best thing for you and your business. Still unsure? If the pandemic has taught us anything, it’s that businesses need to be agile to survive.

We are still facing labor shortages and unprecedented supply-chain concerns, so your enterprise must adjust and find new avenues to success. The right path is an adaptable, efficient and collaborative work strategy; embrace a remote workforce and thrive in the face of uncertainty.

Enabling Your Team to Work Remotely

A cloud-based ERP enables your team to work remotely and efficiently. If there is an internet connection, employees have access to all the data and information to do their jobs no matter where they are and regardless of device type. Cloud ERP offers the opportunity for collaboration and open communication, even from afar.

Cloud-based data means you can access data from anywhere, which is imperative if your enterprise has multiple facilities and hundreds of employees that work remotely. Business continuity was a challenge during the pandemic, but it didn't have to be.

When you move your business processes to cloud ERP, you’ll move to real-time data visibility and increased collaboration, which leads to better, data-driven decisions. Moreover, with SaaS tools like cloud ERP allowing anywhere, anytime access, users will improve their productivity and efficiency.

In a non-SaaS environment, not only must you have an internet connection, but you’re also tied to a secured VPN connection, which typically limits the type of devices employees can use. In addition, with on-premise solutions, your internal IT team is responsible for compliance and security. They must maintain, secure and update the hardware and operating systems. As your team shifts to remote or hybrid work, that may not be possible.

Ensuring Your Data Is Secure and Backed Up

During times of uncertainty, you want assurance that your company data is safe. A cloud ERP can provide you that assurance. When your ERP is managed in the cloud, your vendor has teams dedicated specifically to monitoring, securing and backing-up your data.

When a hardware device fails, such as a drive failing on an on-premise server, businesses must wait until a replacement arrives and IT can get it up and running. Every second that it’s down, you’re losing money. Downtime is expensive: The estimates range anywhere from $300 per hour to over $1,000,000 per hour, depending on the volume of business and the industry. However, with SaaS, your data is replicated across server stacks, across the region and/or across multiple geographies to reduce the required downtime.

With SaaS, you’re up and running faster. In addition, your vendor bears the burden of securing your data and ensuring that it’s backed-up, recoverable and secure. There are extensive security measures in place to protect your data from any kind of threat once it’s in the cloud. As your remote workforce continues, it’s reassuring to know your data is secure and properly managed by dedicated experts.

As the modern workforce continues to evolve, reliable data access and security should be the least of your worries. And with a cloud-based ERP, it is.

Conclusion

The only constant in today’s fast-moving business environment is change. What we outline here is only meant to start the conversation about the changing state of today’s workforce and how your business can acclimate.

It’s difficult to prepare and plan, but a cloud-based ERP can help you with your business operations today and help you remain agile in the future.

If you’d like to learn more about how Aptean’s tailored cloud ERP solutions can help your company prepare for any contingency and empower both your remote and in-house teams, request a demo or get in touch to talk to one of our cloud ERP experts today.