According to a Forrester Total Economic Impact study done in 2024, Microsoft Fabric – a smart analytics solution designed to help companies get the most from their data – delivers a return on investment of 379% over three years. It’s an impressive percentage, especially when added to the strong financial gains that a company can realise over time with the technology (think $4.8 million over three years in improved business analyst access and output). The research firm also found that ERP cloud-based solutions are gaining both popularity and momentum.
The reason for this growth lies in how accessible cloud makes ERP solutions and services, bringing their capabilities closer to the surface. It is, says Forrester, a particularly timely evolution as artificial intelligence becomes more prevalent – cloud makes it easier for companies to upgrade to the latest technologies, implement modules designed to manage particular needs, and refine their flexibility.
Cloud-based ERP has become a shopping list
Cloud-based ERP provides organisations with cutting-edge features, AI, next-generation security and the ability to incrementally and intuitively design business processes. It also:
- Simplifies modernisation – cloud means flexible and adaptable so your business can build the ERP around your specific needs and upgrade on demand. Traditional, on-premises ERP can be weighty and demanding to implement as it requires meticulous customisation to fit and upgrades can be expensive and time-consuming.
- Allows for rapid scale – an ERP platform designed correctly with the right hosting and platform is able to scale rapidly, reduce bottlenecks and transform data management. When systems are interconnected and data can flow smoothly, then business decision-making is enhanced by readily available insights.
- Integrates operations – with an effectively implemented ERP, you can connect your operations across all your departments into one centralised software system. This reduces the risk of siloed data and information while improving visibility and collaboration. It also ensures your teams can make unified decisions that are built around actionable, real-time insights.
- Liberates your databases – your cloud-based ERP lets you walk away from having to maintain separate databases and spreadsheets manually – a time-consuming process that reduces efficiencies. Instead, you gain access to synchronised, automated reporting across the entire organisation which is both faster and more cost-effective.
- Reimagines accessibility – cloud is everywhere, which means your employees are able to access information from anywhere. This means customer service and support is transformed – sales teams can access data on demand, marketing can leverage data as needed, and customer support can provide personalised service. The availability of data and insights from anywhere at any time is invaluable.
- Enhances security – one on hand, your cloud-based ERP is built for the cloud which means its security is designed specifically for this environment and its requirements. On the other hand, security updates are automatic and consistent as your cloud provider will ensure that patches, maintenance, upgrades and vulnerabilities are managed consistently and on time. This lifts a significant burden from business shoulders and frees up security teams to prioritise the rest of the organisation.
- Simplifies implementation – whether your business is investing in an ERP solution for the first time or looking to evolve an existing investment, cloud makes it easier. With the right vendor support, it is an agile and flexible approach that takes significantly less time than a traditional solution. It is also user friendly, lowering the barrier to entry and allowing for users to rapidly experience the benefits of the technology.
Mint has been providing companies with advanced business solutions for a long time, and we’ve got an exceptional relationship with Microsoft which means we can help you benefit from integrating one of the best cloud-based ERP platforms on the market. We can help you benefit from the full Microsoft ERP cloud suite in a way that suits your business and budget.
