I came across an article that discusses Cloud Computing and gives 8 reasons why “resistance is futile”. Here is an excerpt from Kimberly Hogan, business development manager for ScanSnap sales at Fujitsu, and Taylor MacDonald, VP of channels at Intacct Corp’s write up about Cloud Computing.
Here are the 8 reasons:
1. Increased Collaboration and Sharing. One of the best selling points of SaaS is the ability to share documents, or, more importantly to the accounting profession, share information. As a result, clients communicate and collaborate more often and more closely with their own business partners because all work is done online.
2. IT Infrastructure Goes Away. Servers located in a closet within a firm or organization will become as much of a relic as the fax machine. A cloud-based document management system reduces energy costs, avoids technology obsolescence and reduces the support burden on the IT staff. More importantly, for firms that are too small to have IT experts on staff, all technology and related issues are handled elsewhere.
3. Accessibility of Documents. This is the crux of the always-on, always-available model. It can be the middle of the night in the northernmost region of Canada, and you could still access any document as long as you have an Internet connection. Just think of the benefits for staff who work in the field or cloud commute.
4. Scan, Capture and Populate. Although many firms have used scanners for quite a long time, SaaS takes the scanning process to an all new level. Scanners still capture the data, but now are used in what’s become commonly known as a “scan-and-populate” process. Information loads into fields within accounting and tax systems to enable smoother workflow processes. This eliminates redundancy of data capture and offers a much more productive work environment.
5. Improved Compliance. Another one of the key benefits in a cloud-based document management system is improved compliance. SaaS means fewer people will handle specific information because it lives in the cloud, not on a desktop. Information is more readily available, for example, to accounting regulators and the IRS because it can be shared online.
6. Happier Clients. Because fewer errors will be made in managing the data, the risk to clients decreases while the quality of work increases. In turn, this leads to more satisfied clients and situations that CPAs and accountants can use when they talk to their clients about what they are doing in the “trusted advisor” role. Happier clients lead to greater client retention.
Reduced Paper. This is almost a given, but it’s always good to remind the pessimists that “green” is good. An online document management system reduces the need for paper.7. KISS: Keep it Simple (and) Simple. Still not convinced? We feel CPAs and accountants may not “get” document management in the cloud until they experience it for themselves.
Trade shows, demos and webinars may be good ways to see SaaS at work. But Hogan and MacDonald argue it needs to begin with “a commitment to want to change.”
These points are well made and might direct you to a change for your business if you are considering Cloud Computing and you don’t know what the pros and cons might be for the implementation. Contact ManageWatch if you would like to move forward with your Cloud Computing plan and we will assist your business with a thorough assessment to show you the cost savings of moving to “the cloud”.