There are cloud applications everywhere and for every business category, but can they really boost business productivity as quickly and with as much efficiency as they promise?
The answer is more complicated than it may seem at first, solet’s get into the essential aspects that determine whether or not the cloud-based software solutions chosen are truly effective in boosting the productivity of the business.
The Usefulness of Cloud Apps Depend ona Few Key Factors
Not all cloud applications are useful to a business, and some ofthem are not even capable of providing what they promise, making such apps a bad investment for any business. So, whether or nota company’s suite of software solutions as a service is suited to boost their overall productivity depends on a few key factors such as:
- How well the features of each cloud service match the company’s needs
- How good the service provider and their client-side appsare in providing those features
- How well the chosen apps are able to work with each other, whether they are from the same vendor or not
Let’s take a closer look at each of these aspects next for a better understanding.
Matching Service with Need
In order to keep your cloud application management neat and cost-effective, it is important to only opt for services that fulfils a need. As it would not be possible to suggest services without knowing the particular industry the services are being suggested for, let’s take a look at some of the most essential cloud services that every modern business needs to operate, more or less.
Cloud Storage-In order for projects and other work-related documents to remain accessible to authorized parties 24×7, cloud storage is the first and most basic need for companies.
Cloud Security – An application that tracks all connected apps and activities to prevent shadow IT, hacking attempts, and malware invasions.
Office (Excel, Word, PowerPoint, etc.)– There are other options, but Microsoft is both the pioneer and the leader in this department.
Analytics – Mostly used for getting access to web traffic, target traffic-related data, and interpret analytical reports.
Shared Work Platforms-They allow multiple employees to work on a single project simultaneously and remotely on the cloud.
Accountancy&Tax Management Apps – Tracks and notes down all financial aspects of the business for better budgeting, improved profits, and timely tax payments.
CRM – Customer relationship management platformslike Salesforce or Pipedrive offer a wide variety of services.This includes providing insights on customer data, lead management, social media management, sales management, and the list goes on. They are as much of an application, as they are a platform all by themselves that supports integration of multiple other cloud apps.
Payroll Management– A typically outsourced service thathandles all aspects of employee payments, including benefits, compensations, and bonuses.
Collaboration Tools& Project Management Apps –These apps can be based on the classic Kanban system or some other lean principle, but the general idea is to streamline project operations by ensuring instant communication and fast removal of bottlenecks. In fact, the communication apps mentioned above can also be considered a collaboration tool, but they generally have a more social aspect to it, while collaborative tools are strictly work-related.
Web Conferencing Apps – A particularly important service right now in lockdown is a web conferencing app that can support numerous video feeds at once.
Email Clients – A client that doesn’t just allow receiving and sending of emails, but also aids in email marketing.
Two-Way Syncing Platforms–This would be an application or a platform like PieSync,which fulfills the third key factor mentioned previously.Theyensure collaboration between the various apps themselves by making them work with each other and facilitating synchronization on both fronts.
HR App – Makes the job of your HR department easier and gets more productivity out of them by reducing the need for repetitive manual work. A good HR app should have all aspects of Human Resource management covered, including recruitment and payroll management.
Hosting Service and eCommerce Platforms – If youwant a business website, it will need to be hosted by a reliable hosting service with high uptime.In case you want an eCommerce outlet of your own as well, the site must be built from the ground up with an eCommerce builder app.
Reputation and History of the Vendors Matter
Try to choose software from vendors that have a history of working well together, and you may want to limit your vendor count as well. The more cloud companies your business is dealing with, the more confusing it will become. On top of that, multiple apps from different vendors make it difficult for the apps to work in sync with each other, which can lead to reduced productivity by making some aspects of the work unnecessarily long. Stick to reputed providers such as Microsoft, HubSpot, Google, etc. as much as you can, since their apps are much more likely to have wider compatibility.
SaaS Collaboration: Boosting Productivity with Two-Way Syncing
You need a platform that can make your chosen cloud applications work with each other, even though they might not support two-way syncing on their own. PieSync provides that platform that can integrate over 233 business SaaS solutions into itself so that they can all work in synchronization with each other. For example, check out how PieSync integrates and facilitates two-way synchronization between Mailchimp and Pipedrive here: https://www.piesync.com/mailchimp/pipedrive/.
If a company is able to maintain and manage all of these three key aspects with precision, cloud services can truly take their business productivity and profitability to the nextstage. However, it does require some getting used to, so if you have a small company with a limited workforce, start with a few essential and compatible apps initially, and slowly expand the list along with your business operations from thereon.
