Cloud BPM solutions simultaneously make advanced process management functionality more accessible and help organizations connect processes across operational channels. This functionality is becoming incredibly important as cloud computing rises, a trend that is particularly evident in the small business segment. Citing a study from Emergent Research, Inc.com explained that cloud computing is currently in use by approximately 37 percent of small businesses. Within the next six years, that figure will increase to approximately 80 percent.
Analyzing this study, Inc.com goes on to identify some of the ways that organizations will use the cloud and emphasizes that the benefits of the cloud go beyond cost savings and efficiency improvements. Moving forward, the cloud will not just be a way to reduce expenses, it will be a transformational technology, and this isn't exclusive to the small business segment.
Responding to the cloud's rise
Businesses today often see the cloud as a way to get a competitive advantage. Adopting the cloud can lead to immediate benefits that help an organization drive innovation and get a head start in their respective markets. However, if 80 percent of businesses will be using the cloud six years from now, it won't be long before cloud use is so pervasive that companies need to go beyond simply using the technology to get a competitive edge. Gaining ground on competition will soon not just be a matter of using the cloud, but also come down to how well an organization is able to build its operations around the unique benefits, and limitations, of cloud computing. This is where business process management software becomes an invaluable asset.
Using BPM software to support cloud plans
Cloud BPM solutions can give a company a head start on deploying BPM quickly and getting their strategies off the ground. From there, organizations need to work to figure out how the cloud is impacting their everyday processes and use BPM functionality to adjust operations and support workers accordingly. Cloud computing can change the way people get the job done. Employees can become more flexible, work from a wider range of devices and access key information anywhere. Aligning processes with new work methodologies will prove key to taking the initial benefits from the cloud and ensuring they permeate every aspect of an organization.
It doesn't matter if a company is a small business using the cloud to try to keep up with competitors or an enterprise organization leveraging the cloud as part of a larger IT strategy, finding ways to optimize processes in response to the cloud is critical.
