We see even more customers looking to determine their ideal cloud strategy, balancing the needs of IT and business stakeholders while maximizing value from their existing applications. Keep these three resolutions to make the most of cloud opportunities in 2015.
Resolution #1: Get IT and the Line of Business Talking
In May 2014, we asked the experts at Forrester Consulting to research how line of business (LoB) buyers were selecting and managing their technology purchases and partnerships. They found two interesting trends. The first: IT professionals are moving their focus away from traditional IT – focused on the systems, process, and technologies required to support and transform the organization’s internal operations – and toward business technology (BT), defined as systems, technologies, and processes used to win, serve, and retain customers. While traditional IT will remain important as the backbone to internal operations, it is focused on cost containment, control, and risk management, while BT is focused on customer attainment and support for growth. This is an interesting shift, one that emphasizes the growing importance of technology in achieving business objectives.
The Shift from IT to BT
The Forrester research also found that business stakeholders – such as those in HR, sales, and procurement – are increasingly influencing technology decisions. These LoB decision makers have the power and knowledge to research and select the applications they want to run their business – and they certainly have the motivation to find innovative solutions that can help them keep pace with fluid, competitive markets and increasingly sophisticated buyers. Download the full Forrester study (Achieving Business Success with the Right Technology Services Partner), a November 2014 commissioned study conducted by Forrester Consulting on behalf of SAP, or watch this highlight video to learn more.
Resolution #2: Don’t Go It Alone
When it comes to new business software, nothing beats the speed of cloud deployments. Cloud computing can significantly change the way you run your businesses and help increase the engagement of employees, customers, and partners. And while the cloud is known for fast deployment, lower upfront costs, and ease of use, some of its biggest advantages lie in increased innovation and agility. But as I mentioned in my blog post, businesses should not migrate to the cloud without expert help. Going it alone, without the right mix of expertise, governance, and capabilities to guide the way, can lead to delays or roadblocks that knock your deployment off course and jeopardize business benefits. Business leaders need to understand the impact beyond the short-term fix. For example, integration, maintenance, and support to connect systems can be expensive and require a synchronized plan. In turn, IT needs to provide platforms for business innovation so that companies can differentiate using the latest mobile and social solutions enabled through the cloud.
Resolution #3: Create A Plan
Our cloud advisory and strategy (CAS) service for SAP solutions can help you navigate obstacles and ensure that you have a sound plan designed to achieve your business goals while meeting the cost, stability, and security needs of IT – as illustrated in this infographic.
The cloud advisory and strategy service from SAP includes a two day workshop that brings together IT and business stakeholders to find the best solution for the business. We review your cloud readiness and prepare an individualized road map with supporting business scenarios. The roadmap helps you align resources, prepare your organization for adoption, and achieve success during the shift to cloud-based services. Check out this short video for an overview of our service.
What Are You Waiting For?
The cloud is dramatically changing how technology is delivered and used. The cloud advisory and strategy service from SAP helps to clarify costs, benefits, risk, and business impact – helping identify the areas of your business where the cloud will deliver the most benefits.
The cloud advisory and strategy service from SAP provides the industry expertise, technical know-how, and proven, innovative methodologies you need to succeed with cloud initiatives. We understand SAP solutions better than anyone and can help you find the right combination of on-premise and cloud solutions to run your business smoothly. We can ensure security and integration while mapping out a gradual move to the cloud that maximizes your SAP investments.
To learn more about how the cloud advisory and strategy service for SAP solutions can help you move toward the cloud, visit www.sap.com/services.
