Cloud computing has long been the way to go for digital-savvy business owners, but the current health crisis has accelerated the need for all businesses to adopt a flexible, cloud-first framework. Adopting the right technology helps keep your business agile while ensuring that employees stay productive. This article outlines how cloud computing and employee productivity are closely linked, with a focus on tighter security protocols, the creation of efficient workflows, and scalability.
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This new normal that we’ve found ourselves in is likely to last for a little while longer, which means businesses have to optimize operations in order to stay competitive. The shift towards digital operations is the bedrock of this new normal. Case in point, strategists from McKinsey and Company highlight trends like e-commerce and telemedicine as ones that are likely to continue even long after the health crisis subsides.
To that end, businesses are adopting cloud technologies as a way to keep processes innovative and agile. Indeed, adopting the right technologies can help ensure that your company thrives — and not just survives — these trying times we’ve found ourselves in. Whether you’re in charge of a small business or an established company, below are a few reasons why working on the cloud can help increase productivity during the current climate.
Keeps operations secure
Remote work arrangements are part and parcel of the new normal, but the problem is that this setup presents quite a number of cybersecurity risks. After all, each team member is connecting to your database and sharing files across various internet providers and servers. Computer Business Review’s overview of cloud connectivity protocol recommends a software defined approach to cybersecurity as these software protocols can help direct network traffic. Cloud connection services are also relatively low-cost options that allow businesses to establish private connections to cloud providers.
Software updates are also a huge threat to cybersecurity, but the good news is that cloud providers continuously update their services on their end. This takes the burden off of your IT team to schedule updates and potentially disrupt team workflow.
Creating efficient remote operations
Shifting to digital operations gives your team the flexibility to work at their own pace, but it also means organizing daily workflows to ensure everyone is on the same page. In order to keep everyone on track, Verizon Connect’s article on staying productive notes how it’s important to improve speed to information. The faster your staff has access to the data they need to do their jobs, the more agile and efficient they’ll be. Relying on the cloud systems allows team members to get the information they need as soon as possible and from wherever they may be working.
Having access to all the files they need also helps facilitate collaboration amongst employees. Lots of cloud services offer progress trackers that allow employees to visually see projects as they’re being completed and touch base with the relevant team members as needed.
Enhances scalability
Scalability is one of the cloud’s biggest selling points, which makes it easier to plan for business growth once operations start kicking into high gear. In the same way, businesses who have had to downsize operations can easily do so while keeping all their files in-check. Another benefit is that these scalable changes are implemented immediately once you change your businesses’ subscription, so there’s no need to worry about operational downtime.
If there’s anything that this current health crisis has shown us, it’s that change can happen in an instant. Scalable cloud platforms can help your business easily meet changes in demand.
Our previous post on ‘How AI is Transforming the Cloud Computing Industry’ emphasizes how cloud computing is continuously evolving to meet consumer need. This means it’s the perfect time to consider investing in cloud solutions, especially as the potential payoffs when it comes to employee collaboration and productivity are huge.
AUTHOR:
Roxanne Jasmine is a freelance IT consultant and a business writer.
In her spare time, she enjoys trying out new coding challenges and listening to vinyl records.