The experts behind QuickThink Cloud explain why public sector organizations across the UK should look to host their ERP software and wider IT infrastructure in the cloud
The digital transformation of the public sector is here, and many organizations are beginning to realize the potential of cloud hosting to revolutionize core processes and systems. By hosting core ERP software on a cloud platform, organizations can reap the benefits of rapid implementation, security, scalability, and improved data access across all sites.
What does public sector ERP cloud hosting look like?
Cloud ERP hosting is a method of hosting enterprise resource planning (ERP) software (such as Unit4 ERP) on a massively available, highly secure, and connected server infrastructure (rather than the traditional on-premises model) . This improves organizational efficiency and streamlines processes for government agencies, while generally adding additional layers of security.
The Case for Public Sector Cloud Hosting
With technology becoming an increasingly integral part of our lives, utilities and organizations that do not provide seamless communication and connectivity find themselves unable to meet public demands and provide positive user experiences for staff. With unique barriers that often prevent the public sector from adopting certain new technologies, many organizations and local authorities find their on-premises ERP to be slow and clunky, not delivering what they need when they need it. That’s why the new imperative in the public sector is to take their systems to the cloud (and get them there now).
The Benefits of Public Sector Cloud Hosting
Scale and flexibility
Many organizations need their ERP system to evolve quickly in response to changing demand or changing management structures. This is where cloud hosting comes in.
For example, when a group of local authorities wanted unify their services throughout the region, they turned to QuickThink Cloud for the resolution. Hosting their ERP system in the cloud enabled a more streamlined HR, payroll, and finance experience for their ever-expanding list of customers and recipients. The reason for this is that cloud hosting platforms can automatically scale resources if the software needs to be expanded or there are more users, which ensures minimal downtime.
However, scalability does not always equal scale. As the group’s enterprise systems service and support manager said: “despite the increased agility that the scalable cloud architecture gives us [provided by QuickThink Cloud], the answer was not always to give it more capacity. In fact, very often the answer has been collaboration to agree on an innovative use of existing solutions, saving us money and time. »
geographic mobility
Decentralized infrastructure means staff can work from anywhere and multiple locations can be unified under the same cloud platform. From any location with internet access, employees will be able to freely (and securely) access the files, applications, media and ERP systems they need to perform their jobs, enabling off-site collaboration.
Cloud hosting enabled a nonprofit healthcare organization with a team spread across 20 countries and 40 offices to unify their processes for finance, payroll, and project expenses. The non-profit organization immediately noticed that the speed of the system increased as a result. Today, the organization sees improved productivity and performance across its network of teams. One global organization, one cloud-based solution.
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Security
There is a common misconception that cloud technologies represent an abandonment of data control and security. In fact, the opposite is often true. Take QuickThink Cloud collaboration with a FTSE 250 index company to improve their handling of large volumes of data and financial information. Here, security was of paramount importance and cloud hosting (along with very responsive technical support) provided the perfect solution.
In the public sector, it is no different. Cloud technologies are constantly upgraded, ensuring that they always provide the highest levels of system security. Additionally, since data is stored in multiple data centers, businesses have a reduced risk of data loss due to physical server failures or natural disasters.
Technical support
The benefits of cloud hosting go beyond the hosting itself and the resulting ERP software optimization. Cloud hosting providers will also be available to provide round-the-clock technical support, meaning your internal team can spend less time troubleshooting and more time optimizing processes for the future – using the cloud hosting as a literal platform from which to grow.
A local council said about QuickThink Cloud Tech Support: “Their troubleshooting and troubleshooting is really refreshing, besides just getting the job done and delivering.” The right support partner will also explain the resolution in an accessible and easy to understand way. The result? Effective transfer of knowledge across internal teams, enabling better problem solving in the future within the organization. This is not external support replacing internal project teams; it helps your internal team perform better.
Upgrades and Optimization
Cloud hosting is becoming more and more essential when local authorities are looking to scale their systems. Why invest in transitioning legacy hardware and outdated software to a sleek new system without the optimal hosting capabilities? Cloud hosting allows organizations to streamline their upgrade process and deploy new software the right way. With the cloud, new processes, systems (and in particular) ERP software can be integrated and implemented seamlessly across organizations without lengthy manual migrations or downtime.
This turned out to be true for a local council who needed to reduce IT infrastructure expenses without compromising quality. In 2018 they started a major upgrade with the help of
QuickThink Cloud and a service support partner. The result was an updated, more cost-effective solution that met their requirements and continues to perform with regular monitoring, support and optimization assistance.
Cloud hosting for public sector organizations with QuickThink Cloud
QuickThink Cloud offers the full package of Unit4 technical services. From seamless cloud hosting to highly responsive managed helpdesk support, they enable a wide range of public organizations to boost their organizational agility and performance.
Contact the team to know more.
Warning: This is a commercial profile
© 2019. This work is under license CC-BY-NC-ND.
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