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Cloud computing and other strategy enabling technologies

Building Your Organization’s Future

Years ago, we sensed that a number of impending disruptive technologies would materially affect our clients. These technologies would have a profound impact on the way organizations conduct work, hire employees, collaborate, serve customers and more. We were challenged to imagine any business processes or assets that wouldn’t be impacted by these new technologies. It is the simultaneous convergence of multiple significant technological changes that will bring major challenges for today’s organizations. 

While each new innovation can add incremental business value, the combination of several of these creates the opportunity for game-changing strategies for organizations globally. We recognized this and changed our technology consulting practice - to be the enabler of tomorrow’s businesses. 

 

Many technologies are coming to clients, large and small. 

A mid-market manufacturing client was drowning in point of sale data sent to them by their largest customer. This firm was not only able to marry this big data feed with their ERP solution, they later added mobile and cloud capabilities to create a powerful analytic application. The result is a set of capabilities that are helping this organization re-imagine customer intimacy, redefine competition in their sector and create a new line of business.


The Cloud is the organizing influence

Today’s newest innovations are being served up via cloud computing.  Mobile devices are pulling and sending data and applications via cloud technology.  Social networks are connecting businesses, workers, prospects and more via cloud infrastructures. Businesses are now utilizing financial, HR and manufacturing applications via the cloud. New applications and huge software ecosystems are springing up around Apple®, salesforce.com and Android™ platforms. Smart phones and tablets are being used to create interactive videos that are more than personal entertainment.  Businesses are creating and delivering just-in-time training through cloud enabled devices. Cloud technology is enabling 

these innovations. 

Cloud is part of almost all of the new innovations. Cloud capabilities are the delivery mechanism, the collaboration platform and the information broker for business. Businesses now also possess a workforce that has a portable, always-on Internet capability. Work is no longer tethered to a desktop computer in a cubicle. It’s mobile. It’s cloud-based.

Today’s business leaders need to assess the implications. They need to incorporate the cloud into their business strategy to create and maintain an advantage and stay competitive in their market. The cloud has become an essential element in a business strategy, but cloud can mean many different things to many businesses.

Are You Ready For the Next Wave of Innovation?

Knowing about the new innovative technologies and being able to exploit them are often two different things. We believe most organizations will likely follow a fairly common roadmap - a roadmap that will guide them to a better operating model for their modernized firm.

There are three major steps in this roadmap:

Step one:  Build Core Cloud Capabilities

The first step puts the core cloud capabilities in place to exploit today’s innovations. We assist clients in implementing new cloud ERP, HR, Financial and CRM solutions like Plex Manufacturing Cloud, NetSuite®, Oracle Sales Cloud, Oracle Commerce, and Taleo® to effectively lower the Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) and increase business agility. We also develop integration capabilities that permit cloud-to-on-premise, cloud-to-cloud and other connections through Dell Boomi AtomSphere® and Cast Iron and devise strategies to use new Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS) architectures. Most importantly, we work through the security issues and concerns clients have with cloud solutions.       

Step two:  Create Value through the Cloud

The next step creates value beyond the core capabilities through corporate performance management and business intelligence solutions such as Host Analytics® and IBM® analytic applications. We devise growth strategies to strengthen top line revenue and help build a workforce of the future through our talent management programs. We leverage leading business intelligence and cloud solutions to help business leaders make better management decisions. 

Step three: Rewrite the Rules of Competition

Finally, some of our best clients are looking to rewrite the rules of competition in their industry. They want to use new sources of information, within and external to their ERP software to better understand their markets and make decisions substantially faster (and more accurately) than their competition. It is here we see interest in pricing optimization, strategic market assessments, category management, and portfolio management.

Wherever your organization is in this maturity model, Baker Tilly has the management consulting and modern technology expertise to help. As Valued Business Advisors, we can move you through this progression with candor, insight and proven results.

Baker Tilly is a full-service accounting and consulting firm with a focus on cloud solutions. Our significant experience in implementing cloud technologies, combined with our strategic management consulting approach, enable businesses to realize benefits in much shorter time frames.

When your organization is ready to take full advantage of today’s converging and powerful technologies, connect with us.

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