Is it time to do inventory management in cloud?

Jon Froda from Citrix during b4cloud conference organized by Backstore.

For a long time desktop inventory management software was the only option businesses had. And, unfortunately, in most cases this sophisticated inventory software solution was too costly and not efficient enough for small businesses.

There are a number of reasons why desktop inventory management isn't getting the job done for small businesses but these 2 are significant:

You have to make a payment upfront to license the software itself, which effects your cash flow and in most cases can go over your budget.

You need to have the proper hardware to house the sophisticated data being provided by the software, and an IT team to maintain the software and hardware, and address any technical problems that may arise.

This creates a high-cost of ownership for desktop inventory management solutions and drains time and resources that could be spent on other business activities. However, since the dawn of Software as a Service (or SaaS or cloud computing), sophisticated and reliable inventory management software services are now an efficient tool for many small and medium-sized businesses.

How the Cloud Differs

It might not be immediately apparent how a cloud-based inventory management software could differ so drastically to users versus the traditional model. Thanks to the software multi-tenancy of cloud computing, thousands of users can be supported all at once on one single infrastructure. Compared to the traditional model of having to install the desired software on each computer individually, cloud solutions can handle thousands of simultaneous web sessions. This solution is far more efficient for businesses with less resources to draw on.

The Cloud Saves Businesses Money

Cloud inventory management software can be scaled to your exact needs, deployed practically immediately, accessed on multiple devices without the hassle of multiple installations, and it is maintained by a professional IT service provider.

Cloud-computing allows businesses to scale inventory management software to their exact needs. You only have to pay for what you use. Furthermore, small and medium-sized businesses do not need to purchase costly hardware and software to operate their inventory management. The software is all on the Internet. Updates to the software and issues with the servers are all aspects of having inventory management software, but with cloud solutions these responsibilities fall on the service provider. You do not need to hire a team of IT professionals to maintain your inventory management software and hardware. This allows businesses to dedicate the costs that would have been spent on IT to their core objectives as a business. Another way businesses save money on the cloud versus the desktop solution is in the amount of time it takes to deploy the software. Cloud software solutions deploy quickly and for a lower upfront cost than standard desktop software. One extra benefit on top of all of the savings is that with cloud services it is easier to keep track of how much you are spending on your inventory management solution. Typically, you will pay a monthly fee or just one (discounted) annual fee. Backstore even has the same price regardless of number of users or features used.

Efficiency

One major advantage that the cloud can offer businesses is a more efficient solution. Thanks to real-time monitoring and inventory updates a single change to the inventory is immediately known company-wide. This asset gives your staff more confidence in the accuracy of the information moving forward in standard business operations. The other major efficient aspect of cloud solutions is that you do not have to be on-site to access the information you need. Cloud solutions are great at supporting a wide-array of devices. They allow you to access your information on the go, so you can get the most up-to-date information when you need it the most.

Cloud computing, especially when it comes to inventory management software, is a more cost-efficient and more effective business solution than the standard desktop software solution. It can be scaled to your exact needs, deployed practically immediately, accessed on multiple devices without the hassle of multiple installations, and it is maintained by a professional IT service provider.