Are FDs avoiding the Cloud?

The pros and cons of cloud computing may be regularly debated by the IT team but what about the rest of the business? How many Financial Directors (FDs) are still afraid to take the plunge? Most are familiar with the compelling benefits of lower capital expenditure, improved financial control and rapid deployment all key issues when facing an over-worked IT department struggling to find the time to even discuss business requirements, let alone oversee the delivery of new software.  So why the reticence?
 
It is, perhaps, understandable that an FD or CFO may be unwilling to rush headlong into the cloud with a business critical application such as the core financial software. But there are other aspects of the financial portfolio that provide a fantastic opportunity for testing the viability of the hosted model.
 
As Karen Conneely, Group Commercial Manager at Real Asset Management, explains, those companies that opt for a hosted Fixed Asset Register, can rapidly discover the benefits of the cloud and prove the long term viability of the hosted model for the entire software portfolio.
 
Flexible Business
Demand is growing globally for hosted solutions, as organisations wrestle with continuing financial constraints that are now seriously hampering ongoing business development. With many organisations continuing to pare back internal IT resources, business managers are having to wait months to get access to critical IT skills. They are facing a near complete lock down on the capital expenditure required to deploy much needed new software solutions; indeed they are even struggling to ensure compliance-critical upgrades of financial software are completed on time.
 
In contrast, the option to leverage a highly secure, hosted third party solution that can be delivered within days, rather than months, is compelling. Add in the appeal of monthly or annual subscription rather than the huge upfront cost of a perpetual licence, and the hosted model has clear financial and business value.
 
So why is it that the IT department rather than the FD  is driving the move to the cloud? Is this reticence based on educated mistrust and a justifiable decision not to hand over responsibility for critical financial data to a third party or a simple fear of the unknown?
 
Buying Decision
The decision on whether or not to exploit the benefits that the hosted model can offer is business critical. And while FDs will be understandably reluctant to trial this approach with the core ERP or Financials software, why not dip a toe in the water with other key applications, such as fixed asset management? Indeed, a hosted fixed asset register offers a raft of additional benefits. Automated upgrades ensure the software is always up to date a key consideration for compliance requirements, particularly in relation to the latest IFRS and SORP regulations affecting UK organisations; while the hosted model also ensures the upgrade process can be achieved without any disruption or dent in user productivity.
 
Furthermore, a hosted model provides access to the system from any location, allowing the FD or other members of the finance team to run reports, analyse asset information and check depreciation at any time, further boosting productivity.
 
With the option to get the new solution up and running within just five working days, organisations can rapidly meet corporate demands for improved fixed asset management, including the adoption of mobile asset recording via PDAs. With minimal up front expenditure, the improvement in asset accuracy combined with the reduction in manual overhead delivers a very quick return on investment (ROI).
 
Measured Decision
Of course, before any such buying decision can be made, FDs need to understand exactly what is on offer. Security is obviously key no organisation wants to expose its list of fixed assets to the world at large.
 
The options are clear: does the business want to opt for a dedicated hosted server, or the slightly less secure, and less expensive, cloud based solution where resources are shared on a virtual machine?  Either way, the servers should be located in a highly secure, multi million pound data centre facility that offers security far higher than that of in-house systems.
 
Organisations also need to consider how the business will access the system? One option is a dedicated Virtual Private Network (VPN), which would further reinforce the security level, but organisations must ensure the communications bandwidth will deliver the required performance.
 
Conclusion
Whatever route a business decides to explore, there is growing pressure on FDs to at least try out the hosted model. Yes, a large proportion of risk averse FDs may well be unwilling to opt for a major financials implementation as a first venture into the hosted model. But even if the global financial situation radically improves and IT suddenly receives a massive input of resources, the finance team should be at least considering the financial and speed to delivery benefits on offer.  It is time to test the waters of cloud computing.