- Cloud computing has become a major theme in corporate IT. Its popularity is even extending to the stodgiest of all enterprise applications: ERP.
- Major ERP vendors are providing cloud-based options to new prospects and as a potential upgrade path. IT leaders must include cloud-based options in their five-year ERP strategy.
Our Advice
Critical Insight
- “Cloud ERP” remains poorly defined. There are really three types: SaaS ERP, traditional on-premise ERP hosted in a vendor’s data center, and “White Label” cloud from a VAR hosted on a public IaaS provider.
- Regardless of the option, the ultimate decision is really about benefit and risk, not cost.
- Cloud ERP has great potential, but implementation references are still few and far between.
Impact and Result
- Use a risk-adjusted cost-benefit analysis to assess cloud ERP options. Standard TCO is not sufficient.
- Don’t do white label cloud ERP.
- Recognize that it is still difficult to do effective due diligence on cloud ERP due to the lack of references. This situation will change within the next two years.
- Include cloud options in the five-year ERP plan. Within the next few years the CEO will ask: “Why didn’t we consider cloud ERP options?” Prepare your response today.
Member Testimonials
After each Info-Tech experience, we ask our members to quantify the real-time savings, monetary impact, and project improvements our research helped them achieve. See our top member experiences for this blueprint and what our clients have to say.
Client
Experience
Impact
$ Saved
Days Saved
Swagelok Company
Guided Implementation
5/10
N/A
2
This was our second call with an Analyst as a follow-up to the first. We were asked to complete two templates and submit them for review on the sec... Read More