Ben Hosie: Cloud-based business systems will save the day

The face of today’s workplace is rapidly evolving with more online businesses and tech companies than ever before meaning that a sizeable global workforce exists and operates online.

Amid the current Covid-19 crisis, more office-based businesses will be reverting to remote operations to maintain business continuity and to protect the health and safety of all employees who would otherwise require travelling into a shared workspace.

A sudden increase in home working will lead to an immediate reliance on digital tools to help the workforce ‘keep calm and carry on.’ This will see businesses reverting to online chat tools to facilitate team conversations and check-ins in lieu of direct communication, while task list management tools and time tracking systems will enable employers to keep tabs on productivity and keep work moving along.

Today’s circumspect climate will be a real driver for businesses to also think about digitising working practices more broadly and moving certain business functions to the cloud to help keep things running smoothly. It could even lead to a permanent shift in working practises to benefit the business longer term.

In an era where self-isolation is being promoted, cloud-based systems are crucial for keeping businesses running. They allow for remote access to critical tools and data and greater collaboration and they can be accessed from anywhere in the world, removing the need for time-consuming admin and a reliance on physical, office-based business data and documents.

From construction to care and office-based providers, today’s versatile cloud-based software can help businesses to stay on track with project timelines and financial goals through real-time access to key business data and financial reporting at your fingertips.

Cloud-based systems when managed effectively can also be incredibly powerful in speeding up working practices, freeing up staff time to drive the business forward through more strategic activities.

Streamlining through cloud-based systems means that staff members can access key information in one place so that they can operate in a more efficient and cost-effective manner.

One of the main objections to moving business functions to the cloud is the misconception that it will be time-consuming and overly complicated – this is not the case. For example, a company’s entire job management software can be migrated to the cloud and up and running within as little as two weeks. 1-2-1 training and support for staff ensures they are primed to feel the benefit of the new software from the offset.

Cloud-based job management software enables companies to track all information related to jobs, so that managers can quickly track the performance of all active jobs and easily analyse profit and loss details on each project.

Integration with existing accounting software can help businesses to keep track of quotes, stock costs, manual labour costs and overheads so that stock can be managed and replenished with ease based on real-time data.

While many are looking for short-term solutions to help keep our business running smoothly during a time of uncertainty, we should also be considering how we can work smarter to help bring about a smoother, more efficient and cost-effective workplace for the longer term.

Cloud-based systems are powerful and empowering and by taking time to reset your business systems today, you can turbocharge your business for many years to come.

You can visit our homepage at www.sfgscope.com for further information.

Ben Hosie is product manager of sfG Scope, Scotland’s leading job management software

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