If you’ve opened a business magazine or browsed an industry blog in the last few years, you have undoubtedly seen big businesses touting the benefits of taking their operations into the cloud. For a smaller operation, this can be both confusing and intimidating. What does moving your operation into the cloud actually mean - what would that entail and would it be safe? How difficult would it actually be to migrate everything you rely on into a cloud-based server?
Here are some real-world facts about cloud migration and how moving your company’s operations into the cloud can be beneficial - regardless of your size or industry experience.
People talk a lot about the cloud, but there is much less understanding of what it actually is. Don’t worry - you’re no the only person confused!
‘The cloud’ is a term used to refer to untethered servers - those that don’t have a physical location. This is a popular way to operate, since information can be access anywhere you decide to conduct business. It is also great for disaster recovery and scaling, two things that are important in the world of BPO or contact centers. But those are far from the only reasons why moving into the cloud could be beneficial for business.
So, why make the shift into the cloud? It’s not just because everyone else is doing it, although that is certainly a reason. After all, in business part of remaining competitive and profitable is keeping up with trends. If all of your competitors are moving their operations to the cloud, shouldn’t you consider doing the same? It’s one more reason that a consumer or client might choose them over you, if not.
Sidestepping customer churn is definitely one reason to move into the cloud, but as we mentioned, it’s not the only one. Here are some major benefits of making the move that you shouldn’t overlook:
What is the worst thing about physical servers? They go down. And unfortunately for the people who rely on them, they rarely go down when you’re expecting them to - or when you’re prepared for them to.
What happens when your server is down is largely dependant on your disaster plan. For some companies, this is merely an inconvenience as they wait for a second server to shift into gear. For most, though, it means waiting until the server is back online - and losing valuable service time while they wait.
You can prevent all of this by moving your operation into the cloud. When you operate from the cloud, you are always ready, always online. There is no down time when you have perpetual access to your information. Even a natural disaster or relocation means you’re only offline as long as it takes you to get to a safe new location and boot up - with no damage to your server.
Businesses are always looking for ways to cut spending. One of the best ways to slash your IT costs, in particular, is to implement cloud-based computing. Studies have shown that this can result in up to a 15% decrease in IT costs across the board - a savings that can add up to massive money over time.
One reason is maintenance. On-site hardware requires it, regardless of your current profit margin. When you’re in your most profitable seasons, this may not be a concern. But when things are tighter and you’re looking to cut costs without cutting corners, shaving off that expense could be a great way to do it.
Energy costs are also a factor. On-site server hardware uses energy - again, regardless of what other expenses you have to contend with. If you want to decrease energy costs without decreasing online time, moving into the cloud is the way to go.
There is an unfortunate myth in the contact center and BPO industries that cloud-based computing means fewer features. This simply isn’t true. In fact, there are more features to be had - and more streamlined computing to be done - with cloud-based servers.
When you’re working with modern consumers, you want to be able to deliver service that feels attentive and custom-tailored to their needs, all while answering their questions or solving their problems in a timely manner. It can be difficult to do that when you’re flipping between multiple applications while on a single call. Today’s cloud-based computing makes all of this easier, making integrating more features easier and more intuitive. Your agents will be able to move between applications easily and deliver excellent service to consumers while they do.
Today’s call center has two major concerns that challenge what an on-site server is capable of. First, they need to be able to adapt their scale on little more than a moment’s notice. Second, they need to have a global reach, whether that means to serve consumers or to recruit agents - or both.
With cloud computing, you can solve all of these issues and more. Scaling is quick, easy, and intuitive. Recruiting new agents can be done worldwide, since they can access your server from anywhere. It’s the best way to build a contact center for today that will work to serve consumers tomorrow and every day after.
When you’re ready to join the ranks of today’s most successful businesses and move your operations into the cloud, contact the industry experts at ChaseData. We have the tools and technology you need to make a cloud migration simple and swift, so you can focus on what’s really important - serving your consumers and clients. Give us a call today to learn more!