Strategy is about being different. It means deliberately choosing a different set of activities to create value for the customer, which leads to a unique competitive position in the market. When the strategic direction is clear everyone must align around the strategy to get the organization all moving in the same direction. Today, IT is more important than ever before. IT is no longer just a function to provide operational effectiveness within the firm, it is a critical enabler to becoming a more agile and customer-friendly enterprise.
Align with the strategic business outcomes
CEO and CIO must have a discussion to align with the strategic objective. What is the strategic position the company is after? What are the differentiators that will make the company stand out? And where can IT support that strategy? Whether the strategy is about cost savings, operational effectiveness, or new business models, having a clear picture of the desired end result will lead to greater focus in the underlying IT strategy. SaaS solutions provide standardized and cost-effective ways to simplify business applications, taking advantage of new functionality and solutions to cut costs and improve agility. The more precise the desired business outcomes are defined, the better IT can support.
Make your core intelligent and extended
As the core of the enterprise moves to the cloud, companies are augmenting ERP with automation and intelligence. Powered by data analytics, these enhancements are an integral part of the ERP platform. The real value lies in using that intelligence to unlock value by bridging functional silos and enabling the organization to scale operations in real time. Key to the intelligent core is to treat data as an asset. You can collect data in your ERP systems and converge different data sources for even deeper intelligence. The use of more and more cloud solutions puts an extra focus on data quality and allows companies to turn insights into value.
Partner with cloud leaders
Find technology partners that differentiate by reimagining services delivery models, being co-creators, and specializing in your industry. A partners that is in for the long-run, has an interest in your success and strives for mutual benefit. Cloud leaders are service providers who truly understand our cloud-based world, the implication of driving sustainable business outcomes, and increasing agility. What’s more, they can advise on controlling cost through scalable pricing models, data analytics and software integration. Cloud can be your innovation platform to optimize your IT landscape. A partner that supports your digital journey can add tremendous value.
Think big and make a difference
The time has come to use ERP to foster innovation across all your business functions. When combined with technologies such as cloud, ERP offers almost limitless possibilities for transforming business processes. How? By driving efficiencies, bringing visibility into the whole value chain, and saving time and effort making processes counterintuitive and fun. Make user experience seamless across channels and platforms, use the disruptive power of cloud to get ahead and transform operations. The vision in front of every IT strategy should be to create the experiences your employees want and your customers expect, because great experiences drive fierce customer loyalty and create powerful employee engagement.