Five Ways to Turn Business Data into Business Insight Part 5: Make Information More Accessible with the Cloud

This is the fifth and final post in our five-part series, Five Ways to Turn Business Data into Business Insight. We’ve previously looked at how to provide easy information access to your team members based on their specific roles, how self-service BI reporting) can lighten the load on IT resources, how to make BI more mobile, and how Big Data is doing big things for small and mid-sized businesses. Today, we’ll wrap up the series with a look up to the Cloud.

Make Information More Accessible with the Cloud

It’s been a race to the cloud with apps and tools for consumers and businesses. And while on-premise business intelligence (BI) systems that are all snuggled onto business-owned servers are still the norm, implementations of web-based and web-accessible BI tools are growing and soon will out-pace the traditional approach. The cloud’s promises of accessibility for users and reduced IT workload are more than just marketing speak. They’re real benefits, even for small and mid-sized business. But you have to find the model that makes sense for the data security, storage and ROI needs of your business.

Microsoft’s cloud strategy is about choice. If you want to move your business intelligence, financial management and productivity tools to the cloud, great; if you prefer to use a hybrid approach and host only a portion of your solution, super; or if you’re all ready to go all-in, Microsoft and our world-wide network of partners offer on-premises, hosted or cloud-based options that meet your needs. The reality here is that your approach to the cloud needs to match your business. Microsoft can help determine what makes most sense today and what will set you up best for tomorrow. Watch how a cloud-based solution from Microsoft helped manufacturing icon, Faribault Woolen Mill, revitalize their business.

Keeping tabs on the data that drives your business is an ongoing challenge for any growing company. This five-part blog series has covered how Microsoft Dynamics ERP gives you the tools to transform reams of data into useful insight and how easily accessible that insight can be to the people on your team.

See how Microsoft Dynamics ERP can help you grow your business, take a product test, or register to attend an upcoming webcast to learn more about a business solution from Microsoft.