- Now, since I know that you've already looked at
where current processes are causing difficulties,
you've probably got some good idea
of where you want to direct effort during the transformation.
Now, I personally think that leveraging cloud services
wherever practical is a great idea for multiple reasons.
First of all, cost.
Overall, it's going to cost less to utilize online storage
and tools.
Secondly, the speed at which you can go online
wildly surpasses any physical rollout.
Thirdly, something some people may see as a drawback
but I think is actually an advantage.
Since online services are not as flexible and customizable,
you will be forced to a greater level of standardization.
Standardization is a good thing.
It enables repeatable process
and removes time-consuming exceptions.
Of course, this can be a major cultural shift.
Even the smallest deviation from the way we do it here
can result in dedicated digging in of heels.
It's going to require some very thorough communication
to help people understand the advantages,
especially the advantages to them,
to make these kinds of changes successful.
But the effort is absolutely worth it.
Not only will you reduce labor and time,
but you'll be setting yourself up to automate processes
and save even more.
To automate, you must have repeatable process
with a minimum of exceptions
that kick the process out of the workflow.
Depending on what services you're using,
you may have some good automation tools already at hand.
If you're using something like SharePoint as your hub,
there are all kinds of possibilities.
From using built-in alerts and workflows
to expanding capabilities by using add-on apps
like Inforwise Ultimate Forms or Nintex.
Now, Microsoft Flow is also really interesting.
Flow allows you to build automated processes
that work across multiple applications.
This could be helpful, for instance,
if you need to do some input in system A
and then transfer the information to system B,
and then put out a report in system C.
I think a lot of us are going to be
keeping a close eye on Flow.
And also, Microsoft Power Apps, which lets you take flows
and convert them into full-fledged mobile applications.
Think of that, the possibilities are mind-boggling.
There are other non-Microsoft alternatives,
like Zapier and Parabola, but Flow has the advantage
of being included in most Enterprise Office licenses,
so no extra charge.
Free is always a good thing.
To learn more about Flow, check out Learning Microsoft Flow
in the course library online.