In October, Oracle hosted its annual Open World event showing the new innovations, trends, and exciting announcements they have in store. One of the highlights was the announcement of the next generation of autonomous cloud. With a strong message of security, speed, and affordability, Cloud is now brought within everyone’s reach. In preparation of Domain Systems upcoming webinar I’d like to invite you to think of questions that I have not answered in this blog. I personally invite you to our upcoming Webinar where our VP of Professional Services will be presenting about how to bring the Cloud PLM transition within your reach.
Last month, Domain Systems conducted a survey of 600 current and former customers. The survey asked questions relating to moving to the Cloud as a PaaS (Platform as a Service) and SaaS (Software as a Service) technical PLM (Product Lifecycle Management) solution. The results?
Out of the respondents:
- 21% had existing plans to move to cloud
- 79% had not yet made plans or a final decision.
When asked “If you were tasked with the purchase of a new PLM, how would you prioritize each feature?” The results to the top 3 priorities are:
- 36% — Migrating to a new PLM
- 29% — Price of PLM
- 27% — Ease of effort to implement
The data showed that the greatest consideration in their decision one way or another when looking into a PLM solution was ‘Migrating to a new PLM’ with ‘price’ coming in second and ‘Ease of effort to implement’ in a close third. These three main concerns are not surprising.
So, where do you start? What should you know?
Is Cloud PLM transition easy?
The Cloud PLM transition process is critical. It cannot be overstated, especially if your business opts for in-house migration.. There are some steps that have to be taken into account, like:
- Data extraction
- Mapping
- Transformation
- Data importation
- Testing
If this task is placed in the hands of the inexperienced, you should expect things to go wrong, in fact regardless, things will go wrong. Not having experienced consultants that have the training, aptitude and demonstrated care necessary for completing a successful data transfer creates a risk with data corruption, time and money lost, and just becoming totally lost for a future vision and strategy. You need to design, develop and deploy your own unique transition while understanding all the parameters and how they all fit together.
Why should I utilize the cloud?
Greater flexibility is key in a Cloud PLM transition. More than just saving money. Large companies need flexibility to scale operations quickly to meet greater increasing needs. And reduce operations just as quickly if resources are going unused. Cloud makes it easier to do this because physical servers are no longer needed to run your PLM solution. It’s as simple as adding a new user and letting the host handle the support and cost of the physicality of the application. After initial startup, you add users as needed – no other consideration necessary.
Quicker deployments are a hallmark of Cloud PLM transitions. In most cases, the Go Live phase takes less than 6 months (depending upon the size of your organization). Modern cloud solutions are already developed around best practices to eliminate 80% of the configuration.
Fewer servers – Moving PLM to a cloud model can create enormous savings compared to on-premise, especially when the reduction in IT support is considered. The bar to entry is much lower so even smaller companies can afford a best-in-class PLM solution.
Reduced IT burden – Fewer servers means less upkeep and maintenance. You will immediately find that IT staff is able to turn their attention to more mission-critical tasks. And less on PLM bugs and fixes. In fact, Oracle reported that many companies reduced their maintenance needs by 50%.
“In 15 months, 80% of all IT budgets will be committed to cloud apps and solutions”
Forbes, Louis Columbus, “State of Cloud Adoption and Security”
At what point should I move to the cloud?
Ultimately, that is up to you. You need to maximize the value of your legacy software while balancing ROI for when you should change lanes and move onto the cloud. First, you need to make yourself a plan and roadmap of what it will take to get yourself onto the cloud.
Domain systems can help you define your cloud strategy and allow you to build your momentum on this pathway to the cloud. Domain Systems has set the bar in PLM for best practice to migrate businesses to the cloud. Our cloud consultants are certified and experienced in data migration, business process, and strategic vision which will position your business exactly where it needs to be to become cloud ready.
To conclude simply, Cloud technology is the future. The affordability and scalability alone are enticing enough, but to top that the unlisted savings can greatly sway your decision. Contact us today and we will help bring the Cloud within reach.
Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of Domain Systems. The author takes full responsibility for the views expressed here.
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