Trend Focus: Using the Cloud to Boost Team Effectiveness

With the advent of cloud computing, modern small- to medium-sized businesses are now able to operate more efficiently and cost-effectively than ever before. Not only that, but using the cloud also allows them to compete technologically with their competitors who have far more resources at their disposal. But what exactly is cloud computing, and how can it be used by businesses to improve their day-to-day operations?

In this article, we’ll explore the cloud further and look at a few of the ways small- to medium-sized businesses can leverage it to boost team effectiveness.

Simply put, cloud computing is the process of storing, processing, and managing your business’s data on the internet rather than on a single computer or on a local server.

It’s with cloud computing that remote, third-party servers are used to store your data and you and your team are able to access it from anywhere, provided you have the right log-in information.

If you already have your data stored on a local network, why move it to the cloud? It turns out that there are a number of significant benefits to using cloud computing over local data storage. These benefits include:

• Support Teamwork and Communication

The modern workplace is swiftly changing. Now, employees that you have assigned to a specific task may not necessarily be sitting across from each other in a cubicle.

Even if they are, information must constantly be transferred, files need to be shared back and forth with edits and suggestions made, and many more tasks must be carried out that require efficient digital communication. This means that the need for streamlined communication is now more important than ever in order to improve team effectiveness.

Thankfully, cloud computing and the digital workspace that it offers are excellent ways to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of your team’s communication.

By creating an interface where your entire team can work and interact while easily accessing the files and data they need to do their jobs, cloud computing makes it easy to support teamwork and communication in a modern workplace that operates much differently than it did just a few years ago.

• Enable Employees to Work from Any Device

According to one survey, 55% of employees who are working at mid-market firms require the ability to access the company’s data on a mobile device in order to do their jobs effectively. If your company’s data is stored on a local network or a single computer, though, mobile access may not be a possibility.

With cloud storage, data can be accessed and managed from any device, at any time, and from any location, provided your employees have been given the log-in information they need in order to access it. This improves business continuity and enables employees to continue working on projects they have been assigned to even if they are at home or on the field.

Not only does cloud storage increase the amount of output you receive from each employee, it also boosts their overall job satisfaction. The freedom to work remotely has become one of the most sought after aspects employees look for in a job. Should you choose to offer it, cloud computing provides that freedom.

• Increase Security

It’s hard for your team to be effective if your business’s data is stolen or otherwise compromised. In fact, data breaches and other cyber-attacks can be crippling to a small- to medium-sized business.

With data breaches on the rise, the damage they cause is becoming more and more of a concern. One study showed that there has been a 23% increase in the average cost of a data breach for a mid-market business, with each breach now averaging a price tag of almost $3.8 million.

Meanwhile, only 13% of small- to medium-sized businesses report that they are prepared to handle the security challenges they now face.

There’s a misconception, though, that cloud storage is less secure than storing your data on a local network when, in fact, the exact opposite is true. Any device or network that is connected to the internet is susceptible to being breached.

With cloud storage, though, you are able to leverage the security software and protocols of a large advanced organisation dedicated to the security of their clients’ data. This enables small businesses to enjoy the same level of security and advanced security resources as large corporations.

With the many apparent advantages of cloud computing, more and more businesses are starting to transition their data to the cloud. Thanks to a wide range of products and services related to cloud computing, this process is now more efficient than ever.

If you would like to learn more about how to make use of the cloud in your business IT and leverage it to boost team effectiveness, you can read about 10 Steps to Moving IT to the Cloud or get in touch.