Friday, 8 August 2014

Cloud Computing and Procurement

Authored by  Junaid Khan

Cloud Computing allows a company to have all of their Procurement applications (eg: ERP system, Desktop Applications) and other data (contracts, tenders, emails, folders) provided as an online service from anywhere with an internet connection (computers, phones, tablets etc), through off-site dedicated servers (known as a cloud).
In recent era many researchers reported that cloud solutions appear to have lower start-up and switching costs than traditional solutions. The cloud model reduces administrative overheads and the cost of implementing and operating e-procurement platforms and other corporate office functions.

Cloud Computing always make easy the sharing of statistical data within global supply chains, even among people in different organizations. Many of cloud-based solutions, such as a very influential SaaS platforms, deliver value that in-house solutions can’t match. Many organisations may be able to reduce IT support costs by outsourcing hardware and software maintenance and support to their SaaS provider. A global supply chain can result in persistently changing internal buying requirements. Cloud computing can allow procurement and finance team members to get information at the single click of a mouse. Many industry leaders are predicting a transformation towards procurement and supply chain departments as a whole moving away from convoluted ERP-built reporting tools and replacing them with new applications which are cloud-based analytical platforms and these can help users to purchase from enterprise app stores 24/7.