The Future Of Finance Lies In

The Future of Finance Lies in the Cloud

At the beginning of 2020, 87% of public sector organisations surveyed by UKCloud expressed a desire to move traditional IT environments into the cloud. But, as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic, the rate of cloud adoption in the UK has grown significantly, as many companies not already in the cloud were compelled to make the switch due to enforced remote work.

This is certainly indicative of many other industries, finance included. Pre-lockdown, the majority of finance and accounting teams still relied on on-premises software, but the move to remote-working meant many organisations had to quickly reconsider their technology needs and move some or all of their IT requirements to cloud-based platforms. But, in a recent survey by GrowCFO – an independent portal for finance leaders to network, learn and collaborate – it was found that there is confusion around what actually equates to a true cloud finance platform. This was apparent given some respondents replied with ‘cloud’ to known on-premises solutions, suggesting the difference between cloud-based and ‘onpremises with remote access’ is not fully understood.

This is an important point because it has the potential to influence the technology choices made by organisations across the sector. In short, traditional on-premises financial software resides on IT systems owned by the user organisation, typically on hardware hosted within their building. After purchasing and installing the software, they maintain, secure, and manage it themselves (or with the help of a specialist third party IT support business). Many of these systems also offer the option of connecting remotely, with users accessing software and data via a connection to their office-based network.

Conversely, cloud software is almost entirely outsourced and delivered via a web browser or app as a service to each user, hence the description ‘Software-as-aService’ (SaaS). The software resides with the service provider who is also responsible for reliability, performance, the availability of enhancements and updates, as well as the security of their service or application. The location of the user is largely irrelevant - as long as they have a good, secure internet connection, a suitable laptop or tablet and

a browser, they can access the service in exactly the same way as if they were in the office.

One of the most immediate changes organisations notice when moving from on-premises technology to the cloud is it removes the need for in-house IT personnel or external specialists to manage and maintain the technology. For many smaller organisations, it liberates the individual who has been given the task of ‘looking after’ the on-premises tech, even though it usually isn’t their specialism or even in their job description.

But that’s just the start. The massive success of the cloud-based, ‘-as-a-Service’ technology industry is predicated on a range of key developments over traditional on-premises, or ‘legacy’ software.

A Formula for Finance

Often of particular interest to finance and accounting professionals are pricing and payment terms that accompany today’s cloud SaaS options. Cloud-based software typically offers the convenience of a monthly pay-as-you-go model, instead of investing significant up front sums in oneoff software purchases. This also saves money on the server hardware that has previously sat in the office, which may no longer be needed at all. Also included in cloud pricing arrangements should be details which clearly set out the type of service and support included in the cost. Done well, cloud-based customer support and service can deliver an exceptional experience where the provider effectively works as an extension of their in-house team.

The best cloud software providers place huge emphasis on security, focusing on data protection, backup services and their ability to deal with common security issues, such as ransomware. This also extends to compliance, and in the finance context, specialised compliance capabilities offered by many cloud software providers can be of particular benefit. Even for the most niche requirements, there is often a software provider out there whose technology has been written to meet compliance rules, often saving users considerable time and effort.

And then there’s the key issue of functionality and performance. Today’s cloud-based finance software market offers a wide range of options from simple entry-level tools to powerful applications designed to meet the needs of even the biggest and most complex finance departments. For organisations considering cloud, it’s important to assess the options available and choose a provider that most closely matches their individual needs.

For many finance and accounting organisations and their teams, the requirements of lockdown and transition to home working were made possible by cloud-based software solutions. In doing so, they have gained valuable insight into the range of services available, their potential benefits and how technology can become much more than just a labour-saving tool, but also a means to enhance their all round business capabilities.

Chris Tredwell, Enterprise BDM, Aqilla.

Source: 1 https://ukcloud.com/hub/the-state-of-cloud-adoption-report/ 2 https://www.growcfo.net/