VIEWPOINT | DRIVING CONFIDENCE IN THE CLOUD

Is it time for manufacturers to phase out their on-site IT systems and move those capabilities to the cloud? The answer is "yes," says Infor, a global provider of enterprise software solutions. Among the reasons the company cites are lower total costs of ownership, fast time to value, significantly better security and reliability, modern solutions with immediate software updates and global reach to dramatically improve the ability of enterprises to add new production facilities to the system.

But it's not an either-or thing, says Jeff Rheingans, Infor's director of software development for automotive. That's because Infor's enterprise products are configured to work conventionally on premises, in the cloud or as a hybrid approach of both. Rheingans explains why the company believes the cloud is a better choice.

How does a cloud-based enterprise suite benefit the user?

For one thing, companies have continuing access to software that is updated automatically and kept current and compliant with customer mandates. In our case, updates are certified and fully vetted before they are added to the cloud. It all has to be rock solid because our customers are relying upon our solution to run their business. They can't afford downtime. We understand that.

Using enterprise solutions from the cloud eliminates any issues with companies maintaining their own data centers, because that task becomes part of the service. And being cloud based means global reach, so it's dramatically simpler to add or relocate operations just about anywhere on the planet. At the same time, the customer gains access to a larger and certainly more knowledgeable support team that can respond faster if problems arise.

Security is significantly better too. If a company isn't constantly upgrading its in-house system, it's at risk of being compromised by industrial espionage. Security is a non-issue with our cloud-based software, because it's automatically updated, and it's protected by continually improving military-grade encryption.

Local tax issues and questions of electronic data interchange capabilities are no longer hurdles. The software is always ready to be deployed. If one company is looking to divest a plant or division, we can help wall off that piece from the rest of the company. Conversely, if they plan to acquire a plant or business unit, we can help them quickly bring those assets online with a modern, standard solution based on industry best practices.

It's also far easier to take a collaborative approach to problems and projects when you're using cloud-based tools. Infor solutions are socially and Web oriented. That helps companies attract Gen Y talent, who are accustomed to social computing and cloud-based operations.

Perhaps most important, a cloud-based system represents a predictable operating expense. It gives the user the ability to direct capital spending on doing business rather than maintaining IT services. That means more capital spending can be shifted from IT to where it better benefits the real purpose of the enterprise: growth.

When did the move to cloud-based solutions begin among automotive suppliers?

It started only a few years ago. But it's accelerating, especially for suite-based solutions like ours. Several providers have begun offering cloud-based components, but Infor has taken the lead in moving the entire enterprise suite to the cloud.

Does Infor operate its own data centers?

We're not in the business of operating servers. We stick with what we do best: develop and support effective enterprise software. For that service, we partner with Amazon. It has five times the server capacity of all competitors combined. In our opinion, it's the world's best infrastructure and it's available at a very competitive price point.

What about small customers who don't need all that capacity?

Our customer base starts with companies that have 25-30 ERP users, or the equivalent to annual revenue of roughly $50 million or more. Our cloud solution is instantly scalable. At Infor, we don't punish you for size or growth. We have a simple pricing model with no hidden fees. Our solution scales up and scales down. It provides smaller organizations with world-class capabilities and infrastructure.

How is Infor's enterprise solution tailored to the automotive sector?

We're proud to say that 80 of the top 100 automotive suppliers run their businesses on Infor solutions. We serve 12 other industries, and each includes its own set of solutions for micro-verticals within it. We don't believe one solution can provide all the capabilities demanded by each micro-vertical.

In the automotive sector, we have a full suite of cloud-based tools specifically tailored to the high-volume repetitive nature of manufacturing. Within that space, we offer separate and specialized solutions for tier suppliers, the original equipment/specialty vehicle market and the automotive aftermarket. Our staff has direct hands-on experience with the special demands of the automotive industry.

Click HERE to learn more about Infor's automotive products. Contact Brian Lancaster at (678) 640-2114 or brian.lancaster@infor.com. Visit us at http://www.infor.com/automotive.