You Need to Know How to Choose the Right Cloud-based Fashion ERP Software
Look around and you’ll notice that most of your devices are connected to a cloud service in some way—the email app on your iPhone, Adobe Creative Cloud on your Mac desktop, Netflix on your Apple TV, or even the Google search bar on your browser. To understand cloud computing better, Microsoft defines it as, “…The delivery of computing services—servers, storage, databases, networking, software, analytics, and more—over the Internet (‘the cloud’),” and because of its multifaceted qualities, it explains our heavy use and reliance on cloud computing nowadays, including operating your fashion business. After all, it is the fashion industry and you’ll need a software that can keep up with the demands of your business and can quickly and dynamically adapt to any sudden changes. So what exactly are you supposed to look for in a cloud-based apparel ERP software? We get it. It’s time-consuming and you have a business that needs your 100% attention. As an expert in the tech and fashion industry for 34 years, AIMS360 consolidated the list down to five aspects you need to consider in finding the right fashion business software.
SECURITY
You shouldn’t have to worry about anyone taking your data. When evaluating an apparel business software, one needs to evaluate the provider. If your provider cannot give you any information about how they handle security, that could become a problem down the road. The last thing you want is your customers’ personal information, like a credit card number, to end up on a hacker’s website with your company name on it. It's better to select a provider that uses a top cloud solution built on Microsoft Azure or Amazon AWS. A fashion business delivered through the web browser does not necessarily mean it will have security and stability. But looks can be deceiving. Reliability is not in the web browser, but instead, it is in the cloud infrastructure behind the software and the SLA (service level agreement) offered by the provider.
Ask your software provider the following questions:
- Are there firewalls and encryption on your data?
- Is there security for your data during transmission and storage?
- Do they use pro-active security monitoring system that audits your infrastructure 24/7?
RESOURCES
A common problem is that a provider may have only one or two servers, which lacks an expansive security blanket in case one of the servers are down. You may lose all of your data and have severe downtimes if there aren’t a lot of resources to restore your data. So, to add to your checklist, make sure your provider has many servers available and physically located in different areas from each other. You need to prepare and take preventative measures to protect your data. If an earthquake occurs on the West Coast and knocks a few servers down, you’ll want to be sure you can restore your data using available servers that are up and running in areas unaffected by the earthquake.
REDUNDANCY
Now you may be wondering – if my provider already has plenty of resources available, why does redundancy matter? Having redundancy is significant in saving you time accessing your data. Think about it using checkpoints. If you make any changes anywhere, you’ll want to be able to access your most recent ‘checkpoint’ or version. Check if your connected servers have the ability to communicate frequently amongst each other so that all your servers have a record of your most recent checkpoint. Again, this is to ensure the accessibility and restoration of your data in case one of the servers are down. Decrease your chances of corrupted data by acquiring the right setup. When doing an evaluation, ask your provider for their SLA policy.
UPGRADES AND FIXES
The main advantage of being on a cloud service are upgrades and fixes. Ask your provider if they have a team in place that takes care of upgrades and fixes. Once a fix is released, your instance should be automatically upgraded. Sometimes, a provider customizes your solution so much that it can’t be upgraded. This can build too much constriction that makes it impossible to adapt to any change you’ll need in the future.
Sometimes an unreliable provider will not have the resources to fix issues for the customer, especially bug fixes that cause business downtime. This can cause you to lose an outstanding amount of money, perhaps even millions of dollars.
At AIMS360 we have a prioritization policy. Any issue that may cause business harm is sent in for immediate fix and release to the customers' instance.
GROWTH
You should use a modern database to allow for easy updates and expansion to your system and is compatible to connect via SQL. SQL is a standard language you use to interact with a database. Imagine down the line you want to use a reporting solution to retrieve important data out of the system to help evaluate your top selling styles. Most reporting solutions will connect to a standard SQL database easily. You can then have anyone write a report to your database and get the information you need.
Another area to check is to make sure you have API access. An application program interface (API) is a standard toolset for building software applications that can connect to each other. If the software solution selected does not have an API, it will stunt your business growth.
Hiring an entire IT department or purchasing hardware is extra time and money required. You should have the ability to run your business securely, consistently, and efficiently to ensure business growth.
