Simply put, retail cloud computing means that instead of hosting physical servers in your back office, some or all of that IT infrastructure is migrated to the cloud and hosted off-site at data centers—aka the cloud. Cloud-based applications are accessed by users on the internet instead of software installed on their computer.
You cut costs drastically and free up staff because you no longer have to purchase, update, and maintain servers, software, and networking equipment. And you don’t need to worry about power requirements, storage capacity, and computer hardware.
Cloud IT provides higher levels of security and data integrity because updates are frequent and automatic. The network is also managed by skilled teams of IT experts and engineers that smaller businesses just can’t afford on their own.
You can record transactions in real-time and stop worrying about saving or updating data files. Cloud-based services make recovery from power outages or natural disasters faster, more affordable, and simpler.
When you store your data and applications in the cloud and access them through the internet, users stay connected no matter where they are. You can access files anytime, anywhere, using any digital device.
Cloud computing gives retailers of any size the ability to increase capacity and apply new capabilities quickly and affordably. It improves flexibility and control, too. You decide who has access to which data and applications, and how data is shared throughout your organization. Process streamlining and task automation free up staff to work on higher-value tasks.
Cloud solutions harmonize data from core operations in-store and online, and across multiple locations, into consolidated views. Advanced analytics through artificial intelligence and machine learning sharpen decision-making in core operations, including inventory, supply chain, pricing, orders, margin management, and sales forecasting.
During the Covid pandemic, brick-and-mortar store closures, combined with rapidly changing customer habits and shopping preferences, jolted retailers into embracing eCommerce and omnichannel retail. Setting up online selling capabilities and keeping everything up to date is fast, easy, and affordable with cloud-based IT infrastructure.
Customers now expect simple and convenient shopping experiences wherever they want, whenever they want—in-store, online from home, and on the go—and cloud computing is the fastest, easiest, and most affordable platform delivering that. In addition to eCommerce, capabilities like mobile point of sale, contactless checkout, and choice in delivery options also become possible.
Given the overwhelming benefits, moving your IT infrastructure to the cloud is an obvious choice, right? But it’s still daunting for some retailers for reasons that include:
There’s an important reason to challenge your thinking: On-premises systems aren’t sustainable. The world is moving to the cloud.
When you break it down, migrating your retail operations from on-premises hardware and software to a cloud-based solution may be one of the easiest and most consequential business decisions you’ll ever make.
