It’s that time of year again when supply chain leaders start to think about business technology and which new trends they should incorporate into supply chain IT strategy. If you’re in an IT management role, this probably means you’ll soon be called upon to put sourcing and implementation plans in place. But what technology advances do you expect your business colleagues to set their sights on for 2016?
Don’t Let Your Colleagues Get Lost in the Cloud
Cloud technology is (if you’ll pardon the pun) really starting to take off in supply chain IT, as it is in most other 
industrial and commercial sectors. If your company still operates aging on-premises servers, you may find the business team calling for a migration to the cloud next year, especially since Microsoft’s Windows Server 2003 software support ceased last July.
With all the hype that abounds about the cloud though, some business managers have come to view SaaS and similar models as an easy way to circumvent the necessary, but sometimes tiresome protocols which accompany the management of on-premises systems. Such a misconception could result in the temptation to leave IT teams out of the loop on procurement plans.
The problem is that while cloud ERP, CRM, WMS, and other solutions are an attractive proposition because of the service-based deployment model under which they are sold, pitfalls for unwary (read non-IT) business management teams abound. Most of the potential issues relate to systems security and data protection, where a gold standard is not necessarily part of the basic package.
Keep a Rein on the Buy-and-Go Temptation
Your business will need your expertise to ensure that a move to the cloud brings about positive change and doesn’t add unnecessary risk. While it might seem rude to muscle-in uninvited and ask business colleagues what’s on the 2016 supply chain IT shopping list, nobody could blame you for taking a proactive approach to communication, especially if it prevents data security issues further down the road.