Five Advantages of Managing Your Product Data on a Cloud Platform: Part Two

As discussed in part one, product organizations increasingly adopt cloud technology to enable real-time collaboration and more-agile processes. Let’s continue reviewing the advantages of managing your data and product lifecycle on a cloud-based platform.

3. Connect your ecosystem.

Successful product organizations have discovered the importance of going beyond siloed systems and resources, and moving to the power of the connected ecosystem. With their ever-increasing portfolio of connected applications, cloud platforms support growing companies so they can seamlessly expand capabilities and users on demand, one application at a time. Getting access to the platform, for 3D CAD for example, means you can then instantly turn on access to any of the apps available on the platform. There’s no need to worry about integration or interoperability, as these applications work together seamlessly, supporting the same data structure and letting you easily share and visualize information. There’s no need to conduct a search for additional solutions or manage multiple vendors. And as the applications share a consistent look and feel, your learning curve when starting with a new app is short. Ultimately, you can use the platform to connect your entire organization so you can manage your complete product lifecycle from design and simulation, to manufacturing, quality assurance and delivery.

4. Reduce your total cost of operation.

Adopting a cloud-based platform also means that you don’t need to purchase, install and manage hardware, software or other infrastructure, thus helping you cut costs and accelerate product development. It gives you immediate access to the solutions you need while avoiding costly and time-consuming implementations. A cloud-based platform limits not only your upfront investment but also your ongoing expenses, thus lowering your total cost of operation. You can minimize or eliminate your own data center footprint as you leverage your service provider’s infrastructure. Automatic updates also help reduce your maintenance workload. A platform in the cloud minimizes IT overhead and frees up resources to manage contracts and cost, service-level agreements and usage compliance. Less infrastructure means less complexity and lower IT costs without affecting your organization’s technology capabilities.

5. Always use the latest technology.

In the cloud, the latest software capabilities are instantly available as soon as they are released. New functionality and improvements get into the hands of designers, engineers, analysts and production managers instantly, inspiring more efficient workflows and more agile teamwork. Software as a Service (SaaS) releases go live much more frequently, so product organizations can become more productive and translate new capabilities into a competitive advantage faster. Cloud-based software typically runs in dedicated data centers, which leverage the latest facility, hardware and networking technology, ensuring the utmost security for your applications and data.

In conclusion, a cloud-based platform helps you connect all your data and people and your entire ecosystem seamlessly while improving data security and reducing operational costs. Cloud-based platforms are a triple win: Your product organization profits from accelerated time-to-market, your IT department benefits from reduced costs, and customers benefit from transformational products and amazing experiences.

Which advantage do you find the most compelling? Leave a comment below.