Customized cloud solutions are usually necessary in order to produce software which matches the specific features and goals of the business. Many ERP-Cloud vendors want clients to adopt the opposite proposition, namely that the business must conform to the Cloud application or Cloud ERP system. Examples include Oracle or Salesforce. Remapping your business processes to fit a vendor’s application is a good recipe for higher costs, budget overruns and lack of end user interest.
In fact, most firms – 85% of more – beyond the SME level, need to customize their cloud systems at the application level. This is especially true for complex business applications, ERP, or older client server systems being migrated to the Cloud:
ERP customisation levels in the USA Source: http://ezyprocess.com/
Comparison criteria
When moving a process to the Cloud we can ask the following:
- Is the business process involved, a standard or specific-to-our-company process ?
- What pain am I trying to resolve ?
- What positive outcomes for the business do I expect to achieve ?
- Are the operations which require automation, standard or specific to this particular business?
- What is the expected or given budget level [capital, operational] ?
- What is an acceptable implementation deadline?
- Who is going to maintain the system after implementation?
- What security level is required?
Taking the above-mentioned criteria into account, a comparative analysis can be conducted and represented in the form of a table (see below).
| Criteria | Customised solutions | Cookie Cutter, Template, Standard |
| Type of approach | Individual | General |
| Adaptability for a particular type of business | Full adaptability, the software is designed for a particular company considering its specifics and goals | The solution is general, the business processes are meant to be adjusted to the existing software |
| Costs | Lower in the Long Term since the software matches and supports your processes | Higher in the Long Term, because your business must fit the software |
| Time to Deploy | Long, from several months | Shorter |
| Source code | The source code is created according to the needs of a specific company and is open | The source is usually closed and created by the developers |
| Guarantees | The vendor is responsible for the product’s quality, all the guarantees can be described in a contract | The closed source and the provision of software as a service do not ensure any guarantees or security concerning possible leaks |
| Chance of unexpected errors | Low | High |
| Cloud type | Usually private, and a hybrid system | Mainly public |
| System maintenance | The firm can independently maintain the system by hiring experts | Closed, a black box |
| Security level | High | Low |
| Scalability | Unrestricted | Restricted |
Based on the results of this comparative analysis, it can be deduced that each option might be suitable for a particular type of business. For example, small and medium-sized enterprises can undoubtedly benefit from the template-closed cloud systems, since they are inexpensive and allow for the rapid automation of crucial work sectors. However, for a larger-scale company which is developing quickly and aggregates a lot of different functions, it is reasonable to opt for a system which is able to meet all the business’s demands.