Cloud computing - Cloud Computing in Manufacturing - Cloud Computing in the Supply Chain

Where Cloud Computing is Taking the Supply Chain & Manufacturing

It’s no secret that there has been some pain in the supply chain world throughout the last few years. Companies that have fared the best have been the ones eager to adopt the newest technological advances and invest resources into the supply chain. One of the best investments is utilizing cloud computing. Here’s why.

Cloud Computing Makes Supply Chains More Cost Effective

While cloud computing can be a bit of an investment upfront, overall, it helps reduce costs. For example, according to Accenture, supply chain executives reported a 16% decrease in operating costs across their supply chain after switching to cloud computing.

There are a few reasons cloud computing makes supply chains cheaper to run. For one, supply chain solutions in the cloud are more scalable, meaning companies can use only what they need and aren’t forced to build massive data centers designed for handling peak capacity at all times. Also, cloud computing companies often include options for automation features that can reduce workload on employees, saving the company money overall.

Supply Chains Run on Cloud Computing Are More Secure

After moving to the cloud, one of the best benefits to supply chains is increased data and system security. These days, a security breach at a tech company is a death sentence. It brings about a loss of customer trust and potentially harmful opportunities for hackers and bad actors.

By running a supply chain on the cloud, companies can outsource extra data security practices to companies solely focused on security in a cloud environment, which is a very complex skill. Plus, it’s much easier to roll up security patches and updates to a cloud system than it is to a traditional data center, where updates are slow and costly.

Cloud Computing Increases Productivity in the Supply Chain

One of the most significant improvements once a business’s supply chain moves to the cloud is an increase in productivity and efficiency. Cloud computing upgrades often include access to new levels of data through the supply chain and options for flexibility and automation.

Observing data from the supply chain as it runs makes it easy to pinpoint improvement areas and develop automation where things are repetitive or inefficient. Additionally, cloud computing services offer regular upgrades and new features much more often than traditional data systems.

Become a Cloud Computing Developer

Businesses moving their supply chains to the cloud just makes sense. Not only will it save them money and help with productivity, it will also keep companies in line or ahead of the competition.

As more investment is made in the cloud, companies will be looking to hire talented cloud developers at a growing rate. In the next six years, the cloud computing market is expected to grow by almost 20% , which means there’s never been a better time for your organization to invest in cloud computing.

Check out Udacity’s School of Cloud Computing and Udacity for Enterprise today to get started.

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Jennifer Shalamanov
Jennifer Shalamanov
Jennifer is a content writer at Udacity with over 10 years of content creation and marketing communications experience in the tech, e-commerce and online learning spaces. When she’s not working to inform, engage and inspire readers, she’s probably drinking too many lattes and scouring fashion blogs.