This article is going to explore the pros and cons of switching over to a Cloud based system, and attempt to de-clutter and simplify the issue to help you make an informed decision.
Increasingly when making any software purchase these days, consumers find themselves presented with a monthly model or cloud based option, as opposed to purchasing software outright.
Why is the industry switching to this model? How does it benefit you? If you have an older version of any professional software, what are the benefits of staying put? What are the risks of getting left behind?
- Save More Money
- Collaborate Freely
- Get The Latest and Greatest
- Stop Unreliability Dead in It’s Tracks
- Consistency is Key
- Good for the Planet
- Modernity Has Not Failed Us Yet!
- The Perfect Foundation to Scale
1. SAVE MORE MONEY
In most cases, you’ll be saving much more money using a Cloud-based system for a variety of reasons. Take a look at Snappii’s analysis of cloud-based mobile forms vs paper forms. I know you might be thinking that paper, backup drives, and hard storage are not expensive. But you need to remember that space for on site data storage, admin costs, servers, up front costs, repairs etc. get quite expensive. Then all of the sudden, Cloud services start to sound a lot more reasonable. Usually these pre-cloud products, that had to be purchased outright or as a standalone item in the past, could cost upwards of $5000 with a one-time cost. But compare that to the drip mentality of let’s say $100 a month subscription for a service. You pay much less out of the gate and you can use the services to generate more income and increase production as you go, erasing the anxiety of a big initial investment before it’s returns. As a business model, it just makes sense.
2. COLLABORATE FREELY
Stop all your plans of delivering printed our documents to collages within your office or across office. This can be an administrative nightmare if you are sharing documents, personnel or patients across more than one office locations. This is especially for important for large dental groups or multiple location businesses. Imagine a practice management systems like Dentrix or Patterson being 100% cloud. Too good to be true? Well I’m sure something might be out there. Larger dental teams are realizing more and more that working within an enterprise Cloud system are the most effective and efficient way to utilize everyone’s time. Viewing, editing and completing documents in real-time along side colleagues who aren’t in the room next to them is proven to higher productivity and quality of work from users who have switch to a cloud-based system. Or perhaps you want to pull up and edit or review a patient’s file from another location? Or what about looking at the performance of an employee whose productivity can be tracked from within the system? Communication is key, and our best use of employee time and energy can only be achieved by easy, simultaneous, cloud-based sharing and editing systems.
3. GET THE LATEST AND GREATEST
With the Cloud, you never have to stress or worry about buying new versions, upgrading or having your software fall behind the competitors in your fields. Or even worse become antiquated as our computers continue to move forward at lightning speeds. Most cloud services offer unlimited upgrades and support downloads to ensure the services at performing at the highest capabilities. This allows service providers to keep you and your software up-to-date and functionality at it’s peak by dolling out updates the moment the are completed. Gone are the days of stand-alone CD’s or USB keys that break, get lost or can’t be updated. The great thing about SaaS (Software as a Service) products, is that they automatically updated without ever needing a prompt for the user to do so. There is a never a need to worry about your software being out of touch. If it’s a content-based service, like dental videos, chances are developers of the service will continue to churn out new quality content that can be delivered to you in an instant, without having to buy a new package. Think like Netflix, not Blockbuster!
4. STOP UNRELIABILITY DEAD IN IT'S TRACKS
Ever had a USB stick fail, hard-drive files corrupted, or have a piece of paper ripped, water damaged, or lost? Of course, you have, and frankly it’s the worst. While cloud-based services are not totally immune to this, most reputable SasS providers offer constant updates, unlimited support and a constant eye on the mechanics of the services to so you to have to. Leave it up the experts! Not to mention nearly all SasS providers offer cloud storage and back up into their subscription models. If they don’t, be weary. This is integral when choosing a cloud-based system. We highlighted some small issues that you could face. But what about a robbery? A flood? A fire? Acts of God are rare but shouldn’t have you losing everything you’ve worked towards. A cloud-based system lets you rest assured that even if every computer in your office were to vanish tomorrow, you could easily recover the files the next day. Check out this article about how Cloud Computing is Impacting Disaster Recovery Planning to learn more.
5. CONSISTENCY IS KEY
With Cloud system the margin of error is greatly reduced. Weather that is certain provisions being placed to block incorrect data, easy editing and confirmation processes. Saving templates is a good place to start. Or creating custom content like educational videos and presentations so that each time you present your messaging and branding in consistent and on point. Filling our paperwork by hand and spell checking it is a monotonous process that is proven to increase margin of error with employees that just want to do their job, not make sure everyone else if doing theirs correctly. Less headaches and stress equal better work. Let the Cloud smooth it over for you and handle the day-to-day grunt work.
6. GOOD FOR THE PLANET
While it might not be the most important benefit for you, switching to cloud storage or using digital forms, brochures and ultimately going paperless eliminates much of the waste and pollution that comes with discarding hard drives, ink, paper and boxes. These days caring for the environment has become priority for a good public image for businesses. As this article by Nielsen investigating the buying habits of millennials, this element can even be the motivating factor to push demographic (a big part of the consumer market) to make the move a select one business over another.
7. MODERNITY HAS NOT FAILED US....YET!
While you spend months (maybe even years) debating weather switching to the cloud is the best way forward, the rest of the workface isn’t waiting! According to this article on remote work by Quartz, as of 2017, roughly 8 million people in the U.S. alone worked from home, which is 5.2% of workers in the U.S. That number continues to just jump and continue to grow from 5% in 2016, and 3.3% in 2000. But it’s not only about working from 100% of the time. It’s about taking a few days at home to create forms, brochures, customize content and or check in with employees. Also don’t forget the how you a patient can interact with you from THEIR home, messaging back and forth about treatment as you share educational materials and have their participation tracked through a cloud based system.
8. THE PERFECT FOUNDATION TO SCALE
Speed, communications, reliability, and quick access to cloud-based tools is essential for scaling. Honestly, everything we went over from always having a back up of your work, to lower initial cost to security, all builds the rock-solid foundation for scaling a practice’s business. Without this foundation, lots of opportunity can slip through the cracks when rushing to push production forward at a pace that can barely be kept up by an energy depleted team. Not to mention, the hardwired, old school physical system that is only one disaster away from setting you 5 steps back. If you want to get some major scaling done with the future of your offices, a cloud system is your best addition to strengthen the foundation.
