| | DECEMBER 20199CIOReviewinterfaced data, the business can now manage these processes themselves. This has the potential to shorten process times and increasing efficiencies for the various internal teams and perhaps even reducing month end close times.Maintaining (Upgrading) Cloud SystemsThe last component is around the maintenance of the new system. Specifically, how do you make sure the system is current or up-to-date and not out of support or behind on releases? This has been a struggle for companies in the past. It is especially problematic when you have a highly customized system and causes an increase in complications. The result can be problems upgrading an application without high-risk, cost, and timeline impacts.Cloud implementations focus on ensuring new systems are implemented without customizations (outside of custom reporting) so upgrades can be processed quickly and nearly riskless. In fact, there is a paradigm shift in not even calling them upgrades anymore. The more common term is a new "release". Many software providers are pushing new releases out twice a year or quarterly. In order to support and manage to this speed of new releases, it is imperative to stay "un-customized" and maintain documentation and a testing process that allows new releases to be pushed out over a weekend with little to no downtime-and zero impact to the end-user community.SummaryCloud systems are definitely here to stay. Companies will need to adjust their old thinking and conventions if they are going to move to the Cloud. However, the software providers are ready to take them through this change, and consulting companies that implement the systems are also ready. New implementation methodologies are available for managing the standup of the new systems and maintenance and management approaches have already been built to keep the systems running for the end users that need them. Companies will need to adjust their old thinking and conventions if they are going to move to the Cloud
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