Entrepreneurs have three options when using Enterprise Resource Planning for implementing an enterprise-wide cloud solution for the company.
The first choice is Software-as-a-Service (SaaS), a third-party organization provides access to their software while preventing access to technology and code that is managed by the company.
The second option would be Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS), where the third-party that is responsible for maintaining the PaaS will grant permission for users to access profiles for their company, and either a limited or broad access to security controls.
The last option is Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS), where the company is given access to all security controls and the code that manages the entire system. It allows authorized users the ability to use code to build upon the provider’s infrastructure.
When conducting Enterprise Resource Planning, it is important to keep key metrics in mind before making the decision. It would be wise to identify the number of employees, management and executive staff that will need to have access to the service. The larger the organization, the more technical resources will need to be allocated by the third-party, which has a direct impact on the cost of the service.
Another area of interest during Enterprise Resource Planning would be determining and having a list of the roles and responsibilities of each employee with access.
It would not be a good business strategy to give all employees access to every component available in cloud computing, unless it is a rare organization where everyone has the same authority and authorization. Most companies will need to provide a variety of authorization and authentication levels in order to have a secure, operational business.
One of the most important key areas to remember is that these services are connected to cloud computing and not on-premise in a physical location. It used to be frequent that companies would pay a third-party to go to their facility, install a physical solution with a framework for the company to build upon. This hardly ever happens anymore because the process has been replaced by cloud computing.
If a company is deciding between SaaS, PaaS and IaaS then they must be comfortable sharing the process of information security with the third-party. Cloud-based solutions offer entrepreneurs the opportunity to store information in a remote data center that is constantly monitored and secured by the third-party’s cybersecurity staff. This process can save the company time and money if they select a solution that corresponds with the needs of their organization.
Most new entrepreneurs are not going to need an IaaS. However, a large corporation that has software engineers, designers and other highly technical staff would benefit from the IaaS because their employees would be able to upgrade the infrastructure in the precise ways determined by upper management and executives.
PaaS can be a good solution for small to medium size businesses because it does a good job at providing access to employees and the option of staff to assign certain personnel for a smaller range of development opportunities through software engineering.
Some PaaS can be expanded upon using a copy and paste, or a drag and drop strategy to give the company more access to new features without the need for them to make adjustments to source code.
SaaS is the most common solution for new entrepreneurs and businesses that need access only to the function of the service and no access to its source code or any other development area. However, during Enterprise Resource Planning, entrepreneurs may think that they need an IaaS at the start of the organization since their goal is to have many employees with technical and non-technical skills.
This solution would not match the needs of the organization in its current state. The excellent aspect of cloud computing is its flexibility. It would be much better for the new company to start out with a SaaS, and as they grew as a business, if they should need more cloud computing resources the third-party providers can offer upgrades to correspond with the company’s current needs.
Therefore, in most cases, it would be wise, cost-effective, and secure to start the enterprise using a SaaS and then using the other options at a later stage if upper management and executives set that as a goal.