Working in the Cloud: 5 Compelling Advantages for Your Company

Different locations, new working models and the trend towards greater integration of external employees, agencies or partners present companies with a number of challenges. These can be solved above all by working in the cloud.

More and more companies are recognising the great potential of the networked working world and are benefiting from cloud-based applications in their day-to-day work. Working in the cloud means much more than just storing your own data and documents online. Above all, working in the cloud means easier collaboration, more flexibility for employees and more efficient processes overall.

Here are 5 undoubted advantages that show what cloud-based working really means for companies:

1. Enhanced team project coordination

One of the key elements for successful project execution is effective project management, which involves clear communication and coordination among various parties. It's essential to answer questions like: Who does what by when? The goal should be to provide all project stakeholders with relevant information promptly. At the same time, promoting exchange among team members can lead to more efficient problem-solving or even prevention.

This can best be achieved by using a cloud-based project management tool like Asana. Here, tasks can be created, assigned, scheduled, and marked as completed. The crucial advantage of task coordination in the cloud is that data is stored centrally. Access is location-independent, and all involved parties can access the information they need at any time. Whether internal or external stakeholders, responsibilities and contacts can be easily defined, and all relevant information can be linked and commented on.

Additionally, effort and capacity can be specified on a task basis, allowing for continuous control and potential adjustments. Furthermore, new employees can quickly and easily get an overview of the current project status, eliminating the need for extensive onboarding. Even changes in contact persons or vacation days no longer lead to delays.

2. Work more productively on documents

In addition to project coordination, tools from the cloud also have many advantages for the everyday creation and editing of presentations, tables or text documents. As a rule, several people are involved in the completion of a document. This makes feedback loops necessary and costs a lot of time. Without a cloud solution, communication often consists of e-mail distributions where the relevant information must first be filtered.

This is not only cumbersome and inefficient, but also challenging in terms of change history and versioning. Ensuring that everyone is working with the latest status is not a problem with solutions in the cloud such as Google Workspace. These allow collaboration in real time and documents are always up to date, no matter from where and which device they are accessed. Changes can also be tracked without difficulty and older versions can be restored with a click. Times when files were named "final" and "final2" now belong to the past.

Another aspect that speeds up workflows and leads to more productivity is the possibility of automation. Based on networked files, many manual work processes can be simplified or even eliminated with individual applications.

3. Enhanced Flexibility in Work

Another advantage of cloud-based working is the location- and device-independent access to files and documents. Whether laptop, tablet or smartphone — by logging into your own account, you can find yourself in your own protected workspace. For example, a sales employee can complete a presentation together with a colleague in the office while on the road. In addition, it is easy to work from any location: home office, hotel or café. Simply log on to a device (if necessary, identify with a second factor - see point 4) and get started.

Since information is always up to date thanks to the cloud, more flexible working time models can often be implemented without productivity suffering. You don't have to rely on your colleague starting at 8 a.m. on the dot to send through the latest version of the spreadsheet, but can simply call up the current status and work in the same file. This is particularly practical for international companies that have to cope with the time difference.

4. Better security & easier management

Working in the Cloud also brings increased security and simplified administration. Many companies remain sceptical about the Cloud's data security, often due to misconceptions. However, the truth is that even when data is stored in the Cloud, it still belongs to the respective organisation and isn't used for advertising. Moreover, major tech providers invest significantly in security, employing top IT engineers to ensure a secure infrastructure—more than most large corporations could.

Working directly in the browser eliminates the need for installations and manual updates, enabling secure usage from any device. To add an extra layer of security, 2-factor authentication is frequently employed. This means that, in addition to a password, a second factor, such as a YubiKey or SMS confirmation, is required to log into one's account. Accounts can be centrally managed online through an admin console.

Moreover, when working in the cloud, it's possible to utilise digital devices specifically designed for that purpose. For instance, Chrome Enterprise offers secure hardware and cloud-based device management, which can help save on IT costs and efforts.

5. More satisfied employees & more attractive employer brand

All the points listed lead to another advantage: an increase in employee satisfaction. After all, if you can offer a modern digital workplace that is associated with flexibility in terms of time and location, you will also have more satisfied employees. This not only increases motivation, but also productivity.

Furthermore, these advantages ensure that your own company is also attractive to young talent. The option to work remotely and the use of modern tools is now almost a prerequisite and is just as important as the salary. Since employees don't necessarily have to be physically present at the company's location, the pool of potential candidates expands significantly as well. As a result, working in the Cloud also aids in finding qualified personnel at a time when there’s a shortage of skilled workers.

Conclusion

Working in the cloud enables an entirely new form of collaboration and contributes in diverse ways to achieving corporate objectives.