What You Lose When Your Software Isn't Cloud-Based

You know it’s true: The cloud is part of your everyday life. Storing your photos and videos on an external hard drive is so 2008 – you’ve been using iCloud, Google Photos or some equivalent to safely store and easily access your files for years. It's time to do the same for your YMCA, JCC, or community rec organization.

If the upfront expenses of moving your company’s data to a cloud-based server have caused you to pause your plans, it’s time to explore the costs of not using the cloud to store your organization's valuable information. Hardware has fallen to the wayside and the cloud is here to stay, so if you’ve postponed your transition, consider the risks you run:

Higher Long-Term Costs

You encounter at least three types of costs when you aren’t using a cloud-based software:  

1. Direct Costs

First, there are the direct costs of the hardware. It’s like owning a car, year after year you find yourself forking over money to maintain, repair, and replace the equipment.

2. Indirect Costs

Then, there are the indirect costs. Managing servers alone means staying on top of hardware, software, security, and backups. Factor in the staff time to do this alongside the burden of building secure server environments and the energy impacts of keeping the servers running optimally by cooling and dehumidifying your facility, and you’ve only scratched the surface of the costs associated with non-cloud-based systems.

3. Opportunity Costs

Last, there are the opportunity costs. The more time staff spend troubleshooting issues and investigating replacement parts for your hardware, the less time they have to invest in important areas of your organization, like member experiences.  

And for good reason, you may feel tied to this system now because it houses important data for your organization, so you keep doing what you must to keep operations running smoothly.  

With cloud-based software, you always have the latest technology at your disposal, oftentimes with no additional time or money spent.

Poor Member Experience

The member experience is everything at your organization. It’s ultimately the biggest piece of the pie when it comes to achieving your mission and leaving a legacy of changed lives.  

Cloud-based solutions provide for better customer relationship management, making it easier for employees to track customer relationships, provide responsive support, and manage programs. Without a cloud-based solution, your members lack integrated online account management and registration capabilities.

Rigidity

Organizations like the YMCA and JCC have perfected the art of the pivot, especially through the COVID-19 pandemic. We have witnessed story after story of organizations changing their business model to stay afloat and better serve their communities during this pandemic. They’ve leaned into flexibility, reimagined revenue streams, and paved the way for exponential growth as we emerge on the other side of this global pandemic.  

But without a cloud-based technology partner, your organization’s growth could be stunted, because as you grow, you need your software to grow with you. Without a cloud-based technology partner, your organization can’t be nimble enough to adapt to a landscape in constant flux.  

Cloud-based software takes your organization from inefficient and rigid to nimble and optimized by:  

1. Lowering Costs

2. Enabling Collaboration

3. Connecting You with Top-Notch Service

4. Strengthening Security

5. Increasing Efficiency

6. Providing Data Insights

7. Keeping You Up to Date

Want to know exactly how it’s done? Check out the Guide to Switching to a Cloud-Based Software.