KriyaGo - Blog #IT

6 Steps To Assess Your Business Cloud Readiness

Tue, 28 Dec 2021 12:00:00 -0500

According to a report by Flexera, 36% of businesses have increased their cloud spending to $12 million in 2021. While increasing your cloud budget is important, most businesses overlook their cloud readiness when they plan migration.

A cloud readiness assessment is your first step when migrating to the cloud. It ensures a seamless cloud migration by analyzing your applications and resources. But how to know if your business is ready for the cloud? Follow these steps to prepare your business for successful cloud migration.

Why Do You Need A Cloud Readiness Test?

The cloud readiness test provides you a gap analysis between your business requirements and the applications you want to move to the cloud. The readiness test also has further advantages, such as:

Strategy development for your complete migration process.
Budget allotment depending on the type of migration strategy chosen.
Risk mitigation by understanding the likely disruptions during migration.
Prioritizing stability to ensure minimal impact on operational continuity.

Steps To Cloud Readiness Assessment

You can use various tools to assess your cloud readiness. However, you must cover all three aspects of migration: server, infrastructure, and application. These aspects can be broken down into the below 6 steps for a complete assessment.

Determine your migration goals

For cloud migration, answering the "why" is important to determine the "how." Depending on your business objectives, a suitable strategy can be selected. Your migration goals can include reducing IT costs, increasing data security, or even staying ahead in the competition.

Among companies that already use cloud services, 42% chose remote data access, 38% chose disaster recovery, and 37% chose better flexibility as their top reason for cloud migration.

If your goals aren’t well-defined, the migration won’t accomplish much. Determining your objectives early on can help you in the further steps, such as risk mitigation and budgeting.

Analyze current IT infrastructure

All your applications and data don’t need to transition to the cloud. Similarly, your current infrastructure might be lacking in some areas. Analyzing your on-premise data centers helps you determine which applications can be retained and which needs to be re-programmed.

Technologies that are scalable and have a high volume of usage are priorities during the transition. Some applications contain subcomponents that are analyzed and treated differently. During the assessment, correctly grouping such components is essential.

The assessment also needs to cover all your technologies, right from the operating systems to application databases. Understanding the functionality of each application is crucial in determining the right migration strategy for your business.

Determine the budget

For more than 47% of companies, cost optimization is a huge reason to migrate to the cloud. While cloud migration does help with cost-cutting, not planning your budget can lead to more spending than savings. In the last few years, businesses have increased their cloud spending. More than half the companies spend nearly 50% of their budget on cloud services.

Your cloud budget depends on several aspects: the type of cloud you choose, the amount of data, the volume of usage, and server management. Certain applications cost more when they transition to the cloud. Similarly, other applications work better on the cloud.

Public, private or hybrid cloud

Choosing the right type of cloud server will be the basis for your migration strategy.

A public cloud is a shared infrastructure service that organizations can use on a pay-as-you-go basis. These are more affordable servers and make sense for companies that have varying workloads. Small businesses that are just starting with the cloud or have a little budget can opt for the public cloud.

Private cloud servers are expensive but dedicated servers, often used by only one organization. Businesses that prioritize data security need to implement private cloud servers as they provide complete control over the applications.

Hybrid cloud combines both private and public cloud to create a customized cloud server for a business. Instead of treating all the data as the same, the hybrid cloud determines the best transition strategy for each application.

According to Flexera, 87% of enterprises use a hybrid cloud for their business. Use your migration goals and IT infrastructure assessment to decide the right cloud service for your business.

Understand the risks

According to Vormetric, 85% of the companies store sensitive data on cloud servers. Therefore, any organization that migrates to the cloud needs to prioritize security measures. Your on-premise data centers might already have security mechanisms, but security on cloud servers works differently.

The risk of unauthorized access to data is higher, especially with public clouds. More than half of the companies using cloud servers implement encryption, multi-factor identification, and other security measures to protect their sensitive data.

Your security assessment should also include disaster recovery mechanisms. After analyzing your data, choose the security measures that align with your business requirements.

Select a strategy

Depending on how easily you can transition your current IT infrastructure to the cloud, there are several migration strategies you can choose from.

Lift and Shift: This is the simplest strategy where your applications are directly shifted from on-premise storage to cloud storage. This has minimal impact on your operational regularity. Most companies use this strategy for at least some of their applications.

Refactoring: Refactoring optimizes an application for cloud-based usage. While the ‘lift and shift’ method only uses cloud servers to store data, refactoring enables the application to complete its computation within the cloud server itself.

Replatforming: Replatforming is the combination of the above two strategies. While it stores data on cloud servers, it also includes some modifications to the applications to streamline it for the cloud. Since replatforming also uses on-premise storage, you can start small and scale effectively.

KriyaGo: Your Trusted Cloud Migration Service Provider

Finding the right vendor is as important as choosing the right strategy. At KriyaGo, we prioritize client requirements to create customized migration strategies. Our cloud transition services help you move from on-premise data storage to cloud servers seamlessly.

Combine it with our software specialization and premium consultancy services, and KriyaGo becomes a one-stop solution for all your business requirements.

Choose seamless cloud migration. Contact KriyaGo!

Get Started Now

Signs That You Need to Outsource Your IT Requirements

Mon, 08 Nov 2021 13:30:19 -0500

Running a business is not a simple task. Entrepreneurs have to handle countless workflows and processes every single day. On top of that, they also have to manage the company's IT operations and digital needs.

At times, things go beyond the capability of entrepreneurs to manage IT requirements efficiently. As a result, the growth of the company is hampered, and your bottom line suffers too.

Therefore, it is necessary to spot the signs that tell your business needs professional assistance. Here are the top ones that indicate it's time to outsource your IT requirements.

Your costs are overwhelming

IT can incur huge costs, especially if you handle everything yourself. You will have to buy hardware, set up your servers, maintain an IT team, pay for maintenance, and more.

Therefore, your IT costs can add up to a staggering figure at the end of the month.

Entrepreneurs who find themselves in such a situation should consider outsourcing IT requirements. A survey by Deloitte also shows cost reduction is the top reason for 70% of businesses to outsource.

As a result, businesses can save considerably by eliminating the need to invest in hardware. They also don't need to pay salaries to an IT team or invest in maintenance.

Instead, they can enjoy world-class IT services for affordable monthly payments.

You experience too many bottlenecks

Businesses need a range of resources to manage IT requirements in-house. For example, you need qualified experts to manage your IT infrastructure and run maintenance.

Additionally, you need the right hardware to manage your IT services yourself.

However, not every organization has in-house expertise. Small businesses may not even have an IT team to manage their architectures.

As a result, you are bound to experience a lot of bottlenecks on a daily basis. No wonder 24% of organizations choose to outsource to improve efficiency.

In addition, 18% of businesses rely on outsourcing to access external expertise. Therefore, you can also outsource your IT requirements and boost your productivity.

Your business lacks automation

Automation is the key to grow your business. It can help eliminate manual processes and streamline workflow, irrespective of the industry. Additionally, automation can also reduce costs and save the effort of your workforce.

However, entrepreneurs need solid technical knowledge to implement automation. They need to be experts in technology to choose the right solution for their needs.

Sadly, that is not always the situation. As a result, businesses have to rely on outsourcing to unleash automation.

In fact, 75% of companies look for technologies like robotic process automation (RPA) while outsourcing. It helps them improve efficiency and even reduce costs by up to 60%, says Deloitte.

You cannot digitally transform

Most businesses have already transformed digitally and experienced massive growth. However, some entrepreneurs are still wondering if they should make a move. As a result, they are stuck in legacy systems and data silos that hamper business performance.

You need to outsource your IT processes if you find it difficult to transform digitally. An external partner with due experience can help you eliminate silos and make data free-flowing. Additionally, technologies like cloud computing can bring several advantages to the table.

69% of businesses had already adopted cloud in 2019 to enable digital transformation. It is now time for you to choose a reliable outsourcing partner and unleash digitization right away.

Your organization is target of cybercriminals

Cybercrime is on the rise, especially after COVID-19. Large-scale data breaches are now more common, with a growth of 273% in the first quarter of 2020. Along with that, other forms of cyber-attacks and hacking are becoming widespread, like:

Ransomware
Malware and viruses
Phishing

A single data breach can put your business and reputation at risk. Additionally, it can lower the value of your company by 7.27%.

You surely need to outsource your IT services if you are a victim of frequent cybercrime. It shows you are not capable of securing your investments. Therefore, you need an expert to guide you and make your business more secure.

Your business isn't agile enough

The success of a business depends on how quickly it can react to market changes. Entrepreneurs should always be ready and keep an eye on circumstances to stay agile.

However, many businesses can't respond to market changes as they can't afford the time. They are too tied up with managing their IT requirements. As a result, the entrepreneurs don't have the time to study the market and make accurate predictions.

Outsourcing is the way ahead if you find yourself in such a position. It will help you hand over your IT responsibilities to a proven partner while you stay free to stay updated on the market.

As a result, 40% of businesses choose outsourcing to stay flexible, as per Deloitte. Around 18% of organizations also outsource to become agile.

Moreover, 20% of businesses work with an outsourcing partner to improve speed to market.

Outsource your IT requirements with KriyaGo

KriyaGo can help businesses take advantage of cutting-edge technology to handle IT requirements. Take advantage of all the ERP systems you like and integrate everything together!

Our team has experienced IT professionals and accountants to manage your daily processes. With MiCasa, you’ve a real estate property management solution that works for you.

Additionally, we provide specialized outsourcing services to save your effort. We can handle crucial processes on your behalf, like back-office accounting or help desk for your system users.

With KriyaGo, it’s easier to make strategic decisions and grow your company. Since we have experience in working with businesses of all sizes, we understand your requirements clearly and provide a tailored service for unleashing innovation. With intelligent automation, we can help you create robots that do all the mundane, repetitive tasks for you.

Final thoughts

Outsourcing your IT requirements is the sure way to growth and transformation. You can cut your costs and boost operational efficiency by choosing to outsource.

Additionally, your business will become agile and stay flexible to react to market changes. You will also be able to boost security and protect your business from cyber-attacks. Moreover, you will be able to enjoy top expertise and guidance at affordable rates.

How Low-Code and No-Code Software Can Help Your Business

Sun, 25 Jul 2021 19:00:00 -0400

Low-code and no-code software are meant to build tools for business automation. Unlike traditional software, these tools require little to no coding knowledge. Instead, they use simple features to enable non-IT developers to build applications.

Just like their names, no-code requires no coding whereas low-code requires little coding for app development. In the coming years, the low-code/ no-code market is expected to see tremendous growth. A report by Forrester projects the low code market to reach $21.2 billion by 2022.

Companies need to start utilizing these platforms to build simple tools for automating various business tasks. Before getting started, understanding the advantages and applications of both platforms can make automation easier for you.

Advantages of low-code platforms

Faster and easier software development

Since these platforms require zero to minimal coding, developing tools using them is much faster. Low-code/ no-code platforms help you:

Simplify software building through drag-and-drop functions and flowcharts.
Eliminate the learning curve as no knowledge of coding is required.

Make easy changes through one-click processes

Through these features, you can easily make software without coding knowledge.

Wider resource pool

Through low-code/ no-code platforms, non-IT people can also assist in app development. Instead of hiring IT experts, you can allow your employees to build apps that suit your business requirements. Many citizen developers with brilliant ideas also build apps through such platforms.

Business agility

As market trends change, a company’s software requirements also evolve. Low-code/ no-code platforms allow you to make quick changes in the software. Whether it is current trends or a customer request, you can add and remove features to make it more convenient. Without disturbing the code, you can make simple alterations in the software’s structure to suit your requirements.

Save on costs

Companies rely on full stack developers for building and maintaining their software requirements. The average annual salary of a full stack developer in the US is above $80,000. This can be expensive especially for small businesses. Through low-code/ no-code platforms, companies can get equivalent results at half the costs. Even full stack developers can use these platforms to complete mundane tasks while focusing on other important ones.

Higher productivity

These platforms allow you to skip repetitive and unimportant coding. Through their various features, you can build custom made applications. This improves the productivity of your developers as they can work on more complex code. It also lets you tweak your application, so you can have different versions of software according to client requirements.

When to use low-code and no-code

Both low code and no code platforms are built to improve speed and agility. But, one works better than the other for different software requirements.

If you are looking for a simple one-time software or portal, no-code is a better option. It is easier and has multiple features to suit your requirements. But, if you want additional features or customizable applications, you need to choose low code.

For instance, a simple app for displaying activities on a dashboard can be built through no-code. But if you want to customize the same for different clients, then low code will provide you the flexibility to do so.

Challenges with low-code/no-code platforms

Even though these platforms are built for easy usage, there are some challenges while implementing and using them.

Low-code/ no-code platforms have pre-coded templates and features. These are good for quick usage but do not allow much room for innovation.
Integration using such platforms is challenging. This makes it difficult to scale your software according to your business growth.
Since these platforms allow easy creation of software, it is difficult to track the number and kinds of applications made. This can pose a threat to company and user data.
Scaling and managing software through these platforms might require some IT knowledge.

Opportunities with low-code/no-code platforms

Low-code/ no-code platforms provide various scopes for business automation. There are four popular ways to get the best out of these platforms.

Workflow technology

Companies use multiple software and applications for different tasks. At the end of 2018, large companies were using an average of 129 business apps. Through low-code/ no-code platforms you can streamline all your business apps on a single platform. Workflow technology solutions allow you to automate various tasks and also integrate them on a platform of your choice.

Custom app building

This is the basic purpose of low-code/ no-code platforms. These apps are not only easy to build but also easy to maintain. Features like drag and drop allow citizen developers to build apps from their own ideas. For full stack developers, these platforms help in building more apps by providing pre-coded templates for common features.

Robotic Process Automation

Single applications built on low-code/ no-code platforms are not suitable for extensive automation. Through RPA, low code apps can repeat human tasks such as responding to emails and texts. Involving both RPA and low-code/ no-code allows you to automate tasks on a greater scale. These allow apps to mimic human tasks across multiple channels. A combination of both can achieve hyper-automation in any business.

Intelligent Process Automation

IPA is based on RPA but has an additional feature of artificial intelligence to it. IPA tools overcome most of the drawbacks of RPA. They are capable of making complex decisions and handling advanced tasks.

Get started with Business Automation through KriyaGo

KriyaGo helps property management companies automate their business tasks in different ways. We work with state-of-art software like Yardi and Procore to provide you with the latest innovations. According to your requirements, we can integrate multiple software so you can benefit through their best features.

Dozens of companies have already benefited from KriyaGo’s software integrations. Through our professional team, we provide unique insights, market expertise, and solutions for your software requirements. From finding the right tools to training and onboarding, we can handle the complete integration process.

At KriyaGo, we believe in prioritizing digital transformation. Book a consultation with us to know more about our services!

Why Every Company Needs To Outsource Their Business Tasks

Fri, 23 Jul 2021 13:00:00 -0400

Outsourcing is a popular option for companies that want to expand their workforce. It is estimated that every year about 300,000 jobs are outsourced in the US. Companies prefer outsourcing as it provides flexibility, expertise and cost savings. This is especially beneficial for small businesses who do not have the resources to manage all their business tasks.

So, they outsource several processes such as IT services, human resource management and accounting. Regardless of the size of your company, outsourcing is helpful in many ways.

Read on to know more about how you can benefit from outsourcing your business processes.

Benefits of Outsourcing

Reduced labor and operational costs

Companies pay their in-house employees a fixed salary. This is regardless of the amount of work done. Gallup reports that 67% of the employees globally are disengaged. The resulting low productivity can cost the company around 18% of their annual salary.

You can eliminate these additional costs by outsourcing small but essential tasks. Since you pay only for the work done, you don’t have to worry about low productivity. The outsourcing service may bill you additionally for the service provided. But the money saved on expenses outweighs the service costs.

In Deloitte's 2020 Global Outsourcing Survey, 70% of the participants listed cost-cutting as their outsourcing objective. By managing labor and operational costs, you can channel the money into other revenue-increasing activities.

Focus on essential business functions

Your business has several core tasks that need your focus. But with back-office operations, HR, and marketing, your employees will have a lot on their plate.

Without strategic planning of core functions, your business can suffer. To avoid this, you can outsource important repetitive tasks. For example, if you have a property management company, you need to focus on selling your property. You can outsource other tasks such as data entry, client support, and CRM.

If a company has financial or labor constraints, it can consider outsourcing. This frees up the company's resources to hire experts for core tasks.

Flexible cash flow

The problem with handling every task through internal teams is the fixed employee expenses. By outsourcing, you can convert this into a variable component. Sometimes, your business can see a dry run, while other times, the sales double up. You can scale your outsourcing accordingly and pay only for the tasks you got done.

This frees up your budget for other revenue-generating tasks such as marketing. This is especially important for small businesses, who have limited cash flow. More than one-third of small businesses currently outsource at least one service. By doing so, they are focusing on generating more revenue and increasing efficiency.

Access to expertise and technology

Outsourcing companies have trained staff to handle your business requirements. This significantly cuts down the cost of hiring and training a new employee. Moreover, outsourcing companies have years of hands-on experience in the same field. Given a task, they can suggest the best strategy and resources to get it done in a limited budget.

They also have the necessary infrastructure and software for all your requirements. These tools can be costly and are an unnecessary purchase for your company. Based on your requirements, the company can provide the right combination of expert knowledge and new technology. You can also choose from a broader range of skill sets and people who specialize in a particular area.

For example, if your company outsources ad campaigns, you do not need to invest in image editing and videography software. Accessing the right software for your ad campaign is the responsibility of the service provider.

Reliability

No matter how many internal employees you hire, there are always risks of employee turnover. This can harm the productivity and progress of your company. Through outsourcing, you can have a reliable resource base. Outsourcing companies have a large number of people handling the same tasks. Even if one of their employees is on leave or resigns, they have enough resources to complete your project on time. Instead of worrying about filling an open position in your team, you can outsource to complete projects with almost no risk of employee turnover.

What tasks can you outsource?

IT Operations

IT operations are one of the most outsourced business processes. Any company except for IT businesses will find IT operations expensive. It requires specific infrastructure and tools as well as expertise. Outsourcing your IT operations can be an excellent financial decision for your company.

Accounting and financial tasks

Managing your company's finances requires expert resources. Outsource your bookkeeping, accounting, and other financial tasks. You can also outsource payroll processing, financial analysis, and planning. A service provider can handle all these tasks as a single project. Since the financial workload is greater during tax season, you can also scale it quickly.

Marketing and lead generation

Every small business starts with marketing. It is easy to manage initially, but marketing campaigns also need to keep up as the company grows. By outsourcing, you can ensure better results from the marketing and increase lead generation and retention. Service providers have tested marketing strategies that can meet your requirements.

Human resources

Human resource teams handle everything right from hiring a new employee to managing the work teams. As your company grows, human resource tasks also increase. So, it is good to outsource human resource management to an experienced service provider. Since it involves multiple tasks such as recruitment and payroll processing, you can also hire more than one service provider for the tasks.

Outsource your back office tasks to KriyaGo

You can make the best out of outsourcing only when you hire an experienced service provider. Managing an in-house back office team is expensive. Instead, you can outsource your business processes to KriyaGo. We understand your requirements and provide you a smooth, hassle-free outsourcing experience. With our reliable team of experts, we can handle various tasks like bookkeeping and accounting.

By outsourcing to KriyaGo, you will get professional resources and software at affordable costs. We also keep your data secure and offer you more control over all the processes.

Learn more about back-office outsourcing by booking a consultation with us!

Five Questions to Ask Yourself Before Hiring a Managed IT Service Provider

Tue, 06 Jul 2021 09:00:00 -0400

Most businesses nowadays prefer outsourcing their IT needs. Whether they are a small startup or a big company, a managed IT service provider can take charge of an organization’s technology requirements. It is a cost-effective and time-saving decision to hire an expert.

Outsourcing can address different problems effectively. Some may not want to have an in-house IT department, while others may want to utilize new technologies. No matter what the reason, every organization needs to answer these five questions to understand their requirements better.

What do you want to achieve by hiring an IT provider

Each company defines its own targets for hiring an IT provider. The main benefits of outsourcing your IT needs are:

Rely on pre-trained IT providers to save up on cost and effort
Free up internal IT resources
Access to better technology and services
Better handling of IT issues like downtime

Determining your goals before hiring an IT provider can make the process much easier. Managed service providers have different services based on the client’s requirements. It is essential to discuss your needs as well as their approach to avoid any confusion later.

How much do you want to outsource?

Managed IT service providers are not only for those companies who do not have an in-house IT department. Some companies choose to work out a balance between outsourcing and relying on their internal team.

If you have a dedicated IT department, identify the areas your team lacks in. Do you need to utilize the latest technology? Or are there too many projects for your staff to handle? Specific functions can

You can choose to hire a provider for a single project, or hand over specific functions, or completely outsource your IT requirements.

What is the change in ROI?

Most companies outsource their IT requirements to reduce the total cost. By outsourcing, you have control over your expenses. Depending on the company’s requirements, you can pause the services or scale them and pay accordingly. This isn’t possible with an internal IT department as you will have to pay employee compensation regardless of the workload.

But a short-term increase in ROI isn’t something you should be looking for. Technology evolves regularly. If your IT provider isn’t updating themselves or growing with your company, this deal can become expensive in the longer run. All this, without having your IT needs met.

How can the IT provider help with your current requirements?

There are specific requirements you would want to address when hiring an IT service provider. If you already have an in-house team, you should look for additional benefits an IT provider can help you with.

For example, most businesses do not have a data recovery plan. In today’s cyber-centric world, no one can predict an IT disaster. If you are investing in an IT service provider, you should consider their ability to recover data if your infrastructure goes down.

Another aspect you should consider is their reliability. While you are outsourcing, you have little control over the way your work is handled. Hiring a trustworthy provider will ensure they perform their duties diligently.

Your service provider is an active part of your business growth. Understand what value the MSP will add if you choose to outsource to them. With the development of your business, your needs will also change. Is the MSP willing to accommodate any changes in plans? Are they able to take up the additional workload? When hiring a managed service provider, it would be good to ensure that you are their priority.

How does the service provider plan to keep you in the loop?

When hiring a managed service provider, monitoring their work is a little tricky. But, there are multiple ways through which you can keep check of the progress they make. Most MSPs have a procedure to keep their clients updated. You should check for these:

Reports: How often will the firm provide you reports of the work? (weekly, monthly, or quarterly)
Meetings: In-person or online sessions can give you insights into their work and help you convey any changes if necessary.
Admin Portals: Some service providers have portals where you can check on their work anytime. They will include reports and updates on different projects assigned to them.

Your business heavily depends on the digital infrastructure, and if people outside your company handle this, you wouldn’t want to be ignorant about it.

What are the Pros and Cons of outsourcing your IT requirements?

Hiring a managed IT service provider has several benefits like reduced costs, access to better technology, and access to a better skillset. It also has some minor drawbacks that can be handled well with proper planning.

Issues often arise if you work with an unqualified agency. When you outsource, you hand over a major part of your company’s data to your service provider. This data is both valuable and confidential. The first significant risk would be data loss. If the MSP doesn’t have a data recovery plan, bringing all your data back will be difficult.

Another risk is leaking confidential data. You can avoid this risk by choosing a trustworthy and reliable MSP.

An indirect effect of outsourcing would be on your employees. They can assume you are planning to lay them off. If you do or do not have such plans, it is important to discuss them with your employees beforehand.

Choose the right service provider

Digital infrastructure and the data it holds are your company’s most significant assets. When hiring a managed IT service provider, keep your requirements in mind. Thoroughly research the potential of outsourcing your IT needs and knowing about the service provider.

MSPs can add value to your firm by bringing in the latest innovations and helping your firm grow with technology. Your relationship with your MSP should be built on confidentiality, reliability, and efficiency.

KriyaGo can help you in integrating different real estate technologies so you can work with them easily.