Cloud computing systems provide a distinct and measurable competitive advantage, and implementing a successful transformation can reap significant long-term benefits for any enterprise.

These selection guidelines — and the accompanying file — from TechRepublic Premium will help you establish what your business needs from a cloud-based integrated management system. Once you narrow your choices to a short list of potential vendors based on objective characteristics, you can vet those vendors on more subjective yet equally important criteria. NB. The spreadsheet does not contain any names of the vendors. Users will need to decide which vendors they wish to compare.

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Before making any decisions, you should answer these 10 questions:

• Is customer management a vital priority for my business?

• Are invoicing and tracking bills a problem for my business? Do those activities consume more time than they should?

• Does the company need help with managing payroll, including paying and filing taxes?

• Is the formulating of accurate and timely service estimates vital to the success of our business?

• Does the business need to produce a full set of financial statements for creditors and other stakeholders?

• Should the cloud services vendor have mobile apps readily available? Is that a vital capability for our business?

• Should adding the ability to process online payments be a priority for the business?

• Would the business benefit from an integrated set of collaboration tools? Should those tools be available to all employees or just a select few?

• Would an online, available anywhere, employee time-tracking application benefit the business?

• What is the current plan for our business growth? How much additional capacity will the business need in the next year, five years, 10 years, and beyond?

Improve your selection process with our in-depth 10-page PDF and spreadsheet. Previously priced at $29, this is now available for download at just $9. Alternatively, enjoy complimentary access with a Premium annual subscription.

TIME SAVED: Crafting this content required 22 hours of dedicated writing, editing, research, and design.