ERP Consultant Blog

Cloud Accounting Software Adoption: 4 Lessons from Jurassic Park

Written by Mark Severance | Mon, Aug 18, 2014

Cloud accounting software didn't exist in the 1990s, but there are lessons to be learned that go back as far as the dinosaur age. If you worked through the 1990s, it’s hard to imagine how we lived without all the modern conveniences we now have with mobile technology. How did we ever live without smart phones, the internet, Google, and even cloud technology? The 1990s, however, did have one of the best action blockbuster movies which many would appreciate still today. "Jurassic Park" Is filled with more heart stopping, eye-popping suspense and amazing special effects than you can shake a fossilized stick at and it quickly caught on with audiences around the world. It’s still a movie classic to this day. After all, any time you can combine Jeff Goldblum, Samuel L. Jackson, Wayne Knight and dinosaurs into one film, you know you've got cinema gold on your hands.

While the movie is endlessly entertaining and quotable, it's also full of many teachable moments for businesses considering cloud accounting software, technology advisors, and professionals. Yep, you heard us right: by watching "Jurassic Park," companies of all sizes can learn more about cloud accounting software, how it can help them and what they need to do to make their business budgeting software rollout a smashing success. Don't believe us? Well, here are four lessons in particular that will show you exactly what we mean.

4 Cloud Accounting Software Lessons to Learn from “Jurassic Park”

1)  Quick and nimble is powerful, too!  When you think of "Jurassic Park," likely only one dinosaur in particular comes to mind: the velociraptor. While the gang encounters plenty of scary creatures on the island, perhaps none are as terrifying as when the raptors chase the kids down in the kitchen. Rewatch the scene again if you don't believe us. In a park full of big beasts like the T. Rex, it's the quick and nimble dinosaur that has the scene-stealing moments.

Just like in the dinosaur world, quick and nimble cloud-based software is powerful too, and often more so than larger legacy business budgeting software options. So many companies are used to huge expansive solution rollouts, but cloud solutions for business have largely made these kinds of projects obsolete. Thanks to the cloud, organizations get a software package that is super easy to install and implement everywhere, providing the powerful and flexibility today's companies need to survive and thrive.

2)  Start off slow then go big!  Perhaps the amusement park was really doomed from the start. After all, it takes a lot of gall to revive extinct species, use them as a cornerstone for a money-making endeavor and expect everything to go as planned and for the beasts to cooperate. Like Icarus, InGen flew too close to the sun.

Before adopting cloud financial software, business decision-makers should think about "Jurassic Park" and not bite off more than they can chew. A big project can quickly unravel, undone by the countless variables that can mess up a massive rollout. Instead, companies may be much better off with a more incremental implementation plan, more slowly building up to a bigger plan over time. This way, decision-makers will know exactly what needs to be done at every step of the process.

3)  Always be prepared for any disaster scenario!  In hindsight, Jurassic Park was woefully under-prepared for the problems that befell it. While the presence of a thief within its midst was surprising, an electrical outage should not have been. Companies should never be as unprepared as Jurassic Park was, as disaster can always strike. For a small or medium-sized business, all it takes is one major issue or slip-up to totally shut down operations for good.
To prevent such a doomsday scenario from occurring, companies can turn to cloud accounting software and other cloud solutions for business.

By harnessing the power and benefits of remotely hosted solutions, organizations can rest assured that their mission-critical resources are always safe no matter what happens to company headquarters. For example, let's say there's a power outage at the office. In the past, that likely would have meant that servers hosting budgeting and forecasting software would have been fried, thus rendering all of their data unusable. By instead turning to the cloud, decision-makers can rest easy knowing that their software is always ready to go no matter what.

4)  Listen to the experts!  If the folks running Jurassic Park had listened to paleontologist Dr. Alan Grant (played by Sam Neill) from the beginning, then perhaps the whole calamity could have been avoided in the first place. Granted that would have made the whole movie a whole lot more dull, but still you get the idea. Experts are experts for a reason, and they almost always dish out good advice.

Similarly, companies should be sure to heed the advice and feedback of ERP software consultants (many who are also cloud accounting software and technology experts) before implementing cloud financial software, especially small and mid-sized businesses (SMBs) that often lack much in-house cloud expertise. The cloud can yield enormous benefits, but only if it is utilized properly. SMBs in particular need of expert insight can turn to Arxis. The expert consulting provided by Arxis ensures that a cloud accounting software purchase and rollout goes off without a hitch.

Cloud accounting software solutions can be a huge boon for businesses of all sizes, so long as the right steps are taken during the purchasing and implementation stages. By working with a trusted advisor, companies of all sizes can ensure that their rollout is successful and that they continue to reap the benefits of cloud accounting software for years to come.

If you are interested in learning more about cloud accounting software or have any questions about this this blog CONTACT US. If you are looking for cloud accounting solutions or ERP consultants to help take your business to the next level, contact us at www.arxistechnology.com or www.arxiscloud.com, or call 866-624-2600.

Arxis Technology, Inc. is a technology consulting firm specializing in the implementation and support of ERP Software, accounting and business management software, custom application development, and network engineering and design. As resellers and consultants for Intacct Cloud Financials, Sage 100 ERP (formerly MAS 90), Sage 300 ERP (formerly Accpac), Sage 500 ERP (formerly MAS 500), SAP Business ByDesign, SugarCRM, and SageCRM, Arxis services clients from locations in Los Angeles, Orange County, Chicago, Phoenix, Washington DC, Philadelphia, Baltimore, and Ireland.

Another version of this blog was posted on Arxis’s blog page on 7/29/2014:
http://www.arxiscloud.com/news/arxis-educates4-cloud-financial-software-lessons-from-jurassic-park.asp