Companies are increasingly adopting cloud and software as a service (SaaS) models to optimize their operations. In the European Union alone, 77.6% of large enterprises, 59% of medium-sized companies and 41.7% of small businesses selected a cloud computing service in 2023.
Implementing new processes and tools can seem daunting for any company regardless of its size. Many factors can impact day-to-day operations and disrupt productivity, but a step-by-step strategy could be the solution for businesses interested in adopting cloud and SaaS solutions.
In this article, we take a look at the three steps that organizations can take to seamlessly transition to a cloud-based platform.
1. Give it a try
“For most companies, moving to the cloud is not a debate anymore,” says Vincent Frèrebeau, vice president of online store and cloud adoption at Dassault Systèmes, in a recent interview about cloud and SaaS. “For large companies, the question is not so much “why” move to the cloud, but when.”
For companies that already have legacy systems in place, moving all operations at the same time may not be the most reassuring solution. Trying out different scenarios on the cloud with non-critical processes first could be an effective strategy.
For startups and SMBs, the flexibility provided by cloud and SaaS subscription models is a factor that could help optimize operational costs. “SaaS solutions allow startups and SMBs to start gradually without a huge investment in the beginning. This gives them a lot of freedom to adapt themselves, to engage on a new functional perimeter without any digital discontinuity,” explains Sébastien West, worldwide value engagement cloud and infrastructure director at Dassault Systèmes.
Without the need to invest in specific hardware or spend time installing software, companies can choose to adopt a cloud approach for certain operations while keeping the rest on premises.
2. Explore your options
Once non-critical processes are up and running, companies can start exploring different functionalities. With the 3DEXPERIENCE® platform on the cloud, you can optimize various aspects of development depending on your project’s needs.
Bringing together all of your data management, collaboration, design, simulation and product lifecycle management (PLM) tools in one place is a sure way to boost development and get your products to market faster.
You can test out either a specific aspect of development or several at the same time depending on what you need:
- Design and engineering: implement a collaborative design and concurrent engineering approach with cloud-based sketching, modeling, visualization, testing and immersive design
- Product management and collaboration: manage the entire lifecycle of your product from inception to manufacturing and release, streamline task management, traceability and speed up development with a common product definition
- Virtual simulation: evaluate the performance and safety of your products before you commit to a physical prototype
- Manufacturing: connect your entire value network around the virtual twin of your product – leverage the virtual world to optimize your real-world operations
3. Assess and expand
After testing the capabilities of the 3DEXPERIENCE platform on the cloud, you can evaluate key performance indicators with a project you’ve carried out on the cloud compared to your usual methods:
- Time saved
- Number of mistakes made or prevented
- Cost reductions
If the results are conclusive, you can keep working in parallel with certain projects on the cloud and others on premises or expand cloud use to critical operations and fully migrate. The flexibility of the cloud gives you the possibility to move at your own pace and scale up as you go.
Why go cloud native with the 3DEXPERIENCE platform on the cloud?
The 3DEXPERIENCE platform on the cloud provides secure access to all your data, collaboration, CAD, and simulation tools in the same environment, making it easier to work together from anywhere, at any time. Here are some of the benefits of the platform:
- Easy to use: deployment is quick without any need for specific installation or IT resources and updates are automatic.
- Cost-effective: reap the benefits of high-performance cloud computing (HPC) without investing in costly hardware or dedicated servers.
- Security: protect your intellectual property with access control, data encryption and ISO-certified management systems.
- 24/7 support: benefit from customized onboarding and support, as well as access to expert and user communities.
Learn more about the benefits of cloud and SaaS adoption: