How to Successfully Switch to Cloud-Based Billing

You already know there are plenty of benefits to switching from hardware-based to cloud-based systems to power business operations. At Gotransverse, we focus on how these systems enhance billing processes, but cloud-based platforms can add powerful advantages to any aspect of a business. They bolster the bottom line by empowering rapid growth, encouraging agility in shifting markets, improving transparency, and so much more.

But when it comes time to make the switch to a cloud-based system, how does a business go about it?

In a recent article for Forbes, Gotransverse Founder and CEO, James Messer, addressed exactly that, recommending five steps to moving to a cloud-based billing platform. Here are his recommendations

Know Your Objectives

As with any business move, there’s no sense in adopting a new process or platform just for the sake of embracing the newest thing. Instead, start by identifying exactly which problems you’re trying to solve. “Be clear about your goals,” Messer says. “Do you need a shorter time to cash? More invoice accuracy? Integration strategies? Scalability? All of the above?” Once you know what you want to get out of your native SaaS architecture, you can more effectively search for a vendor whose products meet your needs, then customize and implement the solution more efficiently. And, since you began the process with the end goal in mind, you’ll see a clearer, more significant ROI from the effort.

Appoint a Migration Architect

The project manager overseeing the transition will oversee both billing migration and product engineering. Appoint someone with billing expertise, and ensure that your vendor’s team has the same. “Insist that your vendor provides only resources with deep billing domain expertise and with their specific application,” says Messer.

Prioritize Component Migration

Switching from a legacy system to a cloud-based platform isn’t as simple as flipping a switch. Migrating every piece at once will lead to lag time that negatively affects the customer experience and temporarily shuts down business operations. Instead, identify the best order to migrate components in order to minimize the impact of the transition.

Set KPIs

Referring back to the goals you set in step one, as well as customer expectations, identify key performance indicators that will help your team gauge how effectively the new platform is solving the critical problems and what adjustments, if any, are necessary for success. This allows you to monitor and track progress objectively, making informed decisions about the platform’s use and tracking ROI rather than simply going with gut instincts or assuming everything’s working as it should.

Complete the Transition

Work with your SaaS vendor and leverage their expertise to create a deployment strategy that minimizes delays and interruptions. But, warns Messer, don’t just assume everything will go according to plan: “However you approach the transition, be sure to have a backup plan in place to compensate for any delays or problems that could delay deployment.” As part of your migration strategy, be sure to train your team on how to use the new platform most effectively, focusing on how it will make their jobs easier and allow them to focus more energy and time on what really matters.

We know cloud migration is here to stay as businesses embrace the many advantages of native SaaS platforms. In fact, by 2025, Gartner predicts "80% of enterprises will migrate entirely away from on-premises data centers with the current trend of moving workloads to colocation, hosting and the cloud leading them to shut down their traditional data center."

Cloud-based platforms empower growth, optimization, and a stronger bottom line for businesses across just about every industry. Is your organization ready to make the change? If so, we’d love to talk with you about how Gotransverse’s cloud-based intelligent billing solution is helping businesses become more agile and preparing them for rapid growth. We invite you to take a tour of our platform today, and then call us to schedule your complimentary, personalized demo.