The rise of the cloud has seen exponential growth over the past decade. There are many benefits to its offerings and companies use this technologically advanced system to their advantage. However, every device or system has its own downsides and cons which may be relative in the degree of concern but nonetheless present in one way or another. Sales personnel are at the forefront of this dilemma between technology and the human touch.
Top 6 reasons why sales personnel resist cloud distribution management platforms:
1. Hacking & privacy threats
Hacking is a real threat to cloud management systems and data breach issues are the main reason why sales personnel are so hesitant to get cloud distribution platforms.
Sales personnel have to think twice about implementing cloud platforms due to privacy issues and hacking threats.
How safe is the company data?
How creditable is the cloud operator?
Is there a possibility of sensitive company data getting hacked?
These concerns loom over the salesperson trying to cover all possible threats to an automated system. Moreover, there has been a steady rise in cybersecurity attacks on big Tech and MNCs in India over the recent years increasing the chances of attacks on medium to small enterprises.
2. Fear of cloud/internet server blackout
No service provider can assure you of continuous internet service at all times. Similarly, there is no guarantee given by the cloud operator for downtime. Both can affect daily functions as there is no way to be able to access any information. This leaves the sales personnel hanging. This could escalate if the time period is stretched because by embracing cloud distribution management platforms, companies eliminate the need for on-site data storage centres. So there are no physical files. Some sales personnel might feel helpless in this situation. Moreover, a blackout like this can cause inventory disruptions and as result halt distribution channels entirely.
3. Fear of cloud malfunction
When the cloud system malfunctions, it creates a sense of panic and unrest for the sales personnel. He/she might feel a total loss of control.
For example – If an office PC or laptop breaks down, the IT department is at once put a notice to rectify the problem. But with cloud computing, the responsibility to fix the issue is borne by some third party agent who you don't know much about. They are not in immediate contact. Also as cloud computing is a fully automated system, the sales personnel do not even have a backup. Such unfamiliar situations could hamper progress and work, losing time and money to the organization.
4. Lack of cloud customer support
The customer service department of cloud computing offers little to no respite. LAN and internet connection services have better outreach support in case of grievances as compared to those of cloud-based services. Sales personnel of companies resist the cloud because they have to resort to online forums for knowledge on the issues they are facing or wait endlessly for a mail to be reverted from the customer service. The sales personnel often have to manage real-time inventory and deliveries and this can seriously hinder the company’s day-to-day functions.
5. Risk of getting bad rating due to poor cloud performance
The cloud could run into performance lag over time due to many reasons. Sales personnel have to always make sure to be consistent in terms of overall performance. Any discrepancy in human error can be corrected by the sales personnel but if performance reviews have a steep fall due to cloud systems which is beyond their control can have a negative rating issued on them.
The digital transformation of businesses across the world has increased expectations of faster deliveries and response time. Sales personnel hesitate to bring in cloud technologies and platforms because they do not want to risk negative ratings and grading at the expense of the cloud falling short due to its poor performance.
6. Risk of having a third party cloud control
Sales personnel are somewhat like risk analysts for companies. They know the business in and out and as a result, they will always look for the best-suited vendors, providers, and deal to be struck between the company and any other parties. Contracts and commitments towards only a single vendor for cloud distribution and management solutions are worrisome as they may entail details to the contract which were earlier not mentioned. Conventionally, sales personnel feel safer procuring traditional on-site vendor systems rather than cloud-based systems.
In conclusion, there is no doubt about the level of growth and expansion the proliferation of cloud distribution management systems has managed to generate for companies and businesses. However, there are always disadvantages to every invention, and it is important to remember even the smartest of technologies require human intervention whether it's addressing a malfunction, fixing hardware/software issues or combating cyber threats.
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