7 enterprise cloud strategy trends shaking up IT today

In a recent article from CIO.com, tech expert John Edwards gathers insight from industry experts and outlines seven major trends redefining how enterprises approach cloud strategy today. As organizations navigate rising costs, increased security threats, and growing infrastructure complexity, a more thoughtful and adaptive cloud model is emerging. Rather than defaulting to “cloud-first,” businesses are rethinking where and how workloads run, embracing hybrid models, automation, and industry-specific platforms. The article emphasizes a shift toward agility, governance, and workload optimization. Below is an overview of the 7 key trends:

  • Security by Design: Cloud strategies are embedding security across all layers, addressing new AI-driven threats with proactive, automated defenses.
  • Cloud-Smart over Cloud-First: Enterprises are placing workloads based on performance, compliance, and cost—not just pushing everything to the cloud.
  • Multicloud Optimization: Organizations are using real-time data to dynamically orchestrate workloads across multiple cloud and on-prem environments.
  • Industry-Specific Clouds: Tailored cloud platforms for finance, healthcare, and other sectors help meet compliance and deployment needs faster.
  • FinOps Maturity: Cloud cost governance is improving through FinOps practices that align engineering and finance to drive efficiency.
  • Low-Code & Citizen Development: Business users are building apps with low-code/no-code tools, boosting innovation but requiring stronger governance.
  • Hybrid & Edge Expansion: Cloud-like services are moving closer to users via hybrid and edge solutions, blurring lines between public and private infrastructure.

Cloud strategy in 2025 is about intelligent placement, security integration, and financial discipline—not just infrastructure migration. As complexity grows, so does the need for smarter, more flexible architectures.

 

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Update SQL Tables after Data Refresh

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When you perform a data refresh in your SQL database, such as reloading data into tables, you may need to take steps to ensure dependent objects and overall database performance are optimized. Follow these steps to Update your SQL Tables after a Lawson Data Refresh.

First, open up the properties for the DB that was just refreshed and you can see that the DB tables have the PROD name.

 

Next, run the following SQL query for the TEST DB:

ALTER DATABASE INFORLAWTEST10 MODIFY FILEGROUP INFORLAWPROD10_DATA NAME = INFORLAWTEST10_DATA

ALTER DATABASE INFORLAWTEST10 MODIFY FILEGROUP INFORLAWPROD10_INDEX NAME = INFORLAWTEST10_INDEX

You’ve now updates your SQL tables post-refresh.

What Most Healthcare Cloud Migrations Get Wrong (And How To Get It Right)

In a recent Forbes article by Forbes Council Member Sandipan Biswas, it highlights a critical issue in healthcare IT: many cloud migrations fail not because of technical gaps, but due to a flawed mindset. Organizations often treat migration as a basic infrastructure upgrade, overlooking its broader strategic implications for compliance, security, and patient care. Biswas outlines five common missteps and how to avoid them.

Five Common Cloud Migration Mistakes:

  1. Lift-and-Shift Thinking. Rehosting legacy systems without redesign leads to inefficiencies and high costs.
    Fix: Use migration as a chance to modernize with modular, serverless architectures.
  2. Delayed Governance. Postponing data governance risks compliance and slows innovation.
    Fix: Define roles, access, and lifecycle policies before moving data.
  3. Assuming Built-In Security Is Enough. Misconfigurations—not platform flaws—often cause breaches.
    Fix: Enforce encryption, least-privilege access, and continuous monitoring.
  4. Lack of Observability. Without visibility, small issues can trigger major disruptions.
    Fix: Build in logging, tracing, and performance dashboards from the start.
  5. Thinking Migration Ends at Go-Live. Many teams disband post-migration, neglecting future needs.
    Fix: Treat it as an ongoing process with regular updates and long-term ownership.

Cloud migration in healthcare must be approached as a long-term transformation, not a one-time project. By avoiding these common traps, organizations can build secure, compliant, and scalable systems that support both innovation and patient trust.

 

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How Smart ERP Connectivity Optimizes Your Working Capital

The article from ERP Today by Radhika Ojha highlights the critical role of smart ERP connectivity in optimizing working capital, especially amid today’s uncertain economic environment. It emphasizes that effective management of working capital—funds tied up in operations—is vital for business resilience and growth.

Key strategies enabled by ERP systems include:

  • Supply Chain Finance (SCF): Automates early supplier payments based on creditworthiness, strengthening supply chains by providing liquidity to suppliers while extending buyer payment terms.
  • Dynamic Discounting: Allows early payments with discounts, reducing costs and providing quick cash access for suppliers.
  • Receivables Finance: Facilitates selling invoices or factoring to access immediate cash, with ERP automation streamlining invoice management and real-time data tracking.
  • Hybrid Solutions: Combining different approaches offers flexibility, such as using supply chain finance alongside factoring, based on specific cash flow needs.

The article stresses that modern ERP systems should integrate cloud platforms and real-time APIs, supporting AI and predictive analytics to anticipate needs, automate decisions, and provide proactive insights—shifting from reactive reporting to an intelligent, dynamic financial ecosystem.

Furthermore, leveraging specialized platforms like Kyriba enhances ERP data value, transforming transactional data into actionable liquidity events. Integrating these tools with Treasury Management Solutions enables scenario modeling and real-time liquidity forecasting, empowering finance teams to proactively manage cash flow and turn market uncertainties into strategic advantages.

 

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Limiting Access to External EMSS

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Many of our clients would like to lock down their external websites to EMSS (Employee and Manager Self-Service) only, because it is a security risk to allow super users to access Human Resources (HR) & Financials from the web.  The official word is that this cannot be done in Lawson.  However, Nogalis has devised a method to remove the search box and all but the desired bookmarks from the external Lawson website (See a sample screenshots below).  If you would like to have this done at your organization, Nogalis is happy to help. Please contact us today!

Internal Lawson Site

External Lawson Site

Modernizing Legacy ERP Without Rip-and-Replace

 

Many businesses still rely on legacy ERP systems—reliable but outdated platforms that often struggle to keep up with today’s demands. While a full system replacement may seem like the obvious fix, it’s expensive, risky, and disruptive. Fortunately, as outlined in a recent CRM Buyer article, companies are finding smarter ways to modernize without starting from scratch.

Key Strategies for ERP Modernization

  • Upgrade in Modules. Start by replacing or enhancing specific functions—like finance, inventory, or reporting—with cloud-based modules. This lets you modernize step-by-step without halting operations.
  • Use APIs for Integration. Rather than forcing new tools into your old ERP, use APIs and middleware to connect systems. This unlocks flexibility, allowing you to add analytics, CRM, or e-commerce features seamlessly.
  • Layer on Intelligence. Add AI and automation tools on top of your existing ERP. From predictive analytics to smarter workflows, these upgrades improve decision-making without altering core systems.
  • Plan for Hybrid or Composable ERP. Over time, aim for a “composable” ERP model—where modular, cloud-native tools work together. This architecture improves agility and scalability, making it easier to adapt as your business grows.
  • Modernize in Phases. Whether you’re refactoring legacy code, migrating to the cloud, or adding new capabilities, take a phased approach. Smaller steps reduce risk and show value faster.

A Real-World Example: Pinnacle Textile, a uniform supplier, followed this approach—adding APIs, cloud integrations, and automation to its legacy system instead of replacing it. The result? Modern capabilities without disrupting day-to-day business.

Ultimately, you don’t need to abandon your legacy ERP to stay competitive. A thoughtful, incremental modernization plan can bring you the benefits of cloud, AI, and modern integration—without the risks of a total rebuild. Modernization doesn’t mean starting from scratch—it means moving forward, smarter.

 

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Lawson Expense Management XM User Profile Getting Overwritten

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Problem: An XM User Profile is getting overwritten.

 

  1. Login to XM and view the user profile in XM (Admin rights required):
  2. Locate and view your user:
  3. View the Administration Log and figure out who or what process might be changing this:
  4. In this case we see the HRBkg process modifying this user. This can be bringing data in for your organizations HR application (Workday etc.).

 

You can consult Infor further to get more information on the process updating your XM Users (assuming it’s not a completely custom process). Nogalis also offers a team of managed service professionals to help support processes like Expense Management among other applications. We also support custom processes unlike Infor. Visit us at our contact page for more information: https://www.nogalis.com/support/

 

6 data risks CIOs should be paranoid about

CIOs (chief information officers) face growing pressure to deliver AI and predictive analytics, but overlooked investments in data governance and operations have put success at risk. To close this gap, many are turning to chief data officers to tackle data debt, automate pipelines, and implement proactive, metrics-driven governance. The article from CIO.com by Isaac Sacolick, President of StarCIO, highlights six critical data risks that CIOs should vigilantly monitor to ensure the success of AI initiatives and overall data governance. These risks include:

  1. Misclassified Data and Disengaged Data Owners: Without active involvement of data owners, sensitive data may remain unclassified, risking privacy violations and compliance issues, especially when used in AI models.
  2. Exposure of Intellectual Property to AI: Employees using public AI tools without safeguards can inadvertently leak or mishandle proprietary information, exposing companies to data breaches and IP theft.
  3. Risks from Third-Party Data Sources: Relying on external data without verifying its sourcing and compliance can lead to regulatory penalties and operational blind spots. Regular audits and cost-benefit analyses are recommended.
  4. Poor Data Pipeline Observability: Insufficient monitoring of data pipelines can conceal issues like latency, failures, or sensitive data exposure, undermining decision-making and trust in data.
  5. Data Quality Gaps: As AI leverages unstructured data, maintaining high data quality becomes more complex. Centralized data lakes and shared cleansing services are suggested to improve data health.
  6. Overreliance on AI Outputs Without Rigorous QA: Without proper validation and quality assurance, AI-generated responses may be unreliable, risking business decisions based on faulty insights.

The article emphasizes that CIOs should not delegate these risks entirely but should actively lead efforts to transform potential threats into strategic opportunities through better governance, education, and technological controls.

 

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How to master data migration

Migrating data to a new system—whether a CRM/ERP, cloud platform, or digital database—can be complex. In her insightful article for Charity Digital, Christine Chiu outlines practical, actionable steps that can help charities ensure a smooth, secure, and successful data migration.

Here’s a summary of the key recommendations:

  • Devise a Plan. Clearly define what data is being moved, who’s managing the process, how it will be executed, and the timeline. A detailed plan reduces the risk of errors, data loss, and costly delays.
  • Identify What Data is Legacy. Not all data needs to come along for the ride. Identify outdated or unnecessary data and filter it out early. This helps reduce storage needs and keeps your new system streamlined.
  • Determine the Data Mapping. Ensure your current data fields align with the structure of the new system. Triple-check compatibility—mismatched fields can cause major headaches once migration is complete.
  • Don’t Expect Business Lines to Manage the Process. Data migration should be a cross-team effort. Relying solely on individual departments can lead to gaps. Get IT, operations, and end users involved from the start.
  • Prioritize the Datasets. Some data—like donor financials or HR records—is more sensitive and complex. Identify high-priority datasets early so they receive the attention and protection they require.
  • Pilot and Test. Create a test environment using real data. Run pilots to uncover issues in data mapping, field alignment, and system performance. Keep an issues log and refine the process before the full launch.
  • Lockdown Systems During Migration and Minimize Downtime. Prevent last-minute data changes by freezing legacy systems during the move. Schedule migrations during off-peak hours and consider incremental (batch) transfers to reduce disruption.
  • Don’t Migrate All at Once. Break the migration into manageable phases—such as by department or data type. This allows for greater control and minimizes the impact if something goes wrong.
  • Retire the Legacy System. Once the migration is complete, decommission the old platform. This reduces costs, eliminates duplication, and helps your organization focus on using the new system fully.
  • Training on the New System. Migration isn’t complete until your team is confident using the new platform. Offer clear training to avoid data entry errors, reporting issues, and staff resistance.

Data migration is a major step in any charity’s digital journey. With careful planning, collaboration, testing, and follow-up training, you can ensure your data moves safely—and your team is ready to thrive in the new system.

 

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Lawson Expense Management – Re-Routing an Expense Report in XM App

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Problem:
An Expense Report needs to be re-routed immediately for someone else to approve ASAP. Follow these steps to quickly solve this issue.

 

Solution:

1. First, log in to Mingle and Open the Infor XM App under the Applications section.

 

2. Go to Admin >> Tools Document Management (note: admin permissions required)

 

3. Next, search your expense report and Edit it:

 

4. At the bottom left, remove any existing users and add the user you want to approve, then click Save at the top right of the screen:

 

The user you add will now see the Expense Report and will be able to process it.