Lumière: Supporting a Virtual Workspace on the Cloud (2016)

Levi Strauss Case Study
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Levi Strauss Case Study
Sustaining business operations is a challenge that must stem from an insightful understanding of the organization’s strategic purpose. To succeed in a competitive operational environment, a business organization must explore the available resources and use those resources efficiently to achieve its long-term and short-term goals. Technology is presently among the resources that organizations employ to gain the necessary competitive advantage. The continued advancements in technology imply that business organizations can work more efficiently at lower costs. However, there is a range of risks that such organizations must assess to stand a chance of staying sustainable.  Lumière’s case on “supporting a virtual workspace on the cloud” is an indication of an organization’s move towards emerging technologies. This Case analysis explores Lumière’s case through a variety of lenses including the business needs surrounding the change, organizational factors leading to success, and the concerns that organizations must understand while transitioning to the cloud. A detailed understanding of the Lumière case should help business managers with analytical tools based on the benefits and drawbacks of adventuring into technology-based operational platforms.
Lumière’s Business Needs and the Benefits of Cloud
Lumière manifested a range of needs that the management noted before venturing into cloud-based activities. The primary need of the organization was to match the competition. With a unique business model that depended on a large operational based, Lumière spent much on its operations than it could barely gain in profits (Ray & Subramanian, 2016). Finding a cost-effective operational model that would still match the customer needs was, hence, a priority among the organizational needs. Cloud-based operations would be cost-effective, something that the management appreciated. The second need for Lumière would be the operationalization of their qualitative research outcomes. The organization noted that it needed more scientific solutions for its clients. Reliance on qualitative outcomes was fast becoming unsustainable. Ultimately, organizations such as Lumière need new and efficient technologies to compete efficiently.
Cloud adoption bore significant benefits to Lumière. Primarily, cloud computing and operations instilled the operational efficiency that the organization needed. Among the evident aspects of efficiency that Lumière showcased with the adoption of cloud-based activities included resource pooling for access and utilization by multiple users (Ray & Subramanian, 2016). The organization demanded streamlined allocation of resources and an eventual efficiency in resource usage. The second benefit of cloud-based activities is cost management. Lumière adopted a pay-per-use platform, which allowed for the use of the services whenever the stakeholders deeded. The other benefits that the organization gained by transitioning to cloud-based operations included resource elasticity, accessibility, and efficient ...