Every company needs a certain IT infrastructure to support its business model and operations. This can vary greatly depending on the industry, size and offering. However, the search for a suitable tool can be long and arduous. More and more providers are joining the ranks, there is a specialized tool for almost every requirement and many decisions have to be made. SaaS consulting can be helpful here to clear the jungle a little. But before such a SaaS consultation, it seems useful to get to know some basic background on SaaS, functionalities and two important points to consider.
Software as a Service is one of a whole host of "aaS" terms: There is IaaS, iPaaS, PaaS or even XaaS - Everything as a Service. The entire market for SaaS is growing steadily and there are countless providers of such tools with very different functionalities. The term "as a service" refers to software or similar that is cloud-based.
In addition to the cloud function that software-as-a-service delivers, SaaS is more of a business model. The application is provided to the user in the browser and often runs on a subscription model. Users can usually choose from different tariffs with different scope and functionalities. This business model differs from the on-premise offers, which often required a purchase of the software with a subsequent installation on site.
This means that companies no longer need to run applications on their own computers or in their own data centers. Only an internet connection is needed.
Cloud-based is the opposite of on-premise. In contrast to an on-premise system, a cloud system does not have to be installed on local devices such as a PC, laptop or mobile device. It is used via the browser. This results in several advantages:
Time saving: The software is already installed and configured, no hardware purchases or controlled installations are necessary.
Automatic synchronization of data: All important information is available to all users at the same time.
Independence: The entire team can access the platform regardless of location and time. Especially when the latest data is needed on the road, for example in sales, it can be viewed quickly.
Scaling: Cloud systems are expandable at the click of a button, making them hugely scalable and growing with your business
Integration: SaaS tools are usually ideally suited to be connected with other apps. We emphasize this advantage in the following.
So SaaS is specifically about software. However, the term software is very broad and the SaaS industry is growing and growing. Whether project management, ERP, marketing, CRM, newsletter mailing or human resources, there are countless SaaS tools for all areas. The trend of the past years and decades is clear: for the past 20 years, more and more companies have been founded every year that pursue a SaaS business model. And the industry's turnover is growing, of course.
There is a suitable software-as-a-service for almost every function of a company:
By far the largest SaaS company is Salesforce. Salesforce offers a comprehensive CRM with its own exclusive agencies that are entirely dedicated to implementing and developing Salesforce in and for companies.
Another SaaS company that might be familiar to many is Shopify. Shopify is a shop SaaS that makes it much easier for users to launch, manage and scale their own shop.
Workday is a software-as-a-service that specializes in human capital management and financial management and is also one of the largest companies in the industry.
One of the key advantages of SaaS is the ease of scaling and integration. But what exactly does that mean?
On the one hand, the subscription model of many providers described above can accompany and map the growth of the company step by step. For example, if more team members join, the subscription can be extended and more users can be activated. All it takes is one click and the new colleagues enjoy exactly the same functions as all the others - without installation.
On the other hand, most SaaS tools offer a possibility for integration. In this way, the application can be linked to other tools, saving valuable time that can be used elsewhere. So-called "APIs" are used for this. APIs are programming interfaces provided by the software. They are already taken into account during the development of the software and enable integration and automation. What exactly an API is and what API integration means can be read here. Why is this technology so important?
It's likely that a SaaS tool like Salesforce is not the only software you use in your business. There are other applications for mailing, accounting, website or internal communication. And much of the data used there is also used elsewhere.
On your website there is a simple form with a few fields that your visitors can fill out. This is then sent to you by e-mail in a completely unformatted form. You then open your CRM, add the relevant information and send the person an email with the next steps. In order to track the whole process and not lose any leads, you also enter the date of the communication in your CRM. A few days later you notice that the person has not responded. You see in the CRM that the last contact was 5 days ago and decide to send a second reminder email afterwards.
That's quite a lot of steps for a single person. As more and more people join in, that's many minutes every day spent mainly copying and pasting and jumping back and forth between different applications.
But what if all steps could run automatically? Exactly that is possible: If all programs, emails (e.g. Office365 or GMail), the CRM and the website (e.g. WordPress) have an API, all three can be integrated, i.e. linked with each other. In this way, the form is automatically processed in the future, transferred to your CRM, an automatic yet personalized email is sent and you automatically receive feedback if the person has not responded after 5 days.
This process is also completely independent of the number of people: Whether one or 100 visitors fill out the form every day - the process is stable and always runs the same.
So integrating your SaaS is essential to not only enjoy the benefits of a cloud-based platform, but also to streamline your operations and save so much time.
Scaling and integration are two points to be aware of and to ask for in a SaaS consultancy. The SaaS market is huge, but knowing these two factors can make it easier to choose a suitable tool.
Before taking any SaaS advice, you can also ask yourself the following questions to further narrow down your choices:
The path to the perfect software can be long and arduous, but it doesn't have to be. If your requirements are clearly worked out and you pay attention to the right points as well as consult a sound SaaS consultancy, an individual and thus optimal solution can be found for your company. We are happy to support you in the analysis and subsequent automation of business processes, explain possibilities and individually address the business processes.
We provide you with independent advice and are happy to offer you our support.
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