If you work in the digital space, you’ve probably heard the term SaaS thrown about. Your company may even use SaaS for productivity, file storage, calendars and organization, or client tracking. As our world becomes increasingly dependent on the online cloud for moving business forward, it’s important to understand what SaaS is, how it works and why it is so beneficial for modern day companies.
“Software as a service”
SaaS is – simply explained – software that is provided online rather than in a downloadable format. You fire the program up online and everything is managed through the ‘cloud’, so to speak. If you’ve ever used Google Docs or any online program in Google’s work suite, then you’ve benefited from SaaS. Other examples include websites like Trello, Monday and PayPal, all of which offer online software either for business management or payment tracking.
Why are we moving towards SaaS?
Cloud software, like online booking management, payment, project management, time tracking, customer feedback and more, are offering new and innovative ways to do business faster and more efficiently. SaaS websites and suites provide a wide range of tools that streamline your workflow and keep a good record of your business history.
As online shopping and hiring establishes itself as the norm, there’s a lot more demand for businesses to manage themselves online rather than on physical calendars and documents in the real world. Transitioning to SaaS is happening all throughout the business world as online software is utilised to get work done faster and more reliably.
Benefits of SaaS
Speed
A streamlined workflow and faster project management is one of the greatest advantages of cloud software. Websites like Google Docs/Sheets and OneNote make it easier to set up to-do lists and documents in shorter time frames and make realtime changes to existing work. For example, Google Docs autosaves and keeps track of edits to your writing so you can switch to a previous version quickly and observe highlighted changes. This means businesses can efficiently modify and update documents, and revise past versions quicker than ever before.
As for payment and client management software, it’s especially fast to tick off project milestones and issue bills without spending the sit-down time to handwrite an invoice or badly throw together a bill in Publisher to email to a client.
Backups
Cloud software backs up your files and saves past versions so if you lose the files on your computer you always have a place to go to if you need to recover them. Most suites are fairly regular with autosaving nowadays so you don’t have to remember to save your work as often.
Proof of concepts & team feedback
Unlike pen and paper project management, performing your work through SaaS allows members of your team to leave interactive feedback on your initial concepts and at each milestone in your project. Think how useful this can be for clients, who can now leave comments on your work in real time as you progress so you can deliver to a higher standard and make their changes much faster. This wasn’t something you could easily do until the past decade brought new innovations in cloud software.
New updates and features
SaaS developers are typically very dedicated to adding new and improved features to their cloud software while simplifying it so it’s easier to use. With conventional, ‘download and run it’ software, you have to purchase an expensive upgrade package for just a few new features – and usually you have no choice but to upgrade – with cloud software updates are automatic, and free with your subscription.
Lower cost
This ties into the previous point. Because cloud software is so easy to get up and running, SaaS developers have a much broader range of customers and don’t need to price their services so high. Cloud software is usually subscription-based and at extremely affordable costs, like the price of a cup of coffee and a biscuit per month. Let’s take Google Drive for example. With the business plan, you can add members for a much lower cost than the initial sign-up fee, making the software very feasible for large corporations. Across the board, SaaS offers lower costs and no hidden fees on most providers.
Scalability
Modern software developers are moving towards building cloud environments – or software ‘ecosystems’ – with multiple programs for various purposes. These suites make it super quick and affordable to migrate your entire process onto the cloud, and scale it up with a simple recurring subscription fee. Scalability is one of the biggest advantages of SaaS; it allows businesses to store a huge amount of data and access it quickly, while managing multiple projects simultaneously and with minimal lag. As SaaS developers add new features and programs, businesses can move more of their daily tasks online, from accounting to project tracking to writing.
I run a software company. Should we transition to SaaS?
Cloud software is the future of modern business. It allows increased flexibility, speed and reliability. There are new features, opportunities to grow even as a small software developer, and a quickly growing customer base. If you’re a developer or run your own software company for a business requirement such as project management, payment, content creation, or anything else that falls under that umbrella, then transitioning to Software as a Service is most likely the right path for you.
Switching to cloud software opens you up to a wider customer base and opportunities to build a profitable ecosystem. But migrating to SaaS from conventional, ‘download and fire it up’ software can be difficult and time-consuming, despite the abundant rewards of doing so. Mobo Media can help you develop your website and suite of tools, and provide content needs to get your cloud software off the ground. We specialize in web and software development, delivering to an extremely high standard with dedication to every project, and take into account every little detail of your project. If you’re considering migrating your software from conventional to SaaS, please reach out today!
