The way businesses operate and manage their operations is changing rapidly, and the adoption of Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) operations management software is becoming increasingly popular. Traditional on-premise operations management software has been the standard for many years, but businesses are now realizing the many benefits that SaaS platforms offer. SaaS operations management software is designed to meet the needs of modern businesses, providing lower upfront costs, easy implementation, scalability, accessibility, faster updates and upgrades, and integration capabilities. In this context, moving from traditional to SaaS operations management software has become essential for businesses looking to streamline their operations and stay competitive in today's fast-paced business environment.
Lower upfront costs
SaaS operations management platforms are typically subscription-based, which means that businesses can avoid the high upfront costs associated with traditional on-premise solutions, such as hardware and software licenses. This can make it easier for businesses to budget and reduce capital expenditures. According to a survey by CompTIA, 70% of respondents cited the lower total cost of ownership as the top reason for adopting a SaaS solution. But cheaper doesn't necessarily mean inferior quality, as modern SaaS solutions also actively aim to be functionally better. When we look at the case of a medium-scale manufacturing business, it can significantly benefit from a SaaS platform for its operations management needs. Instead of investing in expensive traditional software and hardware, and having to rely on continuous in-house or third-party development to keep up with the trends, it can simply subscribe to a SaaS platform. This allows the management to allocate more funds toward better equipment, raw materials, or other growth initiatives.
Easy implementation
Unlike traditional solutions, SaaS platforms are specifically designed to be simple to implement and require no hard-core technical expertise. The platform provider takes care of the installation, updates, and maintenance, freeing up the workforce to focus on other important tasks. According to a study by BetterCloud, 73% of businesses reported faster implementation times with SaaS applications compared to on-premise solutions. An F&B business that needs to automate inventory, orders, and shipping, cannot afford to spend on a full-time development team, since it runs on a tight budget. Instead of spending months and thousands implementing an on-premise solution, the business can get on board a ready-to-deploy SaaS platform and start migrating all its daily workflows within days. This way, digital transformation doesn't get in the way of their essential activities and completely accommodates their needs with its high flexibility.
Scalability
Continuing on the flexibility of SaaS ops management, in comparison, they can scale quickly and accommodate growing businesses with high efficiency. As businesses expand, they can simply modify their subscription to meet their changing needs. According to a report by Gartner, SaaS solutions are expected to reach $122 billion in revenue in 2021, indicating their scalability and popularity among businesses. SaaS is no longer a solution that's reserved for SMEs anymore, corporations of all sizes are now profiting off the options that are available to them in the SaaS space. Industries that have fluctuating customer demands especially can address changing requirements while also keeping their growth steady. For example, a fast-growing apparel business can not only digitize its entire production line but also extract invaluable insights that can save them hundreds of thousands of dollars every year. With these savings, they can hire more employees and take on more clients, while their SaaS apps simultaneously scale to comply with the progress.
Accessibility
SaaS software today is based on cloud computing technology, which gives users the power to access their applications remotely from anywhere. In fact, a lot of applications have also started adapting to use cases where an internet connection simply doesn't exist! This is a boon for decision-makers as they no longer face the issue of proximity, and can manage operations that take place thousands of kilometers away in mines, villages, forests, etc. Also, being platform agnostic, employees can access these apps either on laptops, tablets, or mobile devices and across multiple operating systems. According to a study by Flexera, 51% of businesses cite the ability to remote access as an important influence for adopting SaaS solutions. A SMART Infrastructure company's management that wants 100% access and visibility into device installations that are taking place across hundreds of different locations needs to adopt SaaS in order to successfully achieve this.
Faster updates and upgrades
The biggest edge SaaS has over traditional software is the continuous and rigorous updates that are automatically provided by the developers, which means that businesses always have access to the latest features and functionalities without the need for IT staff to update the software. A medium-sized software solutions business can benefit from a SaaS platform to manage its operations. With a SaaS platform, the agency can always have access to the latest marketing tools and technologies without the need for IT staff to update the software.
Integration
Modern ops management applications democratize the digital transformation space and are built to integrate easily with other cloud-based applications and services, such as accounting, customer relationship management (CRM), and e-commerce platforms. Let's take a look at an online retailer that wants to transform its business, but needs a solution that can accommodate all the numerous processes covering accounting, inventory, finances, logistics, sales, or market research. It's hard to find a single solution that could take care of all these workflows, but thanks to SaaS it's easy to find a solution that makes integrations with different applications that efficiently handle them without any disruptions. Businesses can integrate their e-commerce platform, with all the other applications, while keeping their operations streamlined. The data transfer will remain automated, and so will any other dependency, which ensures minimal human involvement in the back end.
The importance of shifting from traditional to SaaS Operations Management Software is evident, as the shift is being spearheaded by every industry leader and other emerging organizations. Digitizing your entire operations is easier than ever before, including the effort to ace the learning curve and successfully implement organization-wide implementation. Especially with the advancement in citizen development, companies are the most proactive they've ever been in adopting SaaS platforms for their daily workflows, and the stats prove the results are consistently positive. Grid is one no-code platform that has been harnessing the power of citizen development, to optimize results for businesses across multiple industries. If you’d like to know more about how you can transition from your existing legacy solution to stay on par with the Industry 4.0 frontrunners, then speak to a Grid expert and we’ll get you started.
