Software as a Service, or SaaS, has become an increasingly important aspect of the world of business operations. Web- and cloud-based applications are used by organizations around the globe to manage content, collaborate with partners, improve administrative efficiency, and more.
But SaaS applications require a great deal of upkeep. Between monitoring firewalls, updating patches, and training other team members in their usage, applications take a lot of work. That’s why outsourcing SaaS development and upkeep is such a wise choice.
Outsourced application support saves money while ensuring your SaaS apps are operating at optimal capacity. But how do you know which apps are SaaS? And how can you be sure application support outsourcing is right for you?
Defining SaaS
On the surface, software as a service seems self explanatory—software provided as a service. But it’s more complex than that. SaaS is a distribution model for applications that is a complete sea change from what came before.
In the past, incorporating new applications into your workflows involved paying for custom installation and training. That could shut down departments for days as they waited for installation to complete, training to commence and finish, and then workflows to be updated.
With SaaS, the applications are web- or cloud-based, so the installation is simple, the training can be remote, and the apps are not tied to specific machines within an office. SaaS is an incredible boon to organizations with remote workers because they can still do their work securely from anywhere in the world.
SaaS application support is often handed off to specific team members to monitor, but unless they have the needed expertise already, there can be a fairly steep learning curve. SaaS applications can be large and multifaceted. They require a wide breadth of knowledge to keep operating optimally.
And this is before you factor in the complex infrastructure that emerges as you integrate a SaaS product with existing applications. This is a big reason many companies and organizations are outsourcing SaaS development and support.
Why Outsource?
Application support outsourcing is smart when you have SaaS applications in play. It reduces your costs while keeping your apps operating at their optimal levels.
If you look at the cost of hiring an in-house SaaS application support team vs the cost of outsourcing, the financial value stands out. After all, to ensure round the clock coverage, you would need a team of at least three full-time workers plus someone to cover weekends and vacations.
Compare that to the cost of application maintenance and support outsourcing with a company like TEAM IM. When you compare the salaries and benefits of at least three full-time employees, along with the cost of trainings to stay up-to-date with new tech vs a partnership with TEAM IM— the savings are clear.
But that’s just financial value. How can you be sure that SaaS outsourcing will give you the most bang for your buck? Just because an option is less expensive doesn’t mean it’s better.
A Multi-Pronged Value Engine
Application support outsourcing services from TEAM IM don’t just save on a macro level— you get great value for every dollar you invest. That value comes from several different directions.
Expertise
Additional training is a major expense when you have your own app specialist team. When you’re outsourcing SaaS development and support, you get access to specialists with decades of experience who are already paid to keep up with advances in technology.
That also frees your team members to focus on the aspects of your organization that you specialize in. SaaS product management takes a knowledge set that not everyone possesses. Let your team focus on your specialty while TEAM IM focuses on ours.
Development
Part of SaaS support is often SaaS product development. Using the platforms you have brought into your organization to develop customized applications to improve performance is one of the biggest advantages of the SaaS model.
This can include building a branded, customer-facing user portal for your business or creating a virtual workspace that allows the disparate parts of your organization to collaborate without falling victim to problems like data silos.
Outsourcing SaaS development puts those processes into the hands of experts that know the ins and outs of development, implementation, and training. It drastically reduces the time from green-light to application deployment.
Scalability
This has several meanings in this context. The first is scaling services. As your organization grows, its needs grow along with it. TEAM IM can keep up with those growing needs thanks to a multinational workforce with offices around the world that are stocked with SaaS experts.
Another is scalability in function— can your applications keep up with the increased demand of your growth? A smaller organization may be able to get away with sub-optimal use of a platform, but as you grow, you need to get maximum value out of the software you have chosen.
TEAM IM is a gold-tier partner with Microsoft, Oracle, and M-Files. Our experts know those platforms and more inside and out. They know how to train your team to use them efficiently and how to develop tools to integrate your SaaS applications into your workflows efficiently.
Efficiency
Outsourcing SaaS development and support helps streamline your business operations in many little ways that add up to a huge value. Just using a SaaS solution instead of the old application model saves time on installation and training. And the value goes on from there.
The FTE commitment for an in-house application support and development team is staggering compared to the cost of outsourcing application support. And that outsourced application support can then develop solutions that will streamline workflows for your teams in multiple departments. That’s an efficient use of money leading to efficient work.
Outsourcing SaaS development also makes hiring simpler for you since you don’t need to find people who know your area of expertise as well as how to build a SaaS product. You can focus on what you do best and let TEAM IM handle your applications. That’s efficiency of focus.
Strategy
SaaS outsourcing brings you into regular contact with experts in the field of application development and support. As you look to potential cloud migration or external collaboration projects, having access to that expertise can prove invaluable.
For example, TEAM IM has helped countless organizations take better advantage of the cloud and can recognize potential pitfalls well before they gum up the works for you. It is doubtful that an in-house app support team could do the same.
Get the Most out of SaaS
Software as a service is the best way for you to get the applications your organization needs to grow. And outsourcing SaaS development and support is the best way to keep your applications relevant to your operations and operating optimally.
Putting your SaaS product development strategy in the hands of experts makes good sense. Getting 24/7 support from a team with decades of combined experience makes good sense. SaaS outsourcing makes good sense.
If you want to improve application performance without overspending, the solution is clear. TEAM IM has the experience and gold-tier partnerships to take your application development to the next level of efficiency and value.
No matter your preferred platform, how complex your architecture, or how long you have waited to embrace the cloud— TEAM IM has the experience to make your organization operate more efficiently than ever before.
Whether you need to improve security around your data, smooth out your content management workflows, or make it easier for your customers to access your services, the way forward is simple.
TEAM IM has experts all around the world that can help make sure you get the most out of your SaaS investment. Whether your priority is scalability, expertise, efficiency, development, strategy, or any number of other value drivers, TEAM IM is the right partner for your organization.
Reach out today to see what outsourcing SaaS development with TEAM IM can do for your organization.
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