SaaS refers to an application type delivering a solution license via the subscription. The abbreviation stands for “software as a service” and is also called “information as a service.” It is characterized as a cloud-based solution, since its deployment happens through the servers on the Internet.
This model keeps progressing rapidly nowadays due to its convenience and availability. Its support is entirely ensured by the service provider. In simplified terms, the SaaS model is when a customer works with a ready-made solution online.
What are the other advantages that motivate many scale companies to adopt this type of software? What are integral steps to take to develop a SaaS application? Let’s discover together, in this post.
Market Analysis
To define how beneficial SaaS architecture is, let’s observe some statistics. The SaaS market value worldwide is projected to reach $436.9 billion within the following three years. Besides, 110 SaaS solutions were already implemented in 2021 in the USA.
SaaS Profits and Illustrations
The SaaS solution’s main peculiarity is the fact that the application is located and stored in a distant cloud environment. Therefore, we may describe it as a web-placed and launched solution.
Why is this approach beneficial?
- Cost-effectiveness. Such solutions liquidate the buying and setting expenses. The infrastructure requires fewer investments and maintenance headaches.
- Scalability. The SaaS model is highly flexible and can comply with dynamic client needs.
- Reliability. If the failure of one center occurs, the software will keep running efficiently, as the other ones will maintain it.
- Stability. The technology enables robotized information updates.
- Extensive coverage of target audience. Because of the rapid integration and simplicity, this type of application will be in higher demand in some sectors than software that needs to be installed.
In our lives, we’ve already dealt with SaaS applications, so let’s outline some familiar illustrations: - Document management systems. These are organizers, calendars, documents, and other services. Many of them have free-of-charge functionality. However, their capabilities are expanded when you are monthly charged for advanced functionality.
- CRM systems. This is a practical instance of SaaS in its purest form. Such platforms provide project and business management services.
- Website building tools. These are platforms that allow you to quickly create a website with no hard skills in scripting required, and they also refer to SaaS software solutions.
Nowadays, there is a wide range of SaaS platforms. This model is actively developing and widely used in a diversity of domains due to its profitability.
Custom Software as a Service Solution Architecture
The fundamental of each SaaS solution incorporates:
- Integral instrument kit. It refers to the key functionality of the solution and comprises relevant capabilities allowing the software to perform specific processes. In a nutshell, it implies its main purposes.
- Insights generation. Especially in case your project is creating a Customer Relationship Management system, your product should have embedded analysis instruments.
- Operational instruments. They imply the ability to select the client’s position. According to it, the user is provided an appropriate set of features and specific access level.
Let’s consider what steps should be taken in order to architect a flawless SaaS product:
Define the project concept and idea
The initial point of architecting your own SaaS product is to get a precise definition and in-depth description of the app purposes, i.e., what challenges would you like to overcome, or what solutions would you like to provide, with this model. In lots of cases, it’s just simplifying the operation with data or transmitting the application to the cloud environment, which cleans hard drive storage and delivers the opportunity to utilize the software regardless of your current location.
Study the solutions of your competitors
The following phase after you determine the entire SaaS project idea you want to develop is a rivals’ exploration process. Pay attention to the following aspects:
- Interface and the entire outer look
- Functionality
- Promotional tools
- Pricing policy
These, and many other criteria, will help to evaluate how other startups have created a similar project to yours, what the target audience expects, what functionality and design decisions were accepted positively, and what flaws users see in their applications.
Developing a platform’s UI/UX design
Design is a vital factor in the success of every up-to-date software, as it impacts client satisfaction and, ultimately, the profitability of the platform. The cost to design an app is defined by its concept, complexity, and the interface sophistication, yet, it is vital for SaaS application success.
Architecting and launching the product
During this stage, your software development team applies a suitable tech stack to build the application and make it perform correctly. Apart from this, IT specialists also place the solution on the web to make it accessible for the first users.
SaaS maintenance
To prolong the software solution’s lifecycle and make it on-demand for a longer time, you should regularly update the app’s functionality according to the dynamic requirements of the current market and your target audience. This way, the product will be more competitive, and its operation will be seamless and smooth.
SaaS App Architecture Challenges
To describe what pitfalls exist within SaaS product development, let’s consider them more acutely:
Integration Difficulties
Indecorous integration may lead to a great variety of challenges. Due to the constant modifications and data processing, the challenge may occur, as the software may fail to upload it correctly. This issue may be faced in case the information isn’t processed via all the existing systems.
Hybrid Infrastructure
Local infrastructures sometimes don’t cooperate successfully with SaaS apps. Combining the current on-premises solution and cloud-based app may result in nullified profitability traditionally brought by a hybrid model. Your in-house team needs to have quick and easy access to the service vendor. This is the only way to achieve brilliant cloud adoption.
Skills sufficiency
SaaS solution implies qualified and experienced tech specialists. In case your current team misses some expertise, this may increase the architecture costs. Enterprises are required to apply outer capacity to be delivered with a perfect SaaS app.
Access levels
This is one more major problem companies deal with when creating a SaaS app. The primary reason for it is that the observation tools and access management sometimes don’t increase efficiency or efficacy from basic solutions to SaaS applications. Moderators should constantly track which parties have the specific data available.
How Much Does It Cost to Create a SaaS App?
There’s a long list of factors that help determine what the total SaaS architecture price is— project niche, requirements, features set, interface design concept, developers’ location, and many others. These aspects impact the team composition as well as the total number of tech employees required for your SaaS application. Therefore, the number of hours to accomplish each step described above differs. The formula is pretty simple- you should multiply the number of hours by the hourly rate of the gathered experts according to their role. Please keep in mind that precise and individual assessments can be done when cooperating with a competent software developer company. During the initial stage, where all of your project requirements will be collected, you’ll receive an estimate of higher accuracy. We can’t ensure highly precise calculations defining the total costs. Yet, let’s see the approximate estimate covering the amount of time needed for the project building:
- Roadmap creation: from 40 to 250 hours
- MVP building: 300 hours and more
- UI/UX design: from 120 to 250 hours
- Frontend architecting: from 400 to 600 hours
- Backend architecting: 800 hours and less
- Product updating and support
Summarize
After using SaaS products in the workflow, it’s hard not to feel the real benefits of web applications in increasing productivity. For work and business, SaaS eliminates risks associated with security and data storage, solves the challenges associated with safety and file loss during transfer. In addition, it removes the problem of tracking desktop software licenses.
More and more, companies are building a SaaS-based workplace for their employees, often integrating multiple services together to create a single dynamic environment. Therefore, to streamline your business processes, you should contact a credible software development company to receive your SaaS application in the shortest time possible.
Author’s bio: Yuliya Melnik is a technical writer at Cleveroad. It is a web and mobile app development company in Ukraine. She is passionate about innovative technologies that make the world a better place and loves creating content that evokes vivid emotions.
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