How to save time thanks to SaaS?

The popular perception of software as a service and cloud computing is very simple. Sign up, log in and start working. This, of course, is not that precise in reality. It all depends on the application, business needs and goals. How to save time thanks to SaaS?

This does not mean that SaaS users need to sit for weeks to debate. With proper planning, it is possible to deliver value to the business in a shorter amount of time. On the second week of deployment, you can give customers the opportunity to start using the product. This can be by delivering a high-level dashboard so that users begin to understand the new data views they can take advantage of. This way, the customer can begin to integrate the technology into their daily workflows while your team completes the implementation.

Simplify the scope of the first phase

Incorporating a new SaaS solution is an exciting experience for a customer who wants to improve workflows and processes. Particularly, this occurs when the customer has been using outdated and difficult to use technology for a long time. But when the decision-maker discovers how much time those new requirements extend and the cost of implementation, the deal can be closed.

To avoid this scenario, you should reduce the scope for the first phase. It is something that can be accomplished in a few weeks and that allows the customer to start using the platform early in the onboarding exercise. 

Define supplier-customer roles

Vendor implementation teams don't work wonders. They have all the knowledge about the product and how to implement it successfully, but they are not experts in the customer environment. Setting expectations for customer work, such as helping with third-party software integrations, is critical. Define processes to work together through the project. Salespeople and consultants must be clear about the roles. In addition, it is very important to pick a suitable marketing strategy, for example Red Ocean or Blue Ocean.

Coordination of business stakeholders

Even when the software is serving technical users like IT security teams, there is a business story that must be told and incorporated every step of the way. It is up to the customer to identify and attract business stakeholders to planning meetings with suppliers. This can take a long time. Often times, we only need an hour of your time, but executives can still delay a meeting request.
However, the vendor and customer can work hard to communicate the benefits to stakeholders for attending a meeting. 

User training

A direct line can be drawn between satisfaction and customers who really know how to use the system.
Often users who are not happy with the software do not understand how to use it. Your company should put a huge emphasis on training. This can be achieved in a number of ways. Create YouTube videos, invite users to follow the implementation, and conduct live training for the business. It's also important to share your recordings so that people can watch them when they can.

In conclusion, if you want to read some more about managing your SaaS company and different stages of the product life cycle, check out this blog post here: https://www.eleken.co/blog-posts/growth-stage-of-product-life-cycle-things-you-need-to-know-and-implement.