Develop or Migrate to a SaaS Model for Operational Flexibility

With the rise of the subscription economy and the rapidly increasing functionality of software as a service (SaaS), many startups are looking to develop a SaaS application or migrate their products to a SaaS model.

Because SaaS applications don’t require heavy-duty hardware infrastructure on-site at your operational facilities, you won’t need to worry about maintaining the software in-house. You’ll also end up spending less on SaaS models in the long run while positioning yourself to grow and adapt with changing technologies and market demands. 

If you're considering developing or migrating your legacy system or on-premises software to a SaaS-based model, you’ll find everything you need to know about the process below. As an industry-leading SaaS development company, High Seas can ensure a smooth transition while also keeping your data secure.

Why Should You Consider Developing SaaS?

From increased scalability to lower costs, there are many reasons why you should consider developing a new SaaS product or migrating your existing on-premises software to a SaaS model.

Increased Scalability

One of the main advantages of software as a service development is improved scalability, allowing your business to offer and deliver software products and services online, on demand, and on a subscription basis. Scalability through SaaS development offers businesses the benefit of flexibility when growing quickly and you need to add more users or when you need to reduce costs during slower periods or a recession. 

One of the other key benefits of SaaS business models is that they don’t require adding new hardware whenever you need to add new users. Traditional on-premises models often require acquiring and installing new hardware when adding new users. 

Another advantage of software as a service applications is their accessibility. Because SaaS apps are delivered over the web, they’re accessible anywhere in the world with an internet connection, making it easier to expand into new markets.

Lower Costs

SaaS application development as a business model is a great way to save on business operational costs. SaaS development can help your business avoid the high upfront costs associated with purchasing and maintaining hardware and software. And by choosing the right SaaS application development company, you’ll only have to pay for the software resources and functionalities your business uses. 

The SaaS business model doesn’t need new hardware when the user count increases, saving you a lot of money in the long run and making it easier to scale your business up and down as necessary. In addition, SaaS models provide a more reliable platform than an on-premises software model. 

Improved Connectivity and Accessibility

A significant advantage of software as a service over on-premises software is the stability gained in connectivity and accessibility. Your SaaS product can run 24/7 via an internet browser from any device with an internet connection. On-premises software can be disrupted by issues out of your control, such as power outages or other infrastructure problems that may or may not be something your business can plan for to mitigate adverse effects.

Faster Development

A SaaS business model is incredibly popular for new startups since it’s relatively fast and easy to get your SaaS app up and running when you hire a professional SaaS development company. Unlike a traditional software product, SaaS software development doesn’t require a lot of upfront investment. You won’t need to purchase expensive hardware infrastructure or licenses. 

Another benefit of SaaS products is they’re typically subscription-based. This model creates a recurring revenue stream that will help to fund further development and keep initial upfront costs lower than traditional software development.

Steps to Develop (or Migrate to) a SaaS Model

Below are the critical steps of the SaaS development or SaaS migration process. You can learn more about the development process by contacting a professional SaaS development company.

Define the Roadmap

When planning a successful SaaS development (or migration) process, you’ll need to focus on the following tasks to define your SaaS development roadmap. These tasks will help you evaluate the entire scope of the project.

Analytics and Research

An essential part of SaaS migration and new SaaS software development is checking how the existing code works and factoring in your new business goals and how they’ll be reached or solved. Analyzing what you need your SaaS product to achieve will make for a smooth development process. 

You’ll also want to research your market requirements, relevant business trends, new technologies, and other industry developments that could influence your SaaS product's functionalities and requirements.

Prototyping 

When going through the steps of how to build a SaaS product, creating a prototype is a necessary component of the process. A prototype will assist your SaaS migration by helping your SaaS application development company determine how an existing SaaS product can be strengthened and improved, what can be modified to fit new business goals and functionality requirements, and what should be eliminated.

Strategic Planning

During the strategic planning stage of SaaS migration or new product development, your SaaS development company evaluates the full scope of work to be completed and selects the specialists who will work on your project. The plan includes the scheduling and timing of the whole project and each step separately, along with the distribution of tasks for all team members. 

During the planning stage, your SaaS developers will also work with you to determine the overall budget and costs for each stage so there are no surprises. 

Strategic planning is crucial because it ensures everyone involved understands their role and responsibilities for the project. With a clear plan, everyone can more easily stay on track and on top of responsibilities, reaching each development milestone without lapses or disorganization among team members.

Set Architecture and Database Requirements

When you’re learning how to build a SaaS product or have on-premises software upgraded with SaaS migration, it’s important to remember it’s a complex process requiring careful planning and execution. During the architecture review and evaluation stage, the SaaS software development team uses a collection of analysis techniques to transform on-premises software for SaaS migration properly. 

Redesigning your app architecture is an important component of SaaS migration that helps developers understand how changes can be made to the codebase without breaking the overall logic of the app. 

Another critical decision for your SaaS development company is determining what database migration method will be used for your project. Developers need to figure out a method for separating data without violating or corrupting the existing data. 

A thorough understanding of your software application’s dependencies, data flows, and interactions with other systems helps the SaaS migration team plan and carry out the necessary changes, resulting in a successful SaaS migration.

Work with the Best SaaS Development Company

Working with a professional SaaS development company is your best option for SaaS migration or new product development. They’ll have a team of seasoned experts who understand the entire SaaS development process. These experts can explain how to build a SaaS product, advise you on the best way to develop or migrate your business from an on-premises software model to a SaaS software model, and clearly demonstrate the benefits of SaaS over traditional software models.  

Outsourcing to the right SaaS development company ensures your data is safely migrated and allows you to focus on maintaining your business processes and day-to-day operations. Choosing an expert outsourced SaaS application development company that’s up to date on the latest advances in SaaS technology means you’ll get the advantages of software as a service tech trends and a SaaS product that can continue growing and thriving alongside your business.

Update the Codebase

During this phase of the SaaS application development or migration process, developers will work with your existing codebase to determine how it can be used to meet new application requirements and support new features. 
In some cases, your SaaS development team may need to rewrite existing code from scratch if it uses a different programming language or framework. Rewriting code and writing new code is also necessary if developers need to optimize, modify, or add new features.

Migrate Data

The data migration process begins after the SaaS development team chooses the data migration model, strategy, and tools they’ll use, as well as the reliability, flexibility, and security parameters. 

You’ll need to make sure the SaaS development company you choose to work with has experience with migration projects, not just fresh builds. A partnership with the right SaaS developers will help you smoothly navigate the process and ensure your software app is successfully migrated and you’re receiving all the benefits of a SaaS model.

Monitor Development and Migration Processes

When monitoring the SaaS development or migration process, there are a couple of key considerations to keep in mind. Monitoring these metrics helps troubleshoot any issues that may arise and keeps your SaaS platform running smoothly.

• First, track the number of users who have migrated to the new SaaS platform. This will help you determine how successful the transition to a SaaS model has been and whether any areas or functionalities need improvement.
• Secondly, you’ll want to monitor the performance of the SaaS platform. This means tracking things like uptime, response time, and error rates.

Test

After successfully completing the data migration process, the QA (Quality Assurance) team needs to check the stability of your SaaS app. This step is necessary to ensure the application meets requirements, includes the functionalities users need, and responds correctly to user requests.

To prevent the SaaS migration process from resulting in any data loss or downtime, the QA team must thoroughly test each aspect of the SaaS application before the app is made available to users. Detailed testing ensures the app is stable and responsive and provides a positive user experience that doesn’t alienate any users with the transition from on-premises software to a SaaS model.

Stay Updated with Ongoing Maintenance 

Following the successful deployment of your SaaS application, it’s important to stay updated with the latest changes in technology to continue adapting as market and user demands change. A reliable SaaS development team with continuing maintenance support lets you rest assured that your app will remain up to date and continue meeting user needs. 

Ongoing support from your SaaS application development company ensures new challenges and issues are quickly addressed. You’ll have continued confidence that you have a robust SaaS product that’s always strong and competitive.

Develop Your SaaS Product with High Seas

Choosing to migrate on-premises software to a SaaS model or have a new SaaS product developed to meet your business’s needs is a big decision. Developing your SaaS product with High Seas will ensure you understand how to build a SaaS product and all the benefits of SaaS you’ll receive by making the migration sooner rather than later. 

Contact our expert crew at High Seas today to get the ship sailing on your SaaS migration or new app development project.