Cloud computing possibilities have rocketed into the stratosphere over the past decade, making Software as a Service (SaaS) one of the most exciting products yet—and it’s no surprise why.
Thanks to internet speeds and computer hardware doubling in efficiency every two years, companies like Netflix can stream videos all over the planet. But cloud-based services aren’t just for watching The Office eight times in a row.
Software as a Service is any subscription-based service accessed online and centrally hosted. Companies like Dropbox have provided their SaaS service for years now, all based around cloud storage for users.
Let’s take a look at five SaaS products out there that are creating new possibilities in the modern age of cloud computing.
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Project Management Software
Today, people work in real time with teams across the globe. A sales team in Los Angeles can work with a customer service branch in New York. But while teams can easily communicate and share information from anywhere, it can still be tough to manage a team split in different countries.
Remote collaboration presents a unique challenge to managing teams and projects. Thankfully, SaaS project management is the ultimate coordination tool, helping to keep groups on track and working efficiently together.
Need a timeline for a specific project? Jot down specific goals, deadlines, and resources for your team that they can reference from anywhere. No more worrying about getting the same email from different people about when a project needs to be done. Project management SaaS tools make it easy to access important information.
Products like Distro Pro cut out old procedures that were used for film and television productions. It replaced the clutter of paperwork and faxes with a sleek dashboard application while allowing producers and managers to see exactly who was doing what and when.
Programs like Asana and Monday are generic, one-size-fits-all SaaS options for project management. Templates can be customized for the unique goals and needs of any business, and while they may not have all the options your team needs, generic project management tools can make time and resource management easier.
Interested in a more custom solution? Consider designing a SaaS with your team’s needs and workflow in mind. For many businesses, this helps them get the most out of their project management tools.
Cloud Storage Options
Cloud storage solutions may seem like old news at this point, but tools like Dropbox and Google Drive are some of the most popular SaaS programs out there.
New storage products offer more than just data management these days. Many include things like:
- Encrypted data storage for extra protection
- Organization options for collaborating over the cloud
- Integration with other tools like Google suite products or Microsoft Office
- Live support for data recovery
- Password management
Recruitment & Workforce
Hiring people is hard. From sifting through applicants to filling last minute job openings, finding the right person for a position takes a lot of work—and prospective employees don’t have it much better.
Enter web-based recruitment tools.
SaaS products help recruiters and job seekers find the perfect fit for their situation. Consider Boon, a recruitment tool that revolutionized the way employers and job seekers connect. Using a mobile or web app, Boon lets employees refer contacts to recruiters who have openings. Even better, recruiters can offer incentives to those who send quality candidates to them.
Hiring teams can cut down on time spent looking for talent, and employees are incentivized to refer quality workers. Job seekers have the clearest path to finding something that’s a good fit.
Boon is a great example of a strong SaaS that enhances a basic online service with the modern possibilities of networking and collaboration.
Corporate Communications
As businesses grow, staying in touch with team members can become a challenge. Internal messaging SaaS products can simplify communication between employees. Rather than use basic options like email, products like Slack, Microsoft Teams, and others provide easy-to-use internal, secure messaging.
Individual workers can message each other directly in a clean and organized format, while larger teams can use focused group channels. This allows teams to collaborate in a focused way like never before, whether it be big picture priorities or basic housekeeping tasks.
It isn’t just employees who need to communicate, either. Customer service teams need to know what customers think about your business, so you want to make that as easy as possible, every step of the way.
Help desk SaaS products give customer service teams intuitive platforms where they can manage customer service tickets. This provides a direct and easy method for customers to reach out to a business and get the answers that they need.
Again, not all SaaS products will work for your specific business. It may be better and more cost-effective to develop your own custom SaaS software. Not only does custom software do exactly what you need it to, but you aren’t stuck dealing with enterprise customer service teams.
Creative Tools
There are some great SaaS products in the creative sphere as well. Creative teams and individuals now have suites available to them as subscription services rather than high-ticket licenses, giving companies more financial flexibility over what creative software they need.
Creative teams can also use SaaS suites like Adobe Creative Cloud or Avid products to collaborate over the cloud. This can make a world of difference for, say, a video editor who now has the option to submit projects for approval via the cloud.
No more waiting hours and hours for a project to upload just for someone to ask for a simple edit. All your work can now be automatically synced with anyone you want to share it with.
This goes for all sorts of creative software. From music to photography, teams can use cloud-based SaaS resources to quickly share and sync projects for faster collaboration. This is something that has become increasingly necessary as remote work becomes more and more the norm.
Finding the Best SaaS Solution for You
At this point, a new SaaS product seems to pop up every week. There are many different options to choose from, so it’s good to ask yourself a few questions.
When thinking about what product would be the best fit for you, ask:
- Will this product work for you as your business grows and changes?
- Does the layout and workflow fit your team?
- What would the transition be like from your current mode of operation?
- What will ultimately save you the most productivity and resources?
If you’re worried about whether or not an existing SaaS product will fit your needs or not, it may be time to look into a custom option. Services tailored to your team’s specific needs can save you time, money, and sanity in the long haul.
Thinking about developing your own custom business software?
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