TL;DR - This article highlights the critical considerations for selecting the right SaaS solutions, emphasizing the importance of understanding business needs, ensuring data governance, and maintaining security and compliance. Choosing the best SaaS tool involves evaluating customer reviews, integrating with existing technology stacks, and aligning features with business requirements.
In recent years, there have been many examples of how digitalization has impacted almost every industry and pushed companies to rethink their business models. Many organizations face the consequences of the pandemic and global changes, such as the digital boom, being forced into an unforeseen adoption of digital tools to enable business continuity and success.
Digitalization is a must. Companies not making the digital leap pay the cost of falling behind and losing competitiveness. Also, as we have previously mentioned in many articles, working with bad data directly leads a company to failure.
Below is the 2022 Martech Map, which shows the total number of martech solutions currently available
Up to 2022, 9,932 solutions, to be precise.
Below is the 2022 Martech Map, which shows the total number of martech solutions currently available. Up to 2022, 9,932 solutions, to be precise.
![Martech map may 2022 2]()
Whatever the case, choosing the best software among the competition is now a challenge that takes time and effort. Millions of SaaS tool options are available on the market, and they all claim to offer the best. But, best for who?
Plauti will help you out of this dilemma in this blog post so you choose the best SaaS solutions for your technology stack, considering only your company's needs. You must know what aspects to evaluate to get the best results. Here's a list of key points for you and your team to consider to ensure your tech stack is ready for success.
How to identify good business requirements
What tasks need to be done?
You and your team must know your business from beginning to end. Understanding its nature will lead you to a complete comprehension of its needs. To mention a few:
Customers' behavior
Consider your customers' expectations and lifestyle
Identify how to get to them. Your software selection must pare with your company’s identity.
Customers' behavior
Consider your customers' expectations and lifestyle. Identify how to get to them. Your software selection must pare with your company’s identity.
Financial situation
Knowing your company’s financial situation will allow you to choose software that meets your possibilities
Selecting a basic plan at the beginning is always an option. Your company's growth is the goal, after all. Allow yourself to upgrade when the right time comes.
Financial situation
Knowing your company’s financial situation will allow you to choose software that meets your possibilities. Selecting a basic plan at the beginning is always an option. Your company's growth is the goal, after all. Allow yourself to upgrade when the right time comes.
Business procurements
This point involves every activity related to obtaining the goods and services your company needs to support its daily operations, Such as sourcing, negotiating terms, purchasing items, receiving and inspecting goods as necessary, and keeping records of all the steps in the process
Knowing these will make it easy for you to detect what's convenient.
Business procurements
This point involves every activity related to obtaining the goods and services your company needs to support its daily operations, Such as sourcing, negotiating terms, purchasing items, receiving and inspecting goods as necessary, and keeping records of all the steps in the process. Knowing these will make it easy for you to detect what's convenient.
Revenue Operations (RevOps)
RevOps is the strategic integration of sales, marketing, and service departments
This integration is paramount when looking to break down silos between departments. A SaaS tool integration will positively transform your business from beginning to end. All departments must work together to reach the goals.
Revenue Operations (RevOps)
RevOps is the strategic integration of sales, marketing, and service departments. This integration is paramount when looking to break down silos between departments. A SaaS tool integration will positively transform your business from beginning to end. All departments must work together to reach the goals.
Assignment of responsibilities
Define the personnel in charge of each activity
Be aware that you may need to reassign responsibilities to improve processes, management, and delivery when adopting a new solution.
Assignment of responsibilities
Define the personnel in charge of each activity. Be aware that you may need to reassign responsibilities to improve processes, management, and delivery when adopting a new solution.
Short and long-term goals
After detecting the primary needs, consider your company’s goals
What do you want to achieve, and when. Set realistic but still challenging goals. Involve all departments.
Short and long-term goals
After detecting the primary needs, consider your company’s goals. What do you want to achieve, and when. Set realistic but still challenging goals. Involve all departments.
Key Performance indicators
Set KPI's so you know how to evaluate the progress towards the goals.
Key Performance indicators
Set KPI's so you know how to evaluate the progress towards the goals.
Knowing what your company needs to function will help you make better and more timely decisions about what elements to adopt in the future. Also, to track the progress, providing objective on-time evaluation.
Data Governance
Data governance (DG) is the process of managing the availability, usability, integrity, and security of the data in enterprise systems based on internal data standards and policies that also control data usage. Effective data governance ensures that data is consistent and trustworthy and doesn't get misused.
Data Governance, specifically data quality, obviously lies close to our hearts here at Plauti. You give your customers an unforgettable experience when your company makes decisions using accurate data. As your data quality improves, you'll be able to make confident, data-driven decisions for your organization.
Adopting the right SaaS tool already makes a difference for your company, but understanding how vital data cleansing is, makes you stand out from the competition. Data-driven decisions lead to success.
Any SaaS solution should take into account the following:
- Data quality
- Data lifecycle management
- Roles and responsibilities related to data
- Data protection
Security and Compliance
Companies now consider switching to secure solutions as they rely on cloud apps. Cloud computing brings with it profound security threats. SaaS security protects SaaS applications and data storage facilities in the cloud without much effort from the staff. Companies often fail to consider threats when switching to Cloud environments. Either due to a lack of knowledge or guidance.
Verizon's 2021 DBIR Master's Guide reports that 73% of worldwide data breaches involve cloud assets. And companies need to take basic measures to mitigate this risk. According to Tech Target's Enterprise Strategy Group, 60% of SalesForce users neglect to back up their cloud data.
One of the main risks is poor data protection coverage. From GDPR to HIPAA, regulations now demand strict data protection policies. SaaS deployments can disrupt compliance strategies. Consequently, compliance strategies must adjust as cloud resources come online.
Poor security puts sensitive data at risk. That's something all compliant companies need to avoid. The data stored on the servers can be subject to vulnerabilities such as data hijacking, power failures, and disasters. When buying software for business use, you should ensure that the provider has the necessary infrastructure to guarantee these two elements and save you headaches in case of any eventuality. Today more than ever, cybersecurity is essential for companies' business continuity.
How to find the right tool for your technology stack
1. Review Websites
Who hasn't checked on reviews before buying something? Especially in the digital world, where opinions appear practically next to any product or service to be purchased. Reviews have the remarkable peculiarity of providing confidence since they come from customers who have experienced the service or product firsthand. While not all of them represent reality, you can generally get a good idea of their performance.It is advisable to look at reliable review platforms like G2Crowd, Salesforce AppExchange, and Capterra, among many others. In addition to the rating, you can know the pluses and minuses of each of the options. Take a look for yourself! Take into consideration more than one review. At Plauti, we recommend you keep a general perspective and avoid focusing on particularities. One negative review might not speak for all.
2. Google it
Old Reliable here! Google may understand your company's nature. Thanks to the efficient way it captures data and deciphers behavior, it is possible to find listed reliable insights. The best options are almost always at the top of the list, but we recommend you go further. Don't rely only on more than just paid ads but on organic results that appear first. At Plauti, we recommend you create a comparison chart where you write down all the options from all the possible software, their features, prices, subscription terms, requirements, and unique value. This chart will make it easier to contrast, prioritizing objective aspects over subjective ones.
3. Ask your network for recommendation
There is no better advertising than word-of-mouth. You can get the best guidance by contacting the right people on platforms like LinkedIn. An honest opinion offers a level of credibility that only experts can provide. To do this, you can do the following:
- Ask for specific or available references in groups and digital communities.
- Search for mentions and hashtags in the search engine to find recent ratings. This way, you can focus on the positive and the negative.
- Write a post asking your community for support. You never know who within your circle might offer a good review.
By performing an organic search, you can get both objective and subjective opinions, so it is recommended that you also rely on the first points in this blog to get a complete picture of a product.
Evaluating the best options
Now, you know your company’s needs and which SaaS on the market may match those needs. After listing the options, it’s time to check on the below last elements, which will indicate which of the options you have in mind aligns with your business’s possibilities and requirements. Remember that the best option for many may not be the most convenient for you, so keep true to yourself!
Budget
On the one hand, the plans and prices, and on the other hand, your company's budget
Don't lose sight of your budget and, above all, the long-term plan. You must evaluate the impact in one, three, and five years for your business to be profitable. Also, opt for a flexible product that allows you to renew, upgrade, and cancel if necessary. Choose the option that will enable you to invest in other complementary tools. Only use some of the wood behind a single arrow.
Budget
On the one hand, the plans and prices, and on the other hand, your company's budget. Don't lose sight of your budget and, above all, the long-term plan. You must evaluate the impact in one, three, and five years for your business to be profitable. Also, opt for a flexible product that allows you to renew, upgrade, and cancel if necessary. Choose the option that will enable you to invest in other complementary tools. Only use some of the wood behind a single arrow.
Integrations
Make sure the selected SaaS tool is compatible with your technology stack
The software must allow you to use your business logic. Providing easy installations and management.
Integrations
Make sure the selected SaaS tool is compatible with your technology stack. The software must allow you to use your business logic. Providing easy installations and management.
Match features with requirements
Many software can offer an endless list of features, but the only important ones will be the ones you need. Be open to implementing additional services, considering that your business will grow. Start with just what you need and prepare yourself for greatness.
Ownership
Be careful with the terms and conditions offered by the chosen option
Make sure you do not share ownership and keep your data safe. This will convey security to your customers. Opt for a holistic solution that allows you to manage your records within one place without the need to migrate and even lose information in the process.
Ownership
Be careful with the terms and conditions offered by the chosen option. Make sure you do not share ownership and keep your data safe. This will convey security to your customers. Opt for a holistic solution that allows you to manage your records within one place without the need to migrate and even lose information in the process.
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