This is a complete guide to SaaS integration and how it can change your business.
The SaaS business model has been gaining continuous, increasing popularity over the years, but businesses (both budding and established) still have lots of questions and uncertainty on whether this is something useful for them or not.
SaaS has been around for more than a decade, but it is not uncommon to still spot entrepreneurs and technology enthusiasts in cloud computing forums actively discussing if they should consider moving their business apps to SaaS?
Have you also been wondering why is it crucial to dive into the SaaS world? What is SaaS integration? And, why does your business need SaaS integration?
Furthermore, do you wonder how SaaS integration would revolutionize the way you have been doing business?
Heck, has SaaS integration just left you questioning your business model and you are unable to make anything out of it?
If yes, here is something real for you!
Let’s dig further into this and try understanding how easy integration of SaaS products can change your business altogether.
Towards the end of this post, we shall also examine what your business can actually gain out of integration of SaaS products.
Contents
What is SaaS Integration?
SaaS Integration is the process of integrating various SaaS products to create a workflow or business process.
When you integrate your CRM with your email marketing tool, you have integrated two SaaS products to facilitate an easy flow of information across the channels.
As the number of SaaS products that your organization uses grows, there arises the need for integration of SaaS products so that you are not lost catching up on data from multiple SaaS products.
For instance, won’t it be cool if every time someone responds to your Typeform, you have a new Trello card created?
That’s the essence of SaaS integration.
Integration of SaaS Products
Flexibility is the key to success when it comes to SaaS integration.
You and your business must change with time. If you don’t, you may soon run out of business.
Decades ago, it was common to have your own software developed and deployed on your own machine and then having an in-house IT team to maintain it.
In fact, in 2008 – only 12% of businesses were using cloud-based apps.
Fast forward a few years, we are in 2020.
Nobody does that today, and if you are doing it still, you (and your business model) are dated!
SaaS applications let you choose the delivery model and allow you to quickly modify it as and when required.
This way it is easier to get new users, integrate to other systems and turn on an additional set of components.
Talking about integration, years ago, we also couldn’t imagine the execution of recurring tasks where manual processes get replaced with automation.
Computers do all the boring stuff, you do all the high-level, fun stuff, sounds cool?
But today, we see a lot of SaaS products integrated in a way that we can’t see them functioning alone.
A nice example would be of Mailchimp automatically talking and sharing data with all the other applications you use.
Yet another example is getting a Slack alert every time there is a new Dropbox file.
All of this seems to be hunky-dory but serious brains are at work behind this.
Seamless integration of SaaS products boosts productivity like nothing else. It takes a lot off your plate and lets you focus on stuff that actually deserves your attention.
However, this SaaS integration ought to be easy.
The USP of SaaS is that it saves you all the trouble that comes along with having your own software developed.
SaaS takes solution management and maintenance out of the equation.
It makes no sense to integrate various SaaS products and land onto that messy island again.
Thus, you must have someone who helps deliver the results and service your customers demand through strong (and easy) integration of SaaS products.
With each new customer comes the pressing need to support separate file formats.
It’s indispensable for businesses to give customers a range of protocols, connectors, options and data formats to get data into and out of the solution. And that’s what makes SaaS integration mandatory.
However, you shouldn’t be overwhelmed by the amount of maintenance this demands.
It’s true that integration of SaaS products allows business to drive better value and deliver results faster, but it should be easy and seamless.
You must not have to deal with some super complicated and messy infrastructure that integration often brings along.
The idea is to streamline your business processes and make things easier, not the other way round.
You should not be lost all day long understanding the SaaS integration or fixing it or seeing if it’s even working or not, while you miss important emails and updates.
What Does Your Business Gain Out of SaaS Integration?
Workflow Automation
At least once while working, you must have wondered how cool it’d have been if you had the option to skip everything you hate doing without your boss figuring it out.
Statistics indicate that CEOs spend almost 20% of their time on work that could be automated. This includes analyzing operational data and reviewing status reports.
Seems like the boss also has a lot on his plate that he won’t want to do.
That’s at the very heart of workflow automation.
Helping you find time for stuff that actually generates value while leaving the monotonous, recurring administrative tasks to the computers.
We are living in an era where agility, flexibility and precise execution make all the difference. Because, what you have to offer, in all probability, at least fifty others also have.
If you are using Google Sheets for keeping a list of your clients and Trello for project management, won’t it be good if every time you add a new client a new Trello list is automatically created with the client’s name?
Or, if you are adding a new client to your CRM, won’t it be great if the same data automatically gets migrated to your invoicing software?
That’s what we mean by workflow automation.
This is a very basic example but this is how integration of SaaS products saves time.
Modern businesses, especially the ones operating remotely, use a stack of SaaS applications for seamless operation.
You have a CRM, an app for project management, another one to communicate with the team members, and then yet another for managing email lists.
Having to use all of these apps independently can be a pain. Integration takes this pain away.
It is expected that by the end of 2026, the global market for business workflow automation would bring in US$ 5,247.2 million revenue.
Better ROI!
What makes a successful business? Is it the best infrastructure? Or, is it how much you have invested or are ready to invest?
Do you feel that a business can be successful using limited resources as well?
The answer is YES!
If you, as a business manager/owner, know where to invest your resources – you win.
If you understand and can visualize how to optimally use all the resources you have (human + material), you win.
Integration of SaaS applications allows you to increase your operational efficiency.
You have an improved employee experience. Your human resources are vested into tasks that actually matter.
You don’t need to hire two full-time software developers just because one of them is unable to complete the tasks on time due to additional administrative duties.
And, not to forget SaaS integration lets you minimize the errors.
With everything automated, you can’t miss any deadlines, or updates.
Data flows freely between integrated applications without you having to worry about it or keeping a manual check on everything.
Businesses have been desperately looking for ways to boost performance. Integration of different SaaS products is the way.
No Larger Than Life Investment
SaaS operates on an on-the-go pay model.
Likewise, if you have multiple SaaS applications integrated, you get rid of the individual IT maintenance costs or any upfront fees.
All you need to pay is for the holistic maintenance of the integrated grid of the SaaS applications you use.
This is pretty much like a monthly or annual subscription fee to use CRM as a service, and a lot less than what it’d have cost you to have an entire in-house maintenance team.
Thus, while you are enhancing the operational efficiency, you are also saving cost – something great for budding businesses.
Businesses taking the integrated SaaS business model route are increasing in number with each passing year.
Reasons are clear. It’s beneficial and is the future.
- It saves time and resources.
- It minimizes errors, delays and inaccuracies.
- It prevents any security, compliance and governance issues.
- It boosts employee engagement and productivity.
- It boosts ROI with better usage of human and material resources.
- It centralized management of data and makes it more easily accessible.
- It requires comparatively lesser involvement of maintenance guys.
The age-old models are more or less done with. And, if you haven’t taken the leap as yet, it’s high time you should.
