SaaS is quite the buzzword these days, but for those of us who may not be au fait with ‘tech speak’ – what does this actually mean? One of our fellow SaaS providers, Salesforce, explain this simply: ‘Software as a Service or SaaS is a way of delivering applications over the Internet – as a service.’
An increasing amount of businesses globally are going down the SaaS route and it’s easy to see why with these benefits on offer.
No expensive servers or hardware needed
The days of purchasing software that needed installing onto specific hardware are long gone (though we kind of miss floppy disks and CD-ROMs). Most SaaS systems are hosted in the cloud and accessible through an internet connection. Here at Shield Safety, we use Microsoft Azure to host our award-winning SaaS safety management system, Compliance Centre, and it’s accessible on any mobile or desktop device. All you need is a web browser with connectivity – in a nutshell, if you can access Google, you can access Compliance Centre (other search engines are available).
Accessible any time, any place
The easy access of a SaaS system means that software fits in with the ‘on-the-go’ lifestyle that so many of us lead. Research compiled by Better Buys, as reported by Virtual DCS, shows that ‘43% of small business owners use mobile devices as the primary technology for running their business operations so the growing use of SaaS is no surprise. SaaS also fits in perfectly with increasing remote working and globalisation of the workforce, as you can log on anywhere.
Data availability
Data availability, defined by Techopedia as ‘the process of ensuring that data is available to end-users and applications, when and where they need it’ is key in ensuring SaaS systems keep their accessibility factor and also meet business needs. With most systems using a cloud-hosted data source, service levels are usually high in this area. We are proud to offer 99.95% data availability, with back-ups taken daily.
One central location
We saw first-hand from going into multi-site businesses the difficulties that people face trying to manage vital documentation and ensure everyone is quite literally ‘on the same page’. With a SaaS system, such as Compliance Centre, you are given one central location for all of this information. Not only does this mean you no longer need to spend those precious minutes looking for paperwork, which can be crucial in the event of an Official Officer Visit or similar, you can also ensure version control is consistent and everyone is referring to the same document.
Painless upgrades
Familiar with the ‘Software update available’ message across various devices? That might even come with a cost attached? With SaaS systems, these are a thing of the past as all upgrades are done on the side of the provider and usually carried out seamlessly so you won’t notice a thing, apart from a new and improved experience. We release our updates on a monthly cycle to accelerate feature delivery, with no physical updates required.
Time saved, money saved
With employment costs on the rise, streamlining processes to save your workforce time is only going to save you money in the long run. Introducing SaaS in your business can do just that. For example, Compliance Centre eliminates the need for manual, paper-based Food, Fire and Health & Safety checks & procedures, saving our clients hours of time each month. The systems are often quick to set up and easy to implement throughout an organisation too.
All of these are encompassed by low costs that SaaS systems offer compared to traditional models of hardware and software licensing. Is it time your business caught up with the trend and started taking advantage of SaaS benefits?
Our award-winning SaaS based safety management system, Compliance Centre, offers all of the above and more by calculating an overall risk status across your business, improving visibility. Contact one of our friendly advisors on 0203 740 3744 or email sales@shieldsafety.co.uk to book your demo today.
The information contained in this blog article has been created for marketing purposes and is not official guidance and should not be used as a substitute for official Food Safety, Fire Safety and Health & Safety advice. Shield Safety take no responsibility if the information in the blog article is used to form part of a safety management system or used to form part of any legal or regulatory compliance for your business. For official guidance and to engage with Shield Safety services please do call our team on 020 3740 3744 or email hello@shieldsafety.co.uk.
