SaaS is the future of innovation
An innovator never runs out of ideas. Whether they’re coming up with the next disrupting concept or figuring out ways to improve and optimize their operations, innovators are trying to make things better. The opportunities for change and improvement are endless.
It’s not a one-person operation though. Innovators need suppliers, partners, engineers and designers. They need a team to work cohesively in an ecosystem that promotes collaboration.
In a time of geopolitical tension, every company from small startups with a handful of employees to large, bureaucratic enterprises experience volatility. There is an increasing need to be more flexible and agile in order to change with customer requirements, regulations and demands.
Glocalization is changing what customers expect from the companies they work with. Orders are no longer good enough as a one-sized-fits-all but must accommodate the region in which the product is intended. For instance, agricultural equipment must be designed to satisfy the local regulations, laws and environment in which it serves whether it’s the winery regions of Portugal or the corn fields of Iowa. On top of that, sustainability and decarbonization needs are creating a shift in companies’ mindsets in how to design and produce in an environmentally friendly way.
To do this, companies need to look for the digital tools that can maximize efficiency while ensuring their teams can collaborate, access the software and services they need when they need them, and rely on a single source of truth in which all stakeholders can operate from.
Software as a Service (SaaS) benefits at a glance
Software as a Service, also known as SaaS, can address many of the global trends industrial companies are dealing with. SaaS is subscription-based access to software from an internet browser. It’s a gamechanger in innovation because of its ease-of-accessibility and the freedom to scale the software and services as you need them. Also, with SaaS, you’re often not beholden to a collection of services and solutions in which you only use a handful of offerings.
Some of the benefits SaaS include:
- IT infrastructure doesn’t have to be on-premises
- Open software through the internet so downloading programs and sending/receiving updated working files are no longer necessary
- Accessibility of a single source of truth so teams are working on the most up-to-date iteration all the time
- The ability to retrieve your projects, data and information anytime from anywhere, on any device that has an internet connection
- Ensure control over access of data and information for IP protection even when sharing with suppliers, vendors, customers, etc.
- Security managed by the SaaS company and not by an in-house employee; think police force protection versus security guard.
Connection to the cloud and the opportunity to subscribe to software and services based on your needs helps your organization operate with flexibility, scalability and reliability.
It’s because of these benefits and the evolution into the digital future that Siemens offers its best-in-class software and services via Siemens Xcelerator as a Service, part of the Siemens Xcelerator business platform
With SaaS, companies of all sizes will find it easier to embrace digital transformation, collaborate more efficiently and remain competitive on a global scale.
Read part two of this blog series: Accelerate digital transformation with the benefits of SaaS now and learn more about the scalability, flexibility and accessibility of digital transformation and how companies are investing in the digital future with cloud-based Software as a Service.
Check out these resources to learn more about digital transformation:
What will it take for people to accept digitalization and its benefits?
The technological skills gap is a growing problem. Here’s how digitalization can help.
