1. Why Software as a Service
requires a new approach to
Application Management
Achieving
the promise

2. 2Copyright © 2016 Accenture All rights reserved.
They seek breakthrough results as
applications become increasingly powerful
and the security and scalability of the cloud
more reliable.
Organizations are turning to
the cloud first for core
business functions.
Broader SaaS adoption requires
organizational and operational change to
manage applications effectively.
It also demands a new approach to ongoing
application management to deliver the
business promise of SaaS.
Overview

3. 3Copyright © 2016 Accenture All rights reserved.
Software is taking
on a new role as a
key strategic asset
and a major source of
competitive differentiation.
Applications are
driving the pace of
change, managing new
business complexity
and helping
organizations respond
rapidly.
Cloud-based
applications with
built-in mobility and
analytics are essential
for enterprises to
adapt to new market
conditions.

4. 4Copyright © 2016 Accenture All rights reserved.
SaaS is increasingly a “must
have,” the software of choice
for many organizations.
Always on the most
recent release and
up-to-date with new
functionality and
innovations.
Built for High
Velocity
Measurable
technology and
business benefits for
many enterprises.
Cost effective
and flexible

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Realizing those benefits and
value is only possible if the
services are effectively—and
continuously—managed.
Managing this new,
hybrid ecosystem
requires a fresh
approach—and it’s a
challenge that
requires the business
to work with IT as
never before.
The reality is that
overall IT
environments are
becoming more, not
less, complex as a
result of hybrid
technologies.
There is a gap
between the speed
and agility of SaaS
applications and the
legacy systems they
operate alongside.

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The SaaS world is different,
and “go-live” is no longer
the only focus.
This improved
interaction combined
with increased
automation transforms
delivery, allowing IT to
rapidly evolve as
business needs change.
Business transformation
is a continual process
with value arising from
the ability to improve
and adapt as SaaS
vendors add features
and the businesses
themselves change.
IT is required to
become more, not less,
engaged with the
businesses, supporting
the realization of
ongoing value.

7. 7Copyright © 2016 Accenture All rights reserved.
New relationship and
reshaped roles between IT
and business required to
help make SaaS a success.
Required to make joint
decisions, throughout
the life of the
application.
Required to be
engaged and sitting at
the same table, right
from the earliest
planning stages of any
implementation—even
before making the
decision to adopt a
SaaS solution.

8. 8Copyright © 2016 Accenture All rights reserved.
Success with SaaS also
demands a new mind-set:
everything “right the first
time” no longer applies.
SaaS implementations:
embrace “good
enough” in the context
of iterative, adaptive
and ongoing
management – allows
changes to be
accommodated in
subsequent releases.
On-premise software
implementations: the
quest for the flawless
go-live, requiring
endless testing cycle
after
testing cycle.

9. 9Copyright © 2016 Accenture All rights reserved.
The SaaS vendor now controls
the schedule for releases.
Resources to support ongoing
SaaS updates and
improvements must be
considered upfront.
An integral
operational and
support model must
be developed in
parallel with any
SaaS
implementation.
Requires resources
who are comfortable
and conversant in
both business and IT
domains—resources
that are likely to be
scarce and
consequently in
high-demand.
Many will struggle
today with the in-
house resources they
will require to
managing frequent
SaaS updates and
avail themselves of
the benefits
provided by new
features.
Finding ways to
train, recruit or
source those key
resources and
experience from
third parties must
therefore become a
priority.

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As SaaS moves rapidly from
fringe to mainstream,
enterprises are understandably
anxious to reap the benefits
it offers.
They recognize the
major role that SaaS
will play in helping
them to become more
agile, responsive and
innovative.
But to realize that
vision, enterprises will
be required to move to
a fundamentally
different model and a
new approach to
application
management—with the
resources to match.

11. 11Copyright © 2016 Accenture All rights reserved.
Support organization should be scalable and
able to deliver short burst projects.
Accenture has discovered
a number of critical success
factors in delivering
application management
for SaaS.
Clearly define support roles and verify
alignment with SaaS requirements.
Equip support organization with the right
technology skills and agile methodology.
Top Factors
Use global solution factories to support
the entire suite of SaaS applications.
Use intelligent tools that harvest previous
experience to consistently achieve
productivity benefits, quality control, cost
improvement and operational efficiencies.
Create an organizational framework for
continuous improvement that can harness
ongoing SaaS innovations.

12. 12Copyright © 2016 Accenture All rights reserved.
For more information contact us:
Saideep Raj
Global Cloud First Lead
Managing Director, Accenture
saideep.raj@accenture.com
https://www.linkedin.com/saideep-raj-1a-11257
www.accenture.com/AMforSaaS
12Copyright © 2016 Accenture All rights reserved.