As enterprises begin to eagerly experiment with cloud software solutions to pioneer their business to new levels, it is important to clarify the value it brings to your business and the requirements needed for successful implementation.

Here are 6 key factors to consider when picking a SaaS provider for your enterprise:

1. Prioritizing Quality User Experience

As users are more willing than ever to experiment with different apps and software to suit their needs and maximize productivity, the stranglehold of IT-mandated enterprise software has been considerably reduced.

It is important for IT departments to analyze the enterprise SaaS solution they are choosing from the user’s perspective and whether it can really offer the best experience over other alternative software in the market.

2. Less is More

The true appeal of a cloud computing solutions lies in its simplicity and ease of implementation. A convoluted and excessively feature-packed SaaS solution may not be the smartest product to market to enterprises that prefer products with a smooth learning curve and shorter roll-out period.

3. Updates that Don’t Slow You Down

Enterprises are on the hunt for definitive SaaS solutions that can streamline updates and eliminate the need of extensive downtimes or require employees to be retrained.

A vendor that can guarantee a SaaS solution that can reduce any disruption in productivity is the right provider to choose.

4. Minimal Initial Investments

SaaS solutions are subscription-based services that solely affect your operational expense budget. This puts the financial ball in your court since you are free from bearing the burden of hefty initial investments, extensive training periods and long roll-out plans. You pay for exactly what you order – nothing more, nothing less.

5. Symbiotic Success Model

The lack of upfront costs is a great benefit to earn the trust of enterprises for SaaS vendors. It becomes a natural, motivating factor for SaaS providers to deliver value for the money paid to them. You don’t have to worry about unintentionally investing in any useless software and will be able to have much more transparency on the terms of your working relationship with the vendor.

6. Crossing your T’s

Before you sign any contract, ensure understand your vendor and know you can put your faith in their hands. This includes:

Trust: A successful long-term business relationship is built on trust and reputation. It is quintessential to select a SaaS vendor with enough expertise to ensure you aren’t just banking your business growth on hollow, grandiose claims.

Security and Compliance Standards: You should pick a SaaS vendor who offers a secure and well-managed platform to protect your enterprise data. It is equally essential to ensure they abide by all your enterprise compliance policies.

Transparency: Proactive communication with your SaaS vendor is pivotal to the smooth workflow of your enterprise. Staying up to date with any upcoming updates and taking suitable anticipatory measures will help you retain your enterprise’s competitive edge.

Research for aspects of this post were provided by enterprise software solution provider Rand Group out of Houston, Texas.