Sustaining service quality for SaaS products

SaaS (Software as a Service) has become a popular choice for businesses seeking to leverage software applications with greater flexibility and efficiency. However, to ensure customer satisfaction and business success, providing high-quality SaaS services is essential.

1. What is SaaS? Trends in SaaS application development

SaaS (Software as a Service) is one of the most popular types of cloud computing on the market in this day and age. This software can be understood as a software application service delivery model. Rather than selling software as a product, SaaS suppliers offer services under a range of software solutions. Additionally, SaaS can be defined as the process by which a supplier develops and maintains software with cross-industry services that are paid for by users.

Amidst the robust growth of cloud computing-based services, Software as a Service (SaaS) solutions have also been widely and increasingly promoted around the world. According to a report by Gartner, the global SaaS market increased by 17.4% in 2022, reaching USD 154.6 billion. Major companies, including Amazon Web Services, Oracle, Adobe Creative Cloud, Slack, Dropbox, Google, IBM, Microsoft, ServiceNow, and others, have deployed SaaS software.

In Vietnam, according to research conducted in 2016 by the Asian Cloud Computing Association, Vietnam was a country with strong development that ranked 14th in the continent. Currently, the development of the SaaS model is also growing in terms of market value, service delivery, and the number of providers. Given the advantages of SaaS services, which include cost savings, flexibility, and ease of use, this model will undoubtedly grow strongly in the coming years. 

2. Customer demand for high-quality services

Due to the characteristics of SaaS services, customers demand high quality from the services they use, which presents significant challenges for providers.

Key requirements for SaaS services include:

• Quality software features
• Anytime, anyplace, on any device 
• Data security for customers

2.1. Software features: 

First, the software is required to have the widest coverage for the operation it is intended for, ensuring it can serve the majority of customers in a particular field. Next, customers will always have new business needs, demanding the development of new software features, not to mention requests to increase convenience or optimize the user experience.

2.2. Anytime, anyplace, on any device: 

Convenience and speed in using applications are key features that help users optimize their experience. The service must guarantee stability and continuity, both in terms of the service’s availability and stability as well as the accessibility of user support resources.

2.3. Data security for customers: 

As property appropriation and fraud resulting from data theft are on the rise, not just in Vietnam but globally, ensuring customer data security is vital to providing SaaS services. Customers should have complete confidence that their data is stored properly and securely.

3. Quality management standardization for SaaS services:

SaaS service quality management is an extended definition of quality management and IT service quality management with an emphasis on the specific field of SaaS services. SaaS service quality management employs a quality management model to address different quality-related aspects and perspectives to satisfy customer needs as well as internal organizational requirements, including management qualifications and management processes.

A widely used framework applied in IT service management is ITIL (Information Technology Infrastructure Library). Despite the unique characteristics of SaaS services, it is possible to apply ITIL rules for management to ensure service quality for this type. Besides, the ISO/IEC 20000 standard is a commonly used standard to evaluate an organization’s level of maturity in IT service quality management.

Standardizing quality management in general requires four steps: Planning – Deployment – Control – Improvement

• During the Planning step, service providers need to plan quality targets based on strategic goals for service, and for customer and stakeholder requirements. 
• The next step, Deployment, requires the service providers to re-evaluate every element of their service offering, including management processes, service infrastructure, personnel, etc., to compare them to the targets and identify any differences.
• In the Control step, service providers must identify the reasons behind any differences against user requirements.
• The Improvement step involves a plan to fix and improve the quality of services provided to users so they will have satisfying experiences and be willing to pay for SaaS software developed by the companies.

Throughout the process, certain internal activities—such as customer needs analysis, technical infrastructure management, purchasing, managing product development and upgrades —need to follow specific rules for each activity.

4. Quality management standardization practices of SaaS services at FPT IS

From 2012 to 2015, FPT IS started early research and applied ITIL to the administration of providing technology system management services to customers. Many FPT IS experts currently hold this quality certificate. The implementation of ITIL has contributed to the higher recognition of FPT IS’s system management services in recent years among customers such as Vietcombank, Metlife, and others.

In 2023, FPT IS successfully attained ISO/EIC 20000 certification for its technology management services, making it the first certification of its kind in Vietnam.

In 2024, FPT IS will continue to apply ITIL and ISO/EIC 20000 standards to existing SaaS products and future products sụch as eInvoice – electronic invoice or eSign – digital signature solutions.

With established infrastructure, globally recognized management capacity, and a skilled workforce, FPT IS enters the great playground with confidence: GLOBALIZATION.

Exclusive article by FPT IS technology experts Le Thi Thuy, Senior Technology Service Management and Project Management Expert