SaaS is something you may hear of from time to time. But what exactly is that? Software as a Service (SaaS) is an approach where you don’t have to buy and possess software permanently. Instead, whatever software packages you need will be provided pay-as-you-go.
So, instead of purchasing the software even when you don’t need it, SaaS allows you to rent it for the required duration. The offering also eliminates licensing and compliance issues, as the SaaS provider or the MSP you have hired takes care of them.
While it may give you the impression that these software packages, which you would seek once in a blue moon, SaaS is something that most companies regularly use worldwide. SaaS usage provides you with software that is ready to be used. It gives you control over your hardware as you configure the hardware supporting the software.
In addition, these SaaS models add value to your business with their simplistic subscription model. So, in this blog, we shall explore why you should use SaaS tools and what tools are preferred for what services.
Advantages of Using SaaS Tools
Gone are the days when you had to bargain and pay hefty prices for software packages that would later become redundant. Instead, this saves you time by allowing you to use the latest solutions installed and maintained by the MSP.
The software you would rope in would allow you to share it with numerous clients, and you would not have to configure it every time you share with these SaaS tools. This option saves you time and money. And, given the easy management of the tools, they are easily scalable, which facilitates furthering your business goals better than before.
Today, we have plenty of SaaS tools for almost every task. This is both a welcome and unwelcome development as the former gives you a choice to use whichever tool you want, but the extreme variety of tools would confuse you. The latter shall only set you back by eating away your time; you will incur unwanted expenses if you choose wrong. So, to avoid that, let’s look at the tools.
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What makes these tools ‘Best’?
Today, speed and reliability are key aspects that make them suitable. But the ‘best’ should allow innovation through collaboration and have the capacity to shoulder various essential tasks. Whether project management or large-scale mail, the tools should not flinch when subjected to a large amount of pressure and should not buckle, which sets them apart from the standard tools.
So, let’s dig into the best tools for the most used services.
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1) Trello: Project Management Tool
Project management is one of the product’s most crucial aspects. From deciding the rollout of the update to how the product lifecycle should be implemented, a lot of action occurs in project management. Realizing its potential, Trello forayed and made its mark as a SaaS project management tool.
Trello, a popular tool, uses the Kanban method to improve and ease the interactions between project members and vital people. The tool has a board allowing the project members to visualize the roadmap. In other words, every board is divided into columns with different processes listed in it. These columns will help the members list and understand what’s done and what remains to be completed.
2) Zoom: Video Conferencing Tool
COVID-19 popularized Zoom, the video conferencing utility you and your kids used immensely. The primary advantage was its low latency network and the feature that a great deal could be done with paying a buck. While a paid version of Zoom exists, most users didn’t see the need for it, as a lot can be achieved with short-duration calls. However, it is wise to go for the paid version if you see the need for it.
Zoom is a collaboration tool that works on any platform and has various features that foster collaboration. It is also pretty easy to use. From screen sharing to participant control, Zoom is one of the most popular collaboration tools.
There are other variants, such as MS Teams and Google Meet tools, which you can rely upon should you decide not to use Zoom for reasons best known to you.
3) Slack: Communication Tool
First off, Slack’s notification sound is rather addictive. However, Slack packs more than a notification sounds, as it is one of the most preferred communication tools. Its UI makes the chatting and sharing easy, features favored by companies where documents are regularly transferred among themselves and external parties. In addition, one can engage in both video and audio calls which boost collaboration. Be it group creation or its numerous integrations, Slack can be your preferred communications tool as it allows you to connect beyond Slack, as users can use MS Teams through Slack Connect.
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4) Mailchimp: Mailing Tool
Mailchimp is software that allows you to mail to many mail recipients. In addition, the online marketing tool allows you to automate mail deliveries and manage ad campaigns. The tool is compatible with multiple platforms, and various users, ranging from freelancers to massive organizations, prefer Mailchimp as their mailing tool.
5) Zendesk: Help Desk Software
Zendesk is the bridge between the company and its customers. While most companies use Zendesk as help desk software, it can also be used for business leads. In plain language, Zendesk is a tool that aims to simplify client support. It possesses enough capabilities to blend data and engagements from various platforms. One of the offerings from Zendesk is the Sunshine CRM platform, which lends a holistic view of the data. However, you should know that the available tool is no free version.
6) Top Document Management Tool: Google Drive
This tool probably doesn’t even need an introduction, as most, if not all, have used Google Drive at some point. From regular documents to video files to storage of files in any format, one can create a shareable link for viewing and downloading purposes. The drive’s advantage is that one can configure the permissions, which can share the essential viewing permission and lend the user the permission to download and edit the files.
Additionally, the fast upload and download speeds are pretty reliable. The users get 15 GB of storage, which is quite a lot if you only indulge in document sharing, but if your files are of massive sizes, you will likely exhaust the 15 GB in no time, and you would have to go to the paid version. Finally, the drive can be used from any OS and requires a browser alone is enough to upload the files.
7) Salesforce Sales Cloud: Customer Relationship Management tool
DevOps for CRM speeds the agile cycle and assures productivity while developing CRM modules. Salesforce Service Cloud, commonly known as Salesforce Ticketing System, is a flexible CRM that gives customers a 360-degree picture of their business. The tool’s advantages are the capacity to serve huge enterprises and the Salesforce CRM, which contains many configurable features and cases instead of tickets. However, CRM is rather complicated for novice users, and this solution is unsuitable for businesses looking for free solutions.
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8) Tableau: Analytics tools
By monitoring performance, marketing analytics tools help firms to oversee, analyze, and govern their marketing operations. As a renowned leader in analytics, Tableau supports people and organizations in becoming more data-driven by demonstrating the ROI of produced software. It works on various platforms and includes complex and basic visualizations like histograms and Gantt charts. Tableau is also a prominent participant as a BI tool because of its drag-and-drop feature.
Another tool worth mentioning is Semrush, a popular SaaS tool for managing internet reputation. This application’s most significant benefit is its efficient platform, which allows you to follow competitor information. However, this has the drawback of requiring 100 percent exact search filters for the tool to deliver correct results.
Capping it off
The tools listed here are just some of the best SaaS tools. In addition, various tools are available for the same service. For instance, Zendesk also provides tools similar to Salesforce Sales Cloud. While that choice eases things greatly, it also consumes much time, and a poor choice will saddle you with burgeoning bills. These are some of the reasons why one opts for an MSP.
Veritis, the Stevie Award winner, has advised companies of various scales. Whether cloud solutions or any other IT solutions, Veritis has enough expertise to dole out sublime solutions that surpass your expectations. So, reach out to us, and let’s embark on a productive journey.
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