SaaS (Software as a Service) has become an essential part of the digital business landscape. By placing software applications in the cloud, organizations can increase efficiency, reduce costs, and benefit from improved functionality as well as anytime, anywhere accessibility.
Implementing SaaS cloud computing also demonstrates a willingness to keep up with advances in modern technology. However, these benefits are accompanied by specific challenges, which must be understood and addressed if the SaaS deployment is to be achieved on time and within budget.
We’ll examine four key challenges of SaaS deployments and outline how Sierra-Cedar can help you attain a successful SaaS rollout.
How to deploy your existing team on the new project
One of the best ways to realize a timely and successful SaaS project rollout is by utilizing the expertise of your existing support team. The IT staff and other personnel who have worked in your PeopleSoft environment have an in-depth understanding of your organization’s business requirements that can complement the knowledge and skill set of the implementation team.
Sierra-Cedar can provide resources to backfill IT and support staff, including team leads, PeopleSoft administrators, functional, and technical personnel. Your key support team members will then be freed up to focus more extensively on the SaaS deployment.
How to prepare accurate data for the new system
Poor quality and inaccurate data can cause delays in the deployment of your cloud implementation, so data cleansing is crucial to any project. This process usually involves considerable time and effort from your departmental staff and IT personnel.
While data cleansing and extraction is a joint effort, Sierra-Cedar can help to streamline this step of your SaaS implementation plan. We can help you pull data from your PeopleSoft environment using a library of data scripts that can be individually tailored to your system’s unique customization. The data can then be cleansed and converted for use in the new system. This comprehensive approach reduces time spent by your IT and line of business staff, allowing them to focus more on the new SaaS installation.
How to plan for legacy data accessibility
Once the new SaaS applications have been fully deployed, maintaining access to legacy on-premise data for queries and reporting purposes is essential. Sierra-Cedar can establish a legacy PeopleSoft environment hosted on Amazon Web Services, allowing read-only access for a small group of users.
Sierra-Cedar can also migrate legacy on-premise data into a cloud storage environment or an on-premises server. The data can be stored in the appropriate SQL data structure to maintain compatibility with your IT department’s preferred reporting tools.
How to set your organization up for success
Following go-live, customers often realize the need for additional assistance to take full advantage of everything cloud applications can offer. Sierra-Cedar offers a robust and tailored Optimization Program designed to help you realize value from your cloud applications. Our program can help your organization mitigate risk by setting your team and systems up for success.
As with any major project, there are significant challenges to be considered when planning a move from PeopleSoft or on-premise applications to SaaS. Whether you are interested in one or more of the services we offer, working with Sierra-Cedar will provide you with the access to the technical, functional, and logistical resources you need to meet these challenges.
Contact us today on our website or via email: contact@sierra-cedar.com