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Category: SaaS (Software-as-a-Service)

How to Automate Your Sales Funnel and Win More Business

Posted on by Epic IT Automations

Your sales cycle is one of the most important functions in your business so it’s vital that it is efficient so that you can convert more sales and win more business.

We have already covered how to automate your marketing tasks so this article concentrates on pushing these leads through the sales funnel to turn them into paying customers.

Why should you automate your sales processes?

The reasons for automating sales processes are the same as the reasons for automating all the other departments in your business.

Firstly, automation will save time and reduce errors. No matter how efficient your team is, they will make a mistake every so often from mis-keying data when copying it from one system into another, or someone will forget to follow up a lead, or reply to an enquiry. Automation removes that risk, and also speeds up processes because computers work so much quicker than humans!

Secondly, it makes your staff happier! People find repetitive manual tasks boring, so if you can free them up to do the more exciting stuff then they will be more contented in their work. They will also get time to be more creative, and concentrate on tasks which need a human touch.

Finally, you’ll make more money! Automation brings better customer service, so your retention rates will improve. You’ll cut costs which means your pricing can stay competitive, and being more efficient means you’ll be able to process more business in less time.

Which sales processes can be automated?

Using Zapier you can connect many different tools (over 6,000 currently!) so the chances are that you’ll be able to automate many of the apps you use on a daily basis.

Examples of sales processes which can be automated are:

  • Collecting data using webforms.
  • Booking appointments and scheduling meetings.
  • Managing leads.
  • Production of documents such as contracts and proposals, and collecting digital signatures.
  • Processing e-commerce sales.

Learning how to automate your sales funnel and making these processes more streamlined will save so much time, making sure nothing is forgotten, so you’ll win more business.

How to automate data collection using webforms

When a potential customer first contacts you, the chances are they’ll use a webform to enter some information, such as Gravity Forms, Google Forms or Typeform. There are many different form builders available and once the information has been collected they will then notify you via email that a new form entry is available. Webforms can be used for surveys too, or to collect email addresses to sign up for a newsletter.

Receiving an email notification for a new form entry is great but then the next step often involves copying that data into another system to then work on the lead. This can be time-consuming and carries a high risk of human error.

By automating data collection you can link your webform app to others, for example, to notify you and your team when a new entry has been submitted using apps such as Slack and SMS by Zapier.

You can automatically save the entry on a Google Drive or in Dropbox, or add it to your CRM such as Salesforce or Pipedrive. You can add it as a new row in a Google Sheet and add a task to your project management app such as Jira, Clickup or Trello.

You can visit Zapier to see the full list of form apps they connect with, and each one includes popular integrations if you’re looking for inspiration.

How to automate appointment bookings and scheduling processes

Most businesses book meetings or appointments with potential customers, for that vital first chat with someone looking to spend some money with you. It could be a free ‘discovery call’ or an appointment with an in-person business such as a dog walker or massage therapist.

The traditional way of doing this involves an email conversation about availability and then setting up a video conference meeting. This involves a lot of human effort which can be avoided if you use one of the dedicated scheduling or appointment booking apps such as Acuity Scheduling or Calendly. Your CRM might also offer this functionality, if you use Pipedrive, Zoho CRM or HubSpot for example.

If it’s a virtual appointment then the apps above will likely connect with your video conference provider such as Zoom or Google Meet. This is brilliant as it will set up the conferencing details and you can then trigger reminders to attendees the day before. You can also integrate it with your calendar such as Google Calendar or Microsoft Outlook.

Here is the full list of scheduling apps supported by Zapier.

How to automate lead management

If you use a CRM such as Salesforce or Pipedrive then your customer data will be held in one central place and you will be able to create ‘leads’ or ‘opportunities’. These can then be followed up and taken through your sales funnel via contact by email, phone or other means.

The activities in your sales cycle can be automated by sending emails, connecting with your calendar or managing support tickets.

You can automatically create invoices in apps such as QuickBooks Online or Xero, or add the contact to your email platform, for example, Active Campaign or Mailchimp.

If you don’t use a CRM then you can still manage customers centrally by setting them up in apps such as Airtable or even a simple Google Sheet.

Here is the full list of CRM apps that Zapier connects.

How to automate contract and proposal production

Most businesses have some kind of document that they send customers before they can do business with them. This often involves creating a document in a word processing app, saving it as a PDF, and emailing it to the prospective customer. They then need to physically sign it and then send it back. These steps can be time-consuming and prone to delay. You might even lose the deal at this point because the process is so onerous to your potential customer. You can speed it all up brilliantly using automation, to save time and win more business.

There are specialist apps which make document creation and signing really easy, and you can create bespoke contracts, proposals and quotes quickly. Using e-signature functionality means that customers save time too, and hassle, so it’s a win-win!

Examples of apps which do this type of document processing include PandaDoc, HelloSign and DocuSign.

Automations allow you to create a draft document, send it to the recipient and then mark it as complete once it’s signed. Once this has been done you can trigger further workflows to connect with invoicing apps to send an invoice, and notify your team via Slack or SMS by Zapier. You can store the final document in Google Drive or Dropbox.

Here is the full list of e-signature apps that Zapier connects.

How to automate e-commerce sales

If you sell physical or digital products online then there’s a good chance your sales processes are pretty slick already, thanks to the array of e-commerce apps available.

If that’s the case then don’t rest on your laurels because there could still be some manual tasks in your sales process which could be streamlined using automation.

Apps such as WooCommerce, Shopify, ThriveCart and SamCart offer e-commerce store and sales cart functionality. There are online course platforms such as Kajabi and Thinkific and platforms like eBay and Gumroad which can be automated using Zapier. You can link them to spreadsheets, invoice apps and email platforms to send the data automatically and update them.

For example, adding new sales contacts to Active Campaign or Mailchimp, creating invoices in QuickBooks Online or Xero, and add rows to Airtable or Google Sheets.

Here is the full list of e-commerce apps that Zapier connects.

If you are ready to automate your sales funnel, give Epic IT Automations a call at 608-496-8660! We’ll help you identify which sales processes within your business can be automated and how to get started.

Source: Solvaa

What Is Business Consulting and What Advantages Does It Provide?

Posted on by Epic IT Automations

Consulting is notorious for being one of those jobs your friends don’t understand. If you’ve ever been interested in consulting but too afraid to ask what it entails, we’ve got you.

What Is a Business Consultant?

‌A business consultant is an individual who works closely with business owners and managers who want to improve operations and efficiency, grow their businesses or maintain existing positive trends.

Business consultants act as partners in identifying and overcoming the obstacles that arise along a company’s path to meet its goals.

What Does a Business Consultant Do?

There are consultants who specialize in specific industries, while others take a more general approach. Specific services vary by consulting firm, but here are some of the most common responsibilities of a consultant:

  • Identify obstacles preventing growth or efficiency
  • ‌Pinpoint opportunities for change and help implement changes
  • Provide training and resources to staff and management
  • Bring out-of-the-box ideas to refresh processes or establish workflows
  • Assist in business planning and creating new businesses
  • Assess, hire and fire staff as necessary
  • Implement new programs
  • Analyze a company’s budget, suggest adjustments and implement suggestions
  • Locate vendors and partners

What Kinds of Businesses Need a Consultant?

Nearly any business can benefit from hiring a business consultant. Here are a few examples of scenarios in which a consultant might assist in various stages of growth or facing a range of challenges.

  • Startups can complete the planning phase and get a strong initial boost using third-party data analysis.
  • Growth-stage businesses can access a fresh perspective as they advance and try out new strategies.
  • ‌Organizations that are not meeting their financial goals can dig deeply into their accounting history and practices.
  • ‌Companies adding a new department can get support with setup and staffing.

What Are the Advantages of Business Consultants?

Having gathered insights and expertise from many clients and industries, consultants often have more and different resources than internal employees. Their “bird’s eye view” can complement the experience of seasoned business managers and owners. An outsider is often better at pinpointing strengths or weaknesses than someone entrenched in a business.

There are some cases in which consultants can also make processes much faster. Especially when a team is building a new campaign or business plan, a consultant can come in with clear steps and assignments right away. Many also have a strong network of service providers and external resources.

Whether the focus is a budget adjustment, a sales revamp or a marketing initiative, business consultants tend to generate a wealth of creative solutions.

What Tools Do Business Consultants Use?

‌Being a business consultant requires a lot of planning, researching and organizing. The right tools can help consultants perform at their best. Below are five of the most important categories of tech in consulting.

1. CRM Software

‌CRM software is for more than keeping track of client information and interactions, sharing files and tracking lead progress. With accurate data attached to a client record, it should ultimately help develop strong relationships and support accurate internal and external communication.

2. Proposal Software

‌Consultants send business proposals regularly, so using a platform that provides templates can save hours. Proposal software also maintains consistency in branding and style.

3. Project Management Tools

‌Most business consultants manage several different clients at a time — and multiple projects for each client. Ideally, they need project management tools built to support client-based businesses. ‌

4. Time-Tracking Tool

‌A business consultant typically charges by the hour, so keeping up with billable hours is a foundational aspect of consulting. Moreover, these hours need to be tracked per client and per project.

5. Cloud Automation Software

‌Automated work management software like Accelo can streamline your workflow and simplify your days. By integrating current apps into a single platform, business consultants can easily manage sales, projects and more — no matter where they are.

If you think you can benefit from hiring a business consultant, give Epic IT Automations a call! We’ll help you identify obstacles preventing your business growth or efficiency and help you pinpoint opportunities for change and help implement changes.

Source: Accelo

7 Reasons to Invest in Your Employees Learning Automation

Posted on by Epic IT Automations

In today’s increasingly competitive market, businesses should be looking at ways to keep employees engaged as well as maximize profit. One way of achieving both these goals is by investing in your employees learning automation. Not only does it upskill your staff but introducing automated processes makes the business more efficient, saves money, and increases profits.  It’s a win-win!

According to a recent McKinsey report, “over the next ten to 15 years, the adoption of automation and AI technologies will transform the workplace…”. They also say that “these technologies will bring numerous benefits in the form of higher productivity, GDP growth, improved corporate performance and new prosperity…”. And finally, “to harness the new technologies to their full effect, companies will need to retool their corporate structures and their approaches to work. That change will require redesigned business processes and a new focus on the talent they have – and the talent they need…”.

So here are our top seven reasons why you should invest in your employees learning automation:

1. You don’t need a highly skilled IT team for automation

The first reason to invest in your employees learning automation is that it will save money as you won’t need to hire an expensive development team. Modern digital tools like Zapier are no-code applications that don’t require highly-skilled programmers to deliver streamlined, integrated systems. The employees who are doing the day-to-day tasks are the ones who are best placed to automate them. They will know better than anyone where efficiencies can be made, which systems are being used, and how to optimize their processes.

2. Increased productivity

If you invest in your employees learning automation then they will achieve higher productivity. Removing manual effort means they have more time to focus on being creative and supporting your business goals. This has many benefits, from lower costs and happier customers to increased profits.

3. Better data

If employees are fluent in automation then they will be able to spot opportunities for tracking data, and it won’t take any extra time to capture it once it has been set up. With Zapier it’s easy to configure triggers to count activities, sales, visitors, transactions, expenses, just about anything! Once you have the data then you can also use Zapier to help with analysis by triggering information to be sent to spreadsheets and databases, or even retrieving data from Google Analytics. Reports can be delivered seamlessly to the right people and monitored on an ongoing basis.

4. Scale your business

If employees are bogged down with manual tasks then it’s hard to scale without increasing the size of the team. Recruiting extra people is expensive and is not a great long-term strategy for growing a business unless the tasks can only be done by a human. A better idea is to invest in automation training, then systematize repetitive manual tasks so that staff can concentrate on business growth.

5. Improve efficiency

If your employees are confident automating processes then it makes everything run more smoothly, more efficiently.  If you have invested in automation training then it will open their minds about new opportunities for streamlining the business. Things like work allocation, approvals, reviews, managing project tasks and marketing activities are just some of the day-to-day tasks which could benefit from automation. Zapier is so flexible and connects over 6,000 apps which are used in businesses every day, so the chances are there are many of the systems in your own business included. Automation will help you compete in a global marketplace and will help achieve an improvement in overall corporate performance.

6. Better culture

Investing in any training has the benefit of improving your overall business culture. Having an ongoing learning program improves overall employee performance and job satisfaction as well as making staff more competent and confident.

Continuous training increases loyalty too as people can see that you’re investing in them, and also improves agility. Having a multiskilled, agile team will create a more flexible workforce.

7. Improve communication

Investing in your employees learning automation improves communication, both internal and external. Tools like Zapier integrate with many email, messaging, and other communication platforms that it is simple to automate notifications to anybody.

Internal apps such as Slack can be used to notify members of staff when key business milestones have been reached, when sales are made when a customer has contacted you – almost anything you can think of. If employees are aware of the power of Zapier then they will think of new ways of keeping everyone in the loop. External marketing activities can be automated, you can create a sales cadence for new business prospects, you can thank customers for paying invoices, and manage calendars and appointment setting.

If you are ready to introduce automation to your employees and daily business processes but don’t know where to start or what technology is best, give us a call at 608-496-8660 to talk with one of our experienced consultants. We’re happy to get you on the right track!

Source: Solvaa

Not sure when to automate a task? Start here.

Posted on by Epic IT Automations

Chances are you’ve automated something without even realizing it.

Do you get an automatic email before calendar events start? That’s automation. Do you get a text alert when it’s almost time to renew a prescription or to remind you about an upcoming appointment? Automation again!

But if you aren’t used to building automated workflows on your own, it can be daunting to think about how you might use automation to save time for yourself, either for your personal life or your business processes. How do you decide what to automate? What can you do better by not doing it yourself? Where do you even start?

We asked Zapier superusers and employees about how they know when to automate a task. Here’s what they had to say:

What is task automation?

Before we tell you when you should automate a task, it might be helpful to explain exactly what we mean when we talk about task automation. Task automation (also called workflow automation) is the act of streamlining and automating a series of tasks within the apps you use.

Automation boils down to a simple command: WHEN and DO. “When this happens, do that.” With a task automation tool like Zapier, even the most complex automation can be broken down into this simple command.

For example, if you want to automate some of your lead management tasks, you might set up a Zap—Zapier’s automated workflows—that follows this command: When you get a new email from a lead, then notify my sales team via a text. That’s task automation!

It’s a task you have to do frequently or on a schedule

When you’re trying to decide which aspects of your work you should automate, a great first question to ask is: What tasks do you perform the most frequently?

Tasks that need to be done often or on a set schedule are perfect for automation because the benefits are immediate. You’ll spend less time every day on repetitive tasks, which can quickly become burdensome or annoying.

“If it’s something I have to do three times, the odds are that I’ll have to do it a fourth and a fifth,” says Kristie Wirth, who works at Zapier as a data scientist. “When I’m tempted to add something as a recurring task in my to-do app, I know it’s probably a good fit for automation. Even if it’s just an annual thing, I’ll still take a stab at automating it.”

Similarly, front-end engineer Caleb Peterson says that he tries to identify the parts of his daily work that are repetitive but also frustrating to do manually.

“I’ll look at automating a task when it’s a part of my daily workflow that’s repetitive or obnoxious,” he says. “A great example is digging the meeting link or location out of my Google Calendar. I’ve got a Zap that drops the location of Google Calendar events into Slack, so I can just grab it right there—instead of having to hunt for it for every meeting I have in a day.”

It involves moving information between apps

Let’s be honest: copy-and-pasting is time-consuming and dreadfully dull. So are other manual ways of moving data, like exporting CSV files from one app and then importing them into another. And if you have to repeat the process multiple times over the course of a day or week, it quickly becomes unmanageable.

“When I’m deciding whether a task is a good fit for automation, I ask: Does it use software/SaaS products from start to finish?” explains Bryan Golkhajeh, a Zapier expert with Workload.

Tasks that involve moving data between apps are perfect for automation. For example, you can create new leads in your CRM whenever someone fills out a form on your website or subscribes to an email marketing campaign.

It’s boring and doesn’t require higher-order thinking

Another key thing to consider is whether a task truly needs a distinctly human touch. Does it require creativity, problem-solving skills, or emotional intelligence? If so, you might not want to automate it. But if it’s a boring, simple task that doesn’t require complex thinking, it could be easily handled by an automation tool like Zapier.

Andrew Davison, a Zapier expert at Luhhu, suggests identifying the tasks that you wish you didn’t have to do.

“Simply put, I ask:

  • Is this a task I do more than once per month?

  • Does it involve the same steps every time?

  • Do I wish I could be doing anything but this?”

It takes you away from what you really want to be doing

And that, ultimately, is the answer for most people: They automate tasks that keep them away from what they wish they would be doing.

Sometimes, those tradeoffs are business-critical functions.

“I consider how much time a task is taking away from core business functions, such as sales or talking to customers,” Golkhajeh says. “If the answer is more than 15 to 20 minutes a day, and it’s a rules-based process that uses software from start to finish, I’m already thinking of automating the heck out of it.”

He explains that, for him, automation isn’t just about saving a few minutes here and there. It’s about how that time adds up over the long term.

“All those little time blocks add up over the course of a year,” he says. “Just do that math: 15 minutes saved per workday, over 252 average workdays in a year, equals about 3,000 minutes saved. That’s more than 60 hours.”

If you are ready to start adding automation to your daily business processes but don’t know where to start or what technology is best, give us a call at 608-496-8660 to talk with one of our experienced consultants. We’re happy to get you on the right track!

Source: Zapier

How to automate ChatGPT

Posted on by Epic IT Automations

Add the power of ChatGPT to your Zapier workflows.

ChatGPT is many things. A conversationalist. A writing assistant. A summarizer. Even a translator. And while you can use it to do all of these things inside ChatGPT’s interface, Zapier’s ChatGPT integration lets you pull the power of AI into your workflows.

For example, want ChatGPT to automatically read your incoming emails—then write a draft response in Gmail? Or perhaps you want to build your own ChatGPT bot inside a workspace like Slack, so your whole team can ask questions and get responses without context-switching.

Whatever your use case, we’ll show you different ways to pull in the power of ChatGPT into your automated workflows—what we call Zaps.

What’s the difference between Zapier’s ChatGPT and OpenAI integrations?

There are a ton of different ways to use our ChatGPT integration, and some of them are quite similar to our OpenAI integration. But there are a couple of differences to keep in mind.

What’s pretty neat about that is the ChatGPT integration can remember conversations, so in certain instances you can build workflows with a memory. Say, for example, you’re building a Zap that has ChatGPT answer questions that are posted in a specific Slack Channel. You can set up the rules or basic knowledge (whatever company info or guidelines you want ChatGPT to abide by) within the Zap’s instructions field. Then, you just add a word to the memory key field (like RULES-THREAD_ID).

Now, every time the user asks a follow-up question in the same Slack Thread, ChatGPT will remember the user’s previous conversation history. If you build other Zaps with ChatGPT and want them to have the same context, all you need to do is add RULES-THREAD_ID into your memory key field and ChatGPT will remember those specific instructions for your new Zap.

For any workflow you set up with the ChatGPT integration, you can provide it with more tailored training instructions and incorporate important company information like FAQs, writing guidelines, or other rules you want ChatGPT to incorporate into its answers. It’s a pretty handy way to instruct ChatGPT to have better conversations versus just one-time prompts.

On the other hand, the OpenAI integration (which uses GPT-3) enables you to generate text but does not have built-in conversation memory. You might use the OpenAI integration to summarize meeting notes, create email and Slack responses, or draft up articles.

It also has multiple actions (in contrast to ChatGPT), which are broader and incorporate more of OpenAI’s features like DALL.E or Whisper. That means you can send prompts to generate text, create images with DALL.E, create transcriptions with Whisper, and more within your workflows.

To help you decide which integration is right for you, we’ve outlined 6 ways to use the ChatGPT integration. Let’s dive in:

Build a chat experience in other apps

Like we mentioned, one of the best things about Zapier’s ChatGPT integration is its ability to have conversations. This is particularly relevant to bringing the ChatGPT experience into shared workspaces like Slack.

You and your team can ask ChatGPT questions and get responses directly inside a specific channel in Slack—so your employees don’t have to log in to ChatGPT individually.

For example, say you’re asking your ChatGPT Slackbot to help you come up with something together, like a prompt. You might ask it to come up with a prompt for error messages and give it the requirements for understanding an error (like possible root causes, details, etc.).

Once ChatGPT provides a prompt that fits your requirements, you might want to see how this all comes together. So you give it a specific error and ask ChatGPT to provide that information back in the same format it just came up with. Its ability to remember the prompt it gave you previously helps you break out your conversation step by step versus just a one-time command.

Generate and share content

As a writing tool, ChatGPT is a pretty decent time-saver when it comes to generating first drafts. But with the ChatGPT integration, you can take that a step further by incorporating the creation of blog outlines, emails, and articles into your automated workflows.

Or, if you need to draft customer stories based on submitted interview questions (or other key information), you can pull in the customer details from an app like Airtable or Google Forms, get the AI to write the content, then add the text to a Google Doc.

Summarize business information

You can also use AI to generate summaries of important information that is fed into your company. Because who has the time to process it all?

For example, you could generate summaries of every new job applicant that applies through your company’s recruitment page (replete with each applicant’s qualifications) to save your HR team time. Or, you could do the same thing for prospects stored in your sales CRM.

Alternatively, you can even extract key information from short PDFs, articles, and other business information.

Streamline customer communication

By integrating ChatGPT into your chatbot and form workflows, you can generate dynamic responses to incoming messages from leads and customers and store them for future reference.

For example, say a prospect fills out a question form. You can use AI to generate a response based on company information you’ve given it inside your prompt. Or, if a customer reaches out to you through your chatbot, you can use AI to generate a response and send it immediately to a Slack channel or email the customer with a broader and more helpful response.

By creating personalized chat experiences, you can enhance user experiences, improve customer support, and ultimately get valuable insights into your business.

Build product features and websites

Whether you collect feature requests in a tool like Jira or use Zendesk to process support tickets, AI can help you do the heavy lifting when it comes to adding context. For example, you can use these Zaps to add acceptance criteria to your tickets, product requirements, or even snippets of code you might need to carry out these requests.

Or, maybe you routinely create websites or landing pages. Even if you’re using a no- or low-code website builder, ChatGPT can help you by giving you those code snippets to add in custom elements like CTA buttons or embedded content.

Manage projects and tasks

We’ve all been there: Someone asks you to do something in Slack or via email, but you forget to add it to your project management tool.

While automation can send these requests straight to an app, AI can do things like provide more context on the request, add titles and descriptions, and format each request in an easily digestible way, so your to-do list never slips through the cracks.

Alternatively, you can flip this workflow on its head so that whenever someone adds a project to your task management tool, AI can write a digestible summary and bullet points of to-dos for each person, then send it to your entire team in Slack.

Get event reminders and prioritize your workload

Keeping track of important events throughout the day while your to-dos pile up is no joke. Whether you’d like it to help you prioritize your workload based on your to-do lists or projects outlined in your project management tool, ChatGPT is excellent at breaking down your day into manageable chunks.

You can even build workflows that will pull information from Google Calendar events and create a reminder of what you need to do (or read) before the meeting happens.

Make ChatGPT work for you

Whatever you’re already using ChatGPT for, you can harness its power and deliver more value to your business with the ChatGPT integration.

Whether you want to build ChatGPT Slack bots to introduce the value of AI to your team or you just want ChatGPT to take care of the tedious parts of content creation, this integration is key to maximizing your productivity and efficiency.

And remember: Zapier supports thousands of apps, so you can automate almost any task at work.

Give Epic IT Automations a call at 608-496-8660 to talk with one of our experienced consultants and learn how we bring ChatGPT to your Zapier workflows.

Source: Zapier

Digital Transformation And The SaaS Market

Posted on by Epic IT Automations

Digital transformation is affecting pretty much everything right now, and companies are being forced to adapt. But guess what? Software as a Service (SaaS) solutions might help them with all the changes.

If you read about trends and technology, you have surely heard about digital transformation or at least browsed through articles that talk about it.

The problem is, many companies that claim to have gone digital, have not properly carried out the process.

Digital transformation is not about building an app or joining social media.

It is about going completely digital. It is a structural change that involves inserting technology in all areas of your company.

This reality has already been adopted by many SaaS companies, which are often examples of businesses that find it easy to transform themselves digitally.

The simplification and optimization of internal processes are much more recurrent when using software as a service.

Plus, SaaS is web-based and more flexible as customer behavior changes.

So, in this article, you will see the benefits of digital transformation (with examples of successful companies) and how to change with the help of SaaS.

Check it out!

A New Business Model

Digital transformation is more than simply employing SaaS and expecting achievements to come without effort.

Organizations that invest in digital transformation and successfully drive it forward are growth-oriented and willing to put in the time and effort to make internal changes.

This is because technology doesn’t wait. It is always evolving, and society keeps up with its new possibilities.

This factor forces companies to start thinking from the inside out.

  • How do I put the customer at the center of my strategy?
  • How can I improve the customer experience?
  • What change is needed to improve retention?
  • How do I listen to my customers and deliver value?

These questions loom large in the minds of leaders responsible for digital business transformation.

And they really need to be considered.

Companies that decide to migrate to this new model have to change how they operate and the interplay of their functions.

This is especially necessary for the SaaS model, where technology is central, and the impact is more potent.

Benefits Of SaaS For Digital Transformation

As you can see, customer needs are not the only thing that is changing really fast.

Technological innovations are also arriving at high speed, and SaaS provides organizations with a cloud-oriented mindset.

This perspective enables business leaders to create solutions at scale together with the IT and Marketing teams.

Learn about some of the many benefits SaaS brings to digital transformation:

Cost Structure

Many organizations are in a situation where they can afford an ongoing structural cost but may struggle with huge upfront payments.

SaaS allows organizations the flexibility to pay for advanced technology within their operating budget, increasing the chances of approval for transformative projects.

Growth Possibility

Cloud-based software delivery allows even smaller organizations to become players.

As the cost of data storage continues to decrease, SaaS may be the biggest game-changer in business, offering greater growth opportunities to companies of all sizes.

Agile Change

Having the flexibility to make quick changes in your strategy is not an easy task in traditional software models and can include more than 12 to 18 months of scoping, contract negotiation, and finally, development.

With SaaS, new off-the-shelf features can be activated and configured quickly, promoting a reduced time to achieve higher ROI rates.

Scalable

Again, SaaS provides organizations with the ability to start with smaller budgets and scale quickly.

It also allows seasonal organizations to scale down for a certain period of the year and scale up quickly as needed when business picks up.

This would be nearly impossible to structure with traditional software collections.

Furthermore, SaaS uses traceable and measurable functionalities to understand which would be the best investment at any point in time.

Markets With SaaS-Based Digital Transformation

Several companies we know have taken advantage of this model to perform their digital transformations.

These companies are not only technology companies, and you probably know a few that we are going to mention throughout this article.

Various sectors are embracing the possibilities that technological advancement has brought us to change the way they work.

Let’s get to know some of them:

Industries

Businesses such as Uber brought a new mobility concept that affected several chains.

Car manufacturing companies that didn’t want to be left behind started to invest in the subscription car service.

Through an app, the user can purchase a high-end car and exchange it every 12 months, paying only a monthly fee.

Smartphone companies are already doing this as well.

Apple, for example, has the iPhone Upgrade Program, which allows you to exchange your phone every year for the newest model.

Quick delivery companies like Postmates, instant-read book services like 12min, and online movie consumption platforms like Netflix are making a difference.

And many other businesses are emerging on a daily basis to revolutionize industries.

Even the way we communicate has changed dramatically in the last ten years.

Instead of picking up a phone to contact someone, you are much more likely to send a message on social media, WhatsApp, or even Skype.

Therefore, leaders in these industries must be agile and able to change with customer demand — making the SaaS model so attractive.

Insurance Companies

Companies’ willingness to adopt SaaS depends on their comfort with data security, which is particularly true for insurance companies.

However, as cloud providers have increased investment in security and scalability over the past years, customers and prospects are becoming highly confident.

For instance, Microsoft alone invests over a billion dollars a year in security research and development.

With market speed, some insurers are completing digital transformation projects in months, not years.

In addition, they are launching new cloud products and segments — whether IT augmentation or the so-called “greenfield” opportunities — that are going into production even faster.

Another benefit relates to the fact that technology is constantly evolving.

Maintenance and upgrades are time-consuming and can have unintended consequences for systems, which can severely disincentive innovation.

In a mature SaaS environment, where the provider manages the maintenance, updates, and integrations, these problems do not arise.

So insurance companies reap the rewards of digital transformation almost immediately.

Financial

Although the financial services industry has traditionally been at the forefront of technological change, this sector has been cautious about adopting the cloud because of its data.

However, as the roles of the Chief Information Officer (CIO) have changed dramatically to strategically align IT with digital transformation, the overall goals of the entire enterprise are shifting.

In this context, using the cloud has become a priority.

With SaaS, finance professionals can:

  • Better manage their savings.
  • Easily migrate to better systems.
  • Increase mobility and agility.
  • Improve operational efficiencies.
  • Focus on business results.

It’s no wonder that the public cloud market is set to reach US $597 billion by 2023.

These significant investments are proving instrumental in bringing cloud-based software-as-a-service solutions to market, designed to meet the specific needs of users in the financial sector.

How To Do Digital Transformation With SaaS

Learn how your company can accomplish the digital transformation of your business with SaaS:

On-Demand Self Service

Organizations are rethinking their business models for the fast-paced digital age.

On-demand self-service models are creating new digital routes and services for consumers. Spotify, for example, offers music on-demand, Netflix offers video streaming services, and Uber offers mobility services.

Broader Access For Consumers

Consumers are connected via cell phones, tablets, laptops, and desktops. An online service model addresses all of these customers using an integrated platform.

This approach is convenient and easy for consumers, leading to widespread adoption across all geographic locations.

Speed And Scalability

The on-demand service model enables user applications to utilize resources in direct proportion to customer requirements.

Resources such as networks, servers, storage, and services can be scaled up or down depending on the application’s needs.

Measure And Configure Services

With on-demand services, customers pay only for what they use. Enterprises can also measure their service usage.

Therefore, a measured service allows an enterprise to examine resource usage, billing, and capacity planning, and to think proactively about the application’s use.

Site Independence

With software as a service, there are no restrictions on the location of customers. The service provider can choose and configure the options.

In addition, customers all over the world can access the same services. For example, media and news companies can use digital channels for expansion between locations. This allows users to access digital news from any place.

Integrated Data

The on-demand service model allows companies to integrate all application data. This integrated data is crucial for standards and information control.

Performance targets, customer service, and complete administrative activities can be planned using such data. For instance, you can extract information to look for user age groups, locations, times of frequent use, complaints, and more.

Infrastructure And Security Layer

The cloud infrastructure layer can be provisioned depending on the requirements of the enterprise’s applications and services.

With cloud capabilities, companies can reduce the IT infrastructure and the staff needed to manage them.

Another important issue is that you can achieve application security with the right cloud infrastructure, with security policies for access, permission, and identity management.

Seamless Integrations Of Legacy Systems

Companies are looking for digital ways to optimize their processes. When services are new and you try to introduce them into business processes, it is vital to integrate legacy systems and their data.

This happens, for example, when a real estate rental company starts using digital contracts and electronically signed documentation for leasing its properties.

All lease renewals, rent payments, and documentation now run on cloud-based services. In this context, data from legacy systems also account for the seamless transition.

Continuous Updates And Evolution

Digital transformation is a continuous process. Tools and technologies change frequently, and companies need to keep up with the changing times.

With SaaS, organizations can continuously update their services. In addition, updates and enhancements can be enjoyed by customers at once without significant downtime for the company.

Experimentation And Innovation

Innovation is a dire need in the business world, especially when waves of digitalization constantly challenge businesses.

On-demand services and cloud software make room for experimentation and innovation that encompasses new technologies.

Companies are using the SaaS model to reshape their existing products and services. They apply digital innovations to deliver customized experiences, enriching customer interactions and transforming their enterprises.

Ready For Digital Transformation?

As you can see, technology is a strong ally in the process of improving your marketing efforts if used effectively. Contact Epic IT Automations to access interesting insights on how to strengthen your marking strategies through technology! With our insight and highly trained staff, you can maximize the efficiency of your business workflow through successful digital transformation and effectively using SaaS solutions. Give us a call at (608) 496-8660 to discuss your needs with one of our team members.

Source: rockcontent

A Beginner’s Guide To SaaS Integration

Posted on by Epic IT Automations

SaaS stands for software-as-a-service, a licensing model in which software is centrally hosted on external rather than internal servers. SaaS integration involves linking a SaaS application with other, separate systems or applications, resulting in one greater system in which all components work together. Here are some important things to know about the integration process and its benefits.

What Is SaaS Integration?

On a very basic level, SaaS integration connects various applications together and allows them to communicate with one another. It lets you synchronize data in multiple locations and move it from application to application, automating the processes that these tasks require. Common examples include emails, shared calendars, and office-related applications like word processing and spreadsheet tools. SaaS integration joins these products into one complete software solution, which you buy on a pay-as-you-go basis from a cloud provider.

What Are The Benefits?

Employee productivity and workloads are streamlined, resulting in greater efficiency and smoother workflow. Customers will reap the rewards of an easy, effortless system that generates the quality goods or services your business provides. Because data is easily accessible across all systems, your staff can locate information quickly. This improves transparency, keeps all team members on the same page, and ensures high levels of customer service.

SaaS integration also saves significant time since you don’t need to enter data in multiple, separate applications. As a result, you and your team have more time to focus on other responsibilities, and reduces the risk of human error. This system sends correct information from one application to another, requiring no middlemen to input data at every point. Using SaaS integration for hundreds of apps across multiple departments allows business processes to be more scalable.

Ready To Benefit From SaaS Integration?

You can experience these benefits for your business by turning to us.  Call us today at 608-496-8660 or schedule your consultation.

Leverage The Power Of SaaS Integration

Posted on by Epic IT Automations

Gone are the days when software platforms were limited to the devices they were installed into, strictly required an on-premise use for the employees to operate on the same. These were the software solutions that bound users to a specific device or location to avail of their functionality.

Over time, the need for flexibility has increased and employees wanted to break free from the pattern of working from a single dedicated device and location all day. Also, owing to an increase in the amount of data managed by organizations daily, the traditional software platforms often limited the storing and accessing of datasets by the users.

This issue was resolved with the advent of SaaS integrations.

What Is SaaS Integration?

SaaS stands for software as a service. As the name suggests, SaaS involves a dedicated service provider developing an application that can be implemented within your organization, according to your specific needs and preferences.

Integration into a SaaS application involves installing a software platform to serve specific purposes and achieving specific organizational goals. Whether you are willing to integrate a CRM platform to manage your customer database, an online collaborative platform to set up a virtual workspace, or a business analytics platform to make better sense of your datasets, SaaS integration helps you avail of the services that a dedicated local or global developer is willing to provide.

Advantages Of SaaS Integration

A Cloud Based Approach

SaaS integration often comes hand-in-hand with cloud management services. As opposed to traditional software development that restricted the use of applications to a great extent, SaaS integration involves setting up cloud-based platforms that are highly flexible and customizable.

With seamless cloud computing web services, you can get a software platform implemented that can be accessed by your employees from any location and at any time. All they need are their login credentials and an internet connection. This helps you and your team to keep everyone on the same page and make necessary updates in real-time.

Increased Transparency

SaaS integration helps you get rid of the rigid nature of traditional software platforms and increases transparency in the processes carried out.

Unless a user is restricted to access specific tools or records, each of your team member can have a look at the progress your company has been making, access important reports, and obtain valuable insights that help make them work better.

Seamless Upgrades

As mentioned earlier, SaaS applications are highly flexible and customizable. In 2021, technological advancements are rapid and an organization needs to be in sync with the latest trends to stay relevant.

SaaS integration allows you to upgrade to a newer edition of a software platform without having to go through tedious and time-consuming programming. A few simple clicks would provide you with upgraded tools and new editions to scale up your business processes.

Importance Of SaaS Integration for SMBs

Cost-Effective Solutions

Cost is always one of the primary factors influencing the decisions made by small and medium enterprises. Through SaaS integration, you can save up on the cost of heavy installation. As opposed to traditional software development, SaaS integration does not involve on-premise installation or infrastructure required for the same.

Moreover, you can reduce the costs involved in carrying our regular checkups, audits, and upgrades as it does not require you to spend money on hardware resources.

Also, several SaaS platforms come with a “pay-as-you-go” model. This allows you to spend money only on the tools you use instead of paying for the entire package at once.

Saving Time

Implementing a SaaS platform takes considerably less time as compared to setting up an on-premise software platform. All you need to do is go to the dedicated platform’s official website, register yourself as a user, pay for the package you are willing to install and start using it right away.

Even if you are willing to implement a personalized SaaS application within your organization, it does not take much time for the developers to make the necessary customizations and go live with the services.

Mobile Customizations

Not every employee working in a small business has access to a desktop or a laptop. In such cases, they can easily log into a SaaS application on their mobile phones or tablets and carry on with their work on the go.

Guarantee Of Service And Data Backup

Most traditional software platforms do not provide a complete guarantee of service and can crash if faced with unexpected circumstances. On the other hand, most SaaS applications provide users with a guarantee that the platform will be functioning all the time. Also, while backing up data in traditional platforms is quite labor-intensive, the same can be done on SaaS applications with a few simple clicks.

The Future Of SaaS Applications

Looking at how SaaS applications are being adopted by organizations across the world, it is safe to say that their prominence will only increase with time.

Since the summer of 2020, professionals have been forced to work remotely and organizations have started setting up virtual workspaces. In such cases, it is practically impossible to set up on-premise software going the traditional way. Some of the most commonly used platforms in the last couple of years are SaaS applications, whether it is Salesforce, Office 365, Workday, Sharepoint, SAP Concur would suite Fission’s expertise.

This makes it clear that SaaS is the thing of the future and it is advisable for businesses to integrate SaaS platforms before it is too late.

It’s Time For SaaS Integration

Connect with Epic IT Automations today and learn how we can help you implement SaaS into your business processes and strategies. Start reaping the benefits of SaaS integration, call us at 608-496-8660 or schedule a consultation to get started.

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About Our Guarantee Policy

For clients who purchase our business automation package, we guarantee that we will design and implement a custom IT automation solution that will save time within their business, reduce redundant workflows & manual tasks, and improve overall performance.

We partner with our business automation clients and provide them with an end-to-end solution.  If we do not fulfill our guarantee, then we will continue working with you until we find a solution that solves your specific business needs. 

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