Procurement

The future of SaaS purchasing: the advantages

Vincent Jouty23 août 2023
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Instant messaging, videoconferencing or project management tools, shared diaries, CRM... It's almost impossible for a company to do without SaaS tools. They simplify your employees' day-to-day work, enabling them to concentrate on their core business. 

In the space of just a few years, the SaaS market has been transformed, and shows no signs of slowing down despite the various crises. 

As the number of service providers and software publishers continues to grow, the competition is fierce, with an ever-increasing number of offerings and tools being developed.

For the uninitiated, it can be difficult to choose the SaaS solution that meets your company's needs and criteria. The solution is simple and effective: call on an expert in the SaaS market.

From identifying your real needs to negotiating your contracts, your expert will take care of everything for you!

SaaS tools: a competitive market with limited visibility

Offers, rates, services, suppliers: a company wishing to acquire SaaS tools is spoilt for choice. Indeed, service providers are multiplying their offerings to attract as many customers as possible and stand out from the competition. 

Which tools should you choose, and in what form: a predefined package or a customized selection? How do you select a trusted service provider that meets your support needs? How do you negotiate or renegotiate your subscriptions? It's not always easy to find your way around.

To choose the SaaS solution best suited to your needs, you can carry out a benchmark yourself to compare the performance of different software and online services. 

If you're not a SaaS expert, and don't intend to become one, the most effective solution for your business is to call on an expert in the SaaS market to evaluate the various options and select the right solutions for your needs.

What does Procurement look like in 2023?

In the past, procurement was primarily focused on cost-cutting and aggressive negotiations.

The prevailing image of buyers was that they were ruthless negotiators, solely concerned with driving down prices. 

However, Procurement has come a long way since its inception after the war. While cost-cutting and negotiation skills were vital back then, today's procurement professionals have a more strategic and collaborative role.

The landscape has evolved, and the role of buyers has transformed. Today's procurement professionals recognize that it's not just about finding the best prices, but also about maintaining healthy supplier relationships and avoiding supplier bankruptcies.

Najar takes a different approach. 

Being procurement and marketplace-oriented means that we maintain a neutral stance and consider all available options without bias. At Najar, our approach emphasises the importance of strategic sourcing. This means going beyond simply finding the lowest price and considering other factors such as quality, functionality, scalability, and long-term value. 

By taking a comprehensive approach, Najar ensures that clients make informed decisions that align with their specific requirements and goals.

Today's procurement landscape requires a more holistic and strategic approach. It's about:

→ understanding the specific needs of each client

→ identifying the tools that will best meet those needs

→ negotiating agreements that are beneficial for both parties.

Efficiency and ROI: Beyond Cost-Cutting

In the rapidly evolving world of procurement, efficiency has emerged as a crucial consideration. While cost-cutting remains important, focusing solely on reducing expenses might not always yield the best outcomes. 

In fact, a narrow focus on cost reduction could potentially lead to missed opportunities for growth and innovation.‍

Consider this scenario: You could invest 10,000€ to achieve returns of 40,000€, resulting in a four-fold ROI. On the other hand, allocating 100,000€ might yield returns of 1,000,000€, leading to a ten-fold ROI. In such cases, the initial spend might be higher, but the resulting ROI is significantly greater.‍

This emphasizes the idea that sometimes, prioritizing efficiency and Return on Investment (ROI) can be more important than just minimizing costs. 

By investing strategically in solutions that offer substantial value and growth potential, businesses can achieve exponential returns that outweigh the initial expenditures.

Expertise in SaaS tools and market evaluation

Specialists are familiar with the offerings of different service providers and their terms and conditions of acquisition. 

By calling on an expert in the SaaS tools market to help you make your choices, you can be sure of obtaining the most advantageous contracts:

→ Their in-depth knowledge of the various service offerings and functionalities enables them to accurately select the SaaS solution best suited to your needs.

→ Their experience with different service providers enables them to choose the one that meets all your criteria (support, assistance, etc.).

→ An expert in the market and current rates, he can negotiate the best prices for your contracts. 

Expertise in understanding your business needs

As an essential step in selecting the SaaS solution that's right for you, an expert like Najar identifies your company's precise needs and establishes a SaaS strategy that's right for your business.

→ The SaaS audit: your expert carries out an audit of your company to precisely define your real needs. To do this, he or she looks at the tools you're already using, and how you're using them (missing or useless options, duplication of tools, etc.).

→ Assessing your new needs: depending on your business, and thanks to his knowledge of the SaaS market, your expert evaluates the type of tools that could help your teams in their daily work.   

Armed with this knowledge, they will draw up a SaaS strategy specific to your business, and set about finding the complete solution for you: 

→ choice of supplier(s) 

→ tool selection

→ choice of functionalities and options

→ choice of subscription type (monthly or annual) 

→ negotiation of rates and contract terms

If you already own SaaS tools, your expert can help you streamline the management of your service providers by centralizing your SaaS strategy and renegotiating your various subscriptions (grouping contracts, etc.).

Towards a better overall position for SaaS purchasers

The SaaS expert brings two major improvements to the market thanks to his support for companies acquiring software as a service:

→ Companies gain a better understanding of their needs and the market, enabling them to make informed choices and negotiate well-founded contracts.

→ SaaS providers develop a higher-quality offering to remain attractive in a competitive market, and in the face of a more sophisticated customer base.

Companies: towards a better understanding of the market

Thanks to the work carried out by SaaS experts, companies now know what their real SaaS needs are, both in the short and long term. And with an in-depth knowledge of the market and what's on offer, they can be more confident in their choices. 

As a result, they can invest in a coherent SaaS strategy and reap all the benefits: production gains, performance, optimization, savings, etc.

Calling on an expert for the acquisition of SaaS tools also puts them in a strong position vis-à-vis service providers.  

SaaS providers: towards a more attractive offering 

Faced with acquirers who are increasingly expert and armed to negotiate, service providers are forced to improve the quality of their offerings: 

→ more comprehensive packages

→ more options and customization possibilities

→ new tools specially developed to meet emerging needs 

→ preferential rates

→ more appropriate terms and services (updates, maintenance, support and training, etc.).  

Standardization of the offering: towards easier benchmarking

With the proliferation of SaaS offerings and the massification of SaaS demand, expert support enables companies to define their requirements more clearly

Faced with this situation, suppliers are also standardizing their offerings to make it easier for prospects to find their way around: 

→ Standardization of tool names and functionalities

→ Proposing tool packages by business sector (sales, services, construction, medical, transport, etc.)

→ Proposal of tool packages by company department (sales, operations, logistics, customer service, etc.).

This standardization makes it easier for companies to compare and select offers, and enables service providers to meet their customers' expectations ever more effectively. 

Calling on an expert to find the SaaS solution that's right for you is a real asset for your business. Without even thinking about it, you'll gain in productivity, competitiveness and peace of mind. 

Your expert will take care of everything, from defining your SaaS strategy to negotiating your contracts, so you can benefit from offers perfectly tailored to your needs.

No superfluous tools or options, no duplication, no excessive pricing: he knows exactly which suppliers to choose for a partnership you can trust.   

By entrusting your SaaS acquisition strategy to Najar and its SaaS Procurement solution, you can be sure of receiving tailor-made support. 

And to check how much your SaaS is currently costing you, try out our online calculator: it's surely time to rethink your SaaS management with the help of an expert!

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