Have you considered outsourcing your solution architecture to a trusted expert? It’s an approach that can boost both capability and capacity in this specialist skill set. It can even be an opportunity to provide professional development of your in-house resources through mentoring.
Solution Architecture as a Service (SAaaS) is an outsourced service model. Using this model, businesses engage external experts to design, implement, and oversee their IT solutions – often on a short-term of project-specific basis. It’s a way to give your business access to top-tier architectural expertise without a long-term commitment.
Benefits of SAaaS for Businesses
Solution Architecture as a Service can help your business achieve its target state by aligning technology and integrations with your goals. As an approach it can also help your business reduce risk and make the most of your investment in technology.
- Cost efficiency – Medium sized businesses often struggle with the high costs of maintaining an in-house solution architect. SAaaS provides a flexible, pay-as-you-go model, reducing financial strain while accessing high-level expertise.
- Scalability – Businesses can scale their IT architecture needs up or down as projects evolve, ensuring they only pay for what they require.
- Access to specialised expertise – External providers bring broad industry experience, best practices, and access to cutting-edge technologies.
- Faster implementation – Outsourcing allows businesses to accelerate digital transformation projects without delays caused by in-house resource constraints.
- Reduced risk of skill gaps – medium sized and small businesses can struggle to find and retain skilled architects. SAaaS eliminates this risk by providing experienced professionals on demand.
A 9Yards case study: Recently 9Yards worked with a large multi-national organisation supporting a digital transformation initiative. With our help they were able to implement a clear and repeatable design process that has brought them significant cost savings over the last 12 months. We’ve helped them ensure that decisions they make around this initiative are aligned with the organisation’s broader goals. This has also meant they were able to avoid putting resources and funding towards initiatives that were not aligned with business goals.
Why Not Hire an In-House Solution Architect?
An in-house solution architect can provide consistency, and you may like to work with a model that includes a mix of employees and external resources. Hiring into a permanent, ongoing position can carry the following risks:
- Salaries, benefits, and training for an in-house architect can be a significant financial burden.
- Internal teams may lack the diverse industry experience that outsourced providers bring.
- If the architect leaves, the company risks losing critical knowledge and continuity.
- Internal teams may be slower to adopt new tools and methodologies compared to external experts constantly working across a range of industries.
Mitigating the Risks of Outsourced Solution Architecture Services
SAaaS offers many benefits. As with any approach, it can also carry risks. You can plan for and manage the risks by:
- Ensuring an external provider is committed to understanding your company culture, long-term goals, or historical IT challenges.
- Working with a provider who has a long-standing track record of success and support for businesses like yours.
- Starting with a data strategy that addresses cybersecurity, regulatory compliance challenges and vendor management.
- Choosing a provider that is committed to aligning solutions with your strategic business objectives.
Key Attributes of a Reliable SAaaS Provider
Choose the right service provider, with values and qualities that ensure the risks are reduced. Start by looking for these attributes:
- A proven track record – check for a strong portfolio of successful projects with businesses in your sector and of similar size
- Clear communication and collaboration – Transparent engagement models that involve key internal stakeholders
- Security and compliance expertise – don’t put your business at risk. Make sure your solution architects adhere to industry standards and robust data protection policies
- Customised solutions – Choose a solution architecture service provider who will provide a bespoke approach and align the solution with your organisation’s goals and growth plans
- Knowledge transfer and support – Access to specialised expertise is a key benefit of engaging solution architecture as a service. Choose a service provider who is willing to empower your internal teams by sharing knowledge and providing support.
Choosing 9Yards as Your Trusted SAaaS Provider
The team at 9Yards has provided solution architecture as a service to many Australian companies operating across different sectors including finance, government and education
In any scenario, SAaaS is an attractive option, empowering your team to enjoy the benefits of cutting-edge solution architecture while reducing the risks that might come from other approaches. And when you’re working with a provider like 9Yards, with a track record of success in businesses just like yours, the decision to outsource is that much easier.
In the end, the right approach will be one that aligns best with your digital transformation journey and business goals.
If you’re ready to engage, or even if you’re not sure whether an outsourced solution architect is the right approach, talk to us about Solution Architecture as a Service and see how it could work for you.
