A Modernized Architecture
The software industry has long recognized the value of SaaS solutions, and while the maturity of even some large software providers has advanced relative to SaaS development and deployment, few of those have reached the extensive functional breadth or depth of traditional best of breed and ERP solutions, nor are they expected to in the near future.
Therein lies the opportunity for those traditional vendors, capable of working with their existing client base who has a clear incentive to converge their existing architectures to a hybrid SaaS environment – capable of repeated updates and upgrades to stay current, with minimal disruption to a hyper-connected platform of increasing complexity. The challenge lies with establishing the toolset and processes that can deliver confidence that changes will not have disruptive impacts upstream or downstream.
Achieving this confidence will require rigor, but recent technology advances are now ready to justify the investment required. Automated testing tools, focused on integrated business processes and capable of following data flows across applications, offer promise of simulating a day in the life and vetting typical data anomalies and process exceptions so that repeated updates and changes to configuration or code can be vetted across your supply chain ecosystem and validated for readiness.
The link to templatized solutions cannot be ignored, as canned scripts are tailored specific to systems capabilities (perhaps even across multiple systems). This encourages pre-configuration of those solutions to meet specific environments. Vendors are currently promoting and experimenting with the SaaS-like pre-configured templates. The packages will extend into supporting testing materials, training materials, and trouble-shooting aides.
In more complex environments, where levels of specialization extend beyond what can be expected by the typical user, the role of maintaining these toolkits will shift to the more nimble players in the market. Customized templates, test scripts, training materials, and extensions to the applications themselves (from micro-services to supporting applications) will converge to industry-standard templates. The net result is inspiring - Low cost maintenance of modern solutions, infused with operational expertise specific to an industry segment.
The advantages will be pervasive and will usher in a new paradigm for maintaining solution areas and capturing the value available throughout patching release cycles (no more major upgrades!).
