Issue link: https://resources.tangoanalytics.com/i/1465842
8 Tips for Improving SLM & IWMS Implementations SLM / IWMS Leading Practice: Tip 3 Those of us who have been in the SLM and IWMS space for as long as we have, know a fad when we see one. But there's no denying the trend over the last five years towards externally hosted and managed solutions, even in our niche industry. In fact, more than 80% of the implementations Tango performed last year were either SaaS solutions or were hosted externally via cloud and managed services. Today, every legitimate SLM / IWMS solution provider is either cloud-based, or provides the option of licensing the software on a subscription basis and having it hosted and managed externally. This trend is only beginning to pick up speed and the adoption of SaaS solutions, in one form or another, is seeing "hockey-stick momentum". According to Forrester's Foresights Survey in 2014, SaaS spending budgets were 53% higher in 2013 than 2012. Additionally, SaaS accounted for 23% of enterprise application spending, and software externally hosted in a dedicated environment accounted for an additional 25% of the same spend. It's clear that the future is SaaS, and companies looking for the next generation of SLM / IWMS solutions are doing so because of lower costs, more rapid innovation, as well as increased agility and speed. So if you're implementing a SaaS or externally hosted and managed solution, then you really don't need internal IT resources, right? This myth could not be more wrong and is a recipe for disaster. The IT Department's seat at the table is just as important as an on- premise deployment. Yes, certain IT support activities like environment monitoring and support, database management, application services, etc. are no longer required. But IT needs to be front and center, driving mission critical activities like data migration, integration design and development, system testing, training and cutover. These areas cannot be neglected nor run by the software provider or implementation partner. This Is Saas, We Don't Need IT IT Staffing for SaaS and Hosted Solutions • Ensure that the IT Department plays a key role in the project governance structure and day- to-day activities, including the assignment of an IT Project Manager. • Own the extraction process for data from legacy systems for both migrations and integrations. In some cases IT should own transformation, but rely on the software provider or implementation partner for data load into the new system. • Insist that the IT Department be educated on the software provider's processes for release management, disaster recovery, support and service level agreements (SLAs). Don't buy into the concept of "don't worry what happens behind the curtain". IT should vet all vendor activity – hopefully before signing on the dotted line.