A Framework for the Evaluation of SaaS Impact

Nowadays the technological progress allows us to have highly flexible solutions, easily accessible with lower levels of investment, which leads to many companies adopting SaaS (Software-as-a-Service) to support their business processes. Associated with this movement and considering the advantages of SaaS, it is important to understand whether work is being developed that is underutilized because companies are not taking advantage of it, and in this case it is necessary to understand the reasons thereof. This knowledge is important even for people who do not use or do not develop/provide SaaS, since sooner or later it will be unavoidable due to current trends. In the near future, nearly all decision-makers of IT strategies will be forced to consider adopting SaaS as an IT solution for the convenience benefits associated with technology or market competition. At that time they will have to know how to evaluate impacts and decide. What are the real needs in the Portuguese market? What fears and what is being done to mitigate them? What are the implications of the adoption of SaaS? Where should we focus attention on SaaS offerings in order to create greater value? These are questions we must answer to actually be able to assess and decide. Often, decision-makers of business strategies consider only the attractive incentives of using SaaS ignoring the impacts associated with new technologies. The need for tools and processes to assess these impacts before adopting a SaaS solution is crucial to ensure the sustainability of the information system, reduce uncertainty and facilitate decision making. This article presents a framework for evaluating impacts of SaaS called SIE (SaaS Impact Evaluation) which in addition to guidance for the present research, aims to provide guidelines for the collection, data analysis, impact assessment and decision making about including SaaS on the organizations strategic plans.