This blog is intended to help discussions of issues relating to Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) and to sustainability.
At BIW Technologies we have been talking about Software-as-a-Service since the company’s formation in 2000, and as SaaS pioneers we have a good understanding of the pros and cons of this approach to software delivery, particularly as it applies to the build environment – or more specifically the architecture, engineering and construction (AEC) as well as the owner & occupier markets.
From the early days, some of the most readily identified benefits in these markets were environment-related. Our customers and their project teams wanted to:
- cut the amounts of paper they produced, distributed and stored
- eliminate duplication of data and promote re-use of information
- reduce the number and duration of project team meetings, and associated travel
- eliminate wasted effort and rework caused by having out-dated and/or inaccurate information
- improve project process efficiency
More recently, particularly as organisations have begun to focus on corporate social responsibility (CSR), we have also begun to explore how the SaaS delivery model might also yield environmental, social and corporate benefits (the so-called 3 P’s: planet, people, productivity/profit) through, such as:
- reducing the need for multiple hosting infrastructures across each end-user organisation
- strengthening long-term customer-supplier relationships
- helping end-users work from home (or any other site with an internet connection).
We have decided that topics such as these deserve their own forum. They are big subjects and we want to encourage wide debate (and we promise not to talk too much about BIW).
In the meantime, if you have any queries about SaaS, sustainability or SaaStainability, or would like to suggest a topic to discuss, please get in touch.
