As a SaaS provider, you work hard every day to make sure your software delivers an exceptional experience for your customers and their employees in the field. But your software solution is only one component of the customer experience. The device your software is deployed on also plays a large role in creating satisfied customers.
That’s why it pays to work with a partner like eSquared. We focus on delivering the best solution for your software and your customers’ needs, including device procurement and award-winning help desk support. Over the years, our expertise and experience have taught us a few best practices for software deployment—and a few mistakes to avoid.
Software Deployment Best Practices
1. Implement A/B and Software Testing
A/B and software testing can ensure that your SaaS solutions will work for your customers in the field, regardless of where they are or what devices they use. A/B testing allows you to evaluate the usability and noticeability of the UI features of your software. It is ideal for testing the functionality of your product so you can improve the user experience.
Other forms of testing, such as canary releases, can help you debug your software while it is being deployed. No amount of pre-release testing will uncover all bugs and issues. Canary releases can uncover problems with app integration as well as disk and memory usage that could make your software unusable to your customers before you implement a full release. Of course, having a rollback strategy for when things do go wrong during a release can reduce the impact of any errors and issues that arise. With the added support of MDM software, rollbacks and other issues can be easily managed.
2. Have a Contingency Plan
Software deployment is complex and leaves lots of room for error, which is why rigorous testing before release and deployment is essential. So is having a contingency plan for when things go wrong when your software is being used in the field. Your contingency plan should include solutions for when your cloud provider goes down, if you experience a data breach, or other unexpected events that may cause a lapse in service. A good contingency plan identifies the team responsible for spearheading recovery efforts, a documented plan B strategy for overcoming the obstacle, and an estimate of financial and time costs.
3. Automate Updates and Management with MDM Software
Mobile device management (MDM) software helps companies manage their deployed devices. It provides a single dashboard to view all devices, manage software and security updates, and mitigate risk. For example, transportation companies use MDM software to restrict device use while a truck is in motion. Offering an MDM solution to your software customers can improve their experience with your software.
4. Maintain Unique VPP Accounts for Each MDM
It is common to run into problems with SaaS solutions if a company tries to sync multiple MDM accounts to a single VPP account. Often, MDM accounts that share a VPP account will run into issues or fail to sync with the VPP account. Best practice is to create a VPP account for every MDM account you or your customers maintain.
5. Work with a Deployment Specialist
Incorporating these best practices takes an experienced hand. eSquared’s turnkey solutions make software deployment easy for you and your customers. Our team handles every step of the software deployment process so you can focus on creating and selling outstanding software solutions. Your customers will receive devices that are ready to use right out of the box as well as ongoing help desk support.
Software Deployment Don'ts
1. Staging and Kitting Devices Yourself
Device management is a complex undertaking that requires time, expertise, and infrastructure investment. If your company does not currently operate a warehouse or have an asset management plan and staff in place, staging and kitting your customers’ devices yourself may prove difficult. A benefit of outsourcing your device staging and kitting is reducing installation time so that you can focus on what you do best and maintain your company’s reputation with your customers.
2. Failing to Provide Ongoing Support
Unsupported customers are unhappy customers. Reduce unnecessary troubleshooting or downtime by providing software orientation and training at implementation as well as self-guided eBooks and other resources for ongoing support.
You may also consider working with a third -party provider to manage your customer support. eSquared’s award-winning 24/7 help desk is always available to address your customers’ concerns, from managing testing new app versions and diagnosing error messages to finding long-lasting touch-free resolutions.
3. DIY
Mobile device procurement, management, and support are complex services that can derail software deployment if handled incorrectly. That’s why many SaaS companies partner with a mobile device management team like eSquared. As your mobile solutions partner, we can simplify your sales process, improve customer experience, and eliminate device-related issues that slow down your development team. Don’t make the mistake of handling device procurement, management, and support yourself.
eSquared makes it simple for you to deploy and offer customers everything they need, ready to go right out of the box. Get in touch with our team today to discover how we can help you scale your SaaS service.
