𝗧𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗸 𝗮 𝗦𝗮𝗮𝗦 𝘀𝗼𝗹𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗶𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗲𝗮𝘀𝘆 𝗰𝗵𝗼𝗶𝗰𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗦𝗔𝗣 𝗘𝗥𝗣? 𝗛𝗲𝗿𝗲’𝘀 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘆’𝗿𝗲 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝘁𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘆𝗼𝘂.

Authored by Mr. Laeeq Siddique — Leading SAP S/4HANA Innovation & Strategy

Is SaaS vs Custom Solution for SAP ERP the right debate for your business? Many companies opt for SaaS over custom solutions, often drawn by two seemingly straightforward benefits:

1. 𝗣𝗿𝗲𝗱𝗶𝗰𝘁𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝗖𝗼𝘀𝘁𝘀: Subscription fees are fixed and often include maintenance, hosting, and regular updates—no surprises on the financial front
2. 𝗠𝗮𝗻𝗮𝗴𝗲𝗱 𝗨𝗽𝗴𝗿𝗮𝗱𝗲𝘀: Vendors handle the heavy lifting on maintenance and upgrades, saving your IT team time and resources.

The Catch with SaaS-Based Solutions in Enterprise Settings

ERP systems like SAP rarely operate in isolation. Integrating a SaaS solution can quickly become expensive and time-consuming.

Want to know why SaaS may fall short for your business? Check out our blog on Why SaaS-Based Solutions Often Miss the Mark in Enterprise Settings

And even if you get everything working seamlessly, what happens when your needs evolve?
Imagine 𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮 𝗻𝗲𝘄 𝗳𝗲𝗮𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 to support a critical business shift. The vendor might not offer it, or if they do, it often comes with an 𝗲𝘅𝘁𝗿𝗮 𝗽𝗿𝗶𝗰𝗲 𝘁𝗮𝗴. And when you’re ready for 𝗮𝗻𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗲𝗻𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁? You could hear, “𝗦𝗼𝗿𝗿𝘆, 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁’𝘀 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗶𝗻 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘀𝗰𝗼𝗽𝗲.”

My point? Sometimes the 𝗳𝗹𝗲𝘅𝗶𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘀𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗮𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗼𝗳 𝗮 𝗰𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗺 𝘀𝗼𝗹𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 are worth the upfront investment and it could be more cost-effective too.

Curious why SaaS may not be the perfect fit for your enterprise? Explore the gaps and challenges in our blog on why SaaS solutions often miss the mark in enterprise settings.

Also, you can discuss the options for deployment, technology stack, and above all your business needs.
Before making a decision, consider all the options and talk to an expert who can tailor a solution to your current needs and future goals.
Cremencing Solutions has helped clients find the right fit, and we have case studies available if you’d like to see the results firsthand.