22 July 2021 · 5 min read
Our pick of the 10 best SaaS tools to boost your company's performance, increase productivity and make your daily work easier across every department.
Software as a Service, or SaaS, is a software distribution model. The idea is to host the software with its developer rather than at the customer's site. The customer then accesses the software via the internet through a subscription, usually monthly or annual. Software is therefore no longer considered a product, but rather a "service". You pay to use the software, not for the software itself.
Using Software as a Service offers many advantages:
- no investment in IT infrastructure is required;
- thanks to shared hosting, SaaS delivers significant savings on hosting costs. That is why SaaS is generally less expensive for the end user than its traditional counterpart.
- SaaS is generally scalable and adapts as your company grows;
- SaaS tools can generally be easily connected to one another, allowing you to build your own ecosystem;
- you always have access to the latest version of the software.
Unless confidentiality or legal requirements force your company to host its software on-premises, it would be a shame to miss out on SaaS! To help you explore SaaS, we have put together a selection of hidden gems. We have grouped them into 5 categories, by department:
- Boost your sales;
- Keep a close eye on your finances;
- Improve your productivity;
- Manage human resources effectively;
- Run flawless marketing campaigns.
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Sales
The performance of your sales team is measured first and foremost by the number of new customers signed. The two tools below were selected to streamline your entire sales process.
Teamleader
Teamleader is a CRM solution (short for Customer Relationship Management). It lets you manage your customer relationships from A to Z with a single tool.
It includes features that let you:
- manage customers;
- create quotes;
- manage projects;
- track your time;
- create invoices;
- receive payments.
Teamleader recently developed two versions of its application: Teamleader Focus for small businesses and Teamleader Orbit for larger companies. The platform therefore has the flexibility to support your company's growth.
DocuSign
The global COVID-19 pandemic forced employers to rethink how work gets done. Most companies questioned the very need to commute to the office every day. Remote work (at least part-time) has become the norm at many companies. The same goes for customers, who increasingly prefer remote service. One last task resisted this trend: signing documents remotely.
This is the context in which DocuSign emerged, with secure and easy-to-use solutions. You can now have all your documents signed digitally.
Finance
EMASPHERE
EMASPHERE is a performance management platform. With its many features, this tool helps you optimize how you steer your business.
EMASPHERE automatically transforms your data into management dashboards. With more than 50 preconfigured charts, KPIs and tables, you can:
- build cash flow forecasts;
- consolidate multiple entities;
- set your budget;
- …
The solution lets you control your data, analyze it and anticipate how your business will develop. EMASPHERE also offers many connectors, so it integrates very easily with your existing software environment.
CreditSafe
As we mentioned in our article on optimizing your cash, the creditworthiness of your customers and suppliers can have a direct impact on your cash position. That is why it is important to have the best possible visibility into the health of your business partners.
That's where the CreditSafe application comes in! It reduces financial risk by giving you access to more than 330 million company credit reports. The tool helps you anticipate potential defaults by your customers, suppliers, prospects and more. That way, you limit your risks!
Administration and productivity
Exact
Exact is a comprehensive ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) solution that lets you manage:
- your sales process (quotes, invoicing, CRM);
- your staff (payroll, expense reports);
- your production (manufacturing, supply chain, ...);
- your accounting;
and much more, all within a single web platform.
Specific features have also been developed for the Wholesale, Services and Manufacturing sectors.
Asana
Asana is a team communication platform. It is designed to help your teams plan and manage their projects. On the one hand, with Asana, every team member knows what they need to do. On the other, every member can also see their colleagues' tasks and how they are progressing.
This enables smooth and effective communication within your teams, which in turn optimizes their performance.
Human Resources
Payfit
PayFit is a payroll management platform. It automatically generates your employees' payslips. All the specifics of payroll are taken into account:
- time tracking;
- expense reports;
- time off;
- ...
In addition, a dedicated team monitors legal changes and handles updates, so you can rest easy on all the legal aspects.
Clockify
Clockify is a simple and effective time tracking solution. It lets you and your teams track the time you spend on different projects. What's more, you can also combine Clockify information with your financial data to closely monitor the performance of all your departments.
Marketing
HubSpot
HubSpot is an all-in-one marketing platform. It stands out for its highly effective digital marketing tools, such as:
- website creation with an intuitive CMS;
- email campaign design;
- centralized online advertising management;
- social media publishing;
- blog writing;
all on the same platform.
Canva
Canva is a platform for easily creating visual content. In just a few years, it has become an indispensable ally for marketing departments. In a few clicks, you can:
- create graphics, posters or banners;
- prepare your social media posts;
- edit your images;
- …
While the platform offers a free plan, it is the paid version that unlocks its full potential.
Choose the SaaS tools that meet your needs
We are living in a particularly exciting era for SaaS. There is a SaaS tool for virtually every need a business might have. This proliferation of solutions also comes with a requirement: choosing them (wisely). Where a generalist software package will fail to grasp the specifics of your business, a specialized solution offers a tailor-made alternative.
During your selection process, keep compatibility between your various solutions in mind. Your SaaS tools need to be able to work together. If you manage to build your own coherent ecosystem, your efficiency and that of your team will improve. You will get the most out of your applications. You will save time. And you will achieve the best possible results.
So what are you waiting for to subscribe to a SaaS solution?
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