Product development recommendation for a SaaS company to increase end user’s value
Lelo de Larrea Gaudiano, Christian (2025)
2025
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Julkaisun pysyvä osoite on
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-2025051913206
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-2025051913206
Tiivistelmä
This thesis investigates how a SaaS (Software as a Service) company can optimize its product development practices to increase value for its customers, particularly the automotive industry. It focuses on the development of the company’s Workflow Builder (WFB) tool. The research aims to align product development process with customer needs and best practices utilizing the Business Technology Standard (BTS) and other sources as a guideline framework.
The study has two research questions: 1 - How can the SaaS company’s product development process be optimized to enhance customers’ value? and 2 - What are the key gaps between the SaaS company’s current product development process and the Business Technology Standard in developing new products that deliver greater value and how to bring these together and how these gaps can be addressed.
The research adopts a qualitative single-case study approach. Data was collected via structured interviews from the SaaS company and the car dealerships. The analysis reveals a significant disparity between the company’s existing development practices and the literature, specifically in the business value realisation. Key challenges include a lack of customer feedback for product development, lack of business objectives definition and a lack of responsibility to track and measure and the continuous improvement of products in relation to the customer’s evolving needs and challenges.
The findings emphasize the importance of adopting a customer focused development approach. The recommendations for the company included the following: integrating customer feedback and improving internal alignment with the BTS, specifically with business value realisation. Additionally, multiple enhancements to the WFB tool were also proposed.
This thesis contributes as a practical guide to SaaS companies seeking to enhance their customers’ value through more efficient and strategic product development practices.
The study has two research questions: 1 - How can the SaaS company’s product development process be optimized to enhance customers’ value? and 2 - What are the key gaps between the SaaS company’s current product development process and the Business Technology Standard in developing new products that deliver greater value and how to bring these together and how these gaps can be addressed.
The research adopts a qualitative single-case study approach. Data was collected via structured interviews from the SaaS company and the car dealerships. The analysis reveals a significant disparity between the company’s existing development practices and the literature, specifically in the business value realisation. Key challenges include a lack of customer feedback for product development, lack of business objectives definition and a lack of responsibility to track and measure and the continuous improvement of products in relation to the customer’s evolving needs and challenges.
The findings emphasize the importance of adopting a customer focused development approach. The recommendations for the company included the following: integrating customer feedback and improving internal alignment with the BTS, specifically with business value realisation. Additionally, multiple enhancements to the WFB tool were also proposed.
This thesis contributes as a practical guide to SaaS companies seeking to enhance their customers’ value through more efficient and strategic product development practices.