The evolution of the Software as a Service concept

What is Software as a Service (SaaS) that has prompted the big software providers to change their business models drastically? In short, SaaS is a system of cloud-based software services that runs through a web browser and is typically accompanied by a subscription-based pricing model.

Salesforce.com is often credited with pioneering the modern SaaS model. Starting in 1999, it offered Customer Relationship Management (CRM) software entirely online, demonstrating the viability of SaaS for business applications.

The launch of Amazon Web Services (AWS) in 2006 was another significant leap. AWS began providing cloud infrastructure services that enabled other companies to build and deliver SaaS applications more easily.

Mainstream adoption came in the 2010s, bringing continuous innovation in technology.

What does it mean for jewelry businesses to use a SaaS-based ERP?

The idea of switching from an on-premise PIRO to SaaS came in 2014. Although the market at that time didn’t require this switch, we recognized that both our clients and we would benefit from this improvement.

We believed that this would be the right step – otherwise, we wouldn’t have invested thousands of hours rebuilding our software in the cloud (PIRO Fusion).

Don’t be fooled by vendors who offer their system through the cloud but are selling the same old server-based system deployed to a cloud server like AWS. True SaaS means changing technology and system architecture, not just the deployment type. There is a big difference.

It took us years to replace the server-based system with a web-based system, but we envisioned how jewelry companies would benefit from this. Here are the benefits that PIRO Fusion users enjoy:

• Lower initial costs: Unlike traditional ERP systems that require significant upfront investments in hardware and software, SaaS-based ERPs typically operate on a subscription model, reducing initial costs. We remember the days when we offered PIRO-optimized servers to our clients, costing them 3-4 thousand dollars. Those days are over.
• Reduced IT burden: SaaS reduces the burden on the business’s internal IT staff, which was a true obstacle for many small jewelry companies. Maintaining, securing, and backing up data and upgrading a server was a continuous cost for these companies. With SaaS, this cost is built into the subscription price, but you get a more reliable and scalable service—a service that you don't even have to lift a finger for.
• Maintenance, performance, and upgrades: Server-based systems are typically handled as branches, meaning that each needs separate maintenance and performance optimization. However, jewelry software with cloud architecture is like ‘all eggs in one basket’. In practice, if we develop a new feature and optimize the UI/UX or speed, all clients will get that automatically.
• Accessibility and mobility: Employees can access the ERP system from any location with an internet connection, facilitating remote work and multi-location operations. Our clients were able to use this system even during the COVID lockdown. Since PIRO Fusion is web-based (it uses minimal local device resources), workstations can be replaced with cheaper tablets.
• Supporting any operating system: Traditional ERPs were built on Windows Server, but the 2010s brought a shift into this heavily Windows-dominated world. The rise of iOS and Android-based devices magnified the need for a system that can run on any operating system. This is one of the key benefits of PIRO Fusion. Whether you want to use Chrome, Firefox, or Safari, you get the same experience.
• A form of sharing economy: A subscription-based model is a form of sharing economy where everyone’s paid subscription fee contributes to the overall improvement of the system. Resources and the system are upgraded constantly, and every single user pays just a fraction of the cost.

Besides the above-mentioned benefits, the transition from a server-based PIRO to a web-based PIRO Fusion wasn't an instant hit. In fact, in 2017, when the first version of PIRO Fusion was released, we struggled to get customers to this new platform.

Was something we did wrong? Did we assess the need for a cloud-based jewelry system wrongfully?

The answer lies in the fact that the acceptance of the cloud has happened gradually. Big players recognized quite quickly what cloud-based ERPs could offer, while for small companies or individuals, Dropbox-type applications were the only cloud applications they used. (Well, technically, Facebook is also a cloud-based system, but no one thinks of it as software.)

Jewelers were especially suspicious of web-based jewelry ERPs because they had to come to terms with the thought of storing their precious jewelry style data in the cloud.

Luckily, by the end of the 2010s, we had many completed PIRO Fusion projects, and trust in SaaS jewelry systems started to rise.

Your success is our success and vice-versa

We can proudly say that we were among the first jewelry software vendors to create a web-based system. Many of our competitors still couldn’t or didn’t want to take this step. Why? The answer is clear: thousands of development hours are needed to execute this, and it was inevitable to introduce new technologies.

However, we made this investment and innovation, keeping in mind that those who don’t innovate will slowly die. We wanted to live and grow. We wanted to be a software company whose name in the jewelry industry equals innovation.

SaaS means that we don’t just sell you the license and leave. SaaS means we are partners until you decide to cancel the service. Our interest is that your company is successful and growing. Our interest is to ensure you use the system to your benefit. Our interest is to continuously provide better services so you don't leave us for an uprising competitor.

SaaS is the key for PIRO to stay in business for decades and continuously innovate. Would you go with a company that has not been able to grow its resources (staff and services) in the past five years and whose existence five years from now is dubious? That’s not the picture we want you to see when you contact us for the first time.

Your subscription contributes to the success of our company, while this revenue is reinvested into the future of PIRO:

• We develop new features and integrations
• We invest in maintenance and updates
• We invest in the improvement of our support services
• We update infrastructure regularly
• We invest in better security
• We continuously upgrade the system’s technology to the latest

We support each other, intertwined.

Want to leave Excel sheets or your traditional software behind? Let’s have a consultation and see how PIRO could help take your business to the next level.