How outsourcing to SaaS affects the business architecture of an enterprise

Abstract

Software as a Service (SaaS) is increasingly used by organizations when outsourcing business applications. It provides organizations with flexibility, quality improvements and accelerated low-cost innovation. However, the outsourcing effects in different business architecture aspects are still abstract and ill-defined due to the continuous development of these services. The objective of this study is to answer how outsourcing to SaaS affects the business architecture in the practice of Enterprise Architecture Management. This research employs a qualitative approach using in-depth interviews via a single embedded case study. Results show that various elements of business architecture have been significantly impacted by outsourcing to SaaS. Organizational processes, collaboration and business strategy were key areas. Strategic partnerships with the focus on customer success have proven to be important to achieve the desired outsourcing result. Influencers were organizational maturity and employee adoption to handle the changes required when outsourcing to SaaS. To support that process, a well-organized set of guidelines, architecture principles and governance regimes need to be in place. Insights from this study can support organizations which business architecture aspects to address. Additional research can be done to determine whether different maturity levels regarding organizational architecture play a factor in achieving a successful outsourcing result.

Date of Award	16 Jul 2023
Original language	English
Supervisor	Ben Roelens (Examiner) & Rob Kusters (Co-assessor)