Taascom playbook - Your Business Transformation Journey Begins Here

Your Transformation Journey
begınS
HERE
WE ARE TAASCOM
Tasscomstandsfor“TheAsAServiceCompany.”
WeenablecompaniestoembarkontheirBusiness
ModelTransformationjourneyandgettomarket
fasterwhilereducingtheirtechnologyriskand
investment.
WeworkwithCXOs,P&Lheads,Sales,Serviceand
Marketingheadswhoarekeentoreshapetheirofferings
tocustomers.Together,weworkasatagteamtotakean
offeringtomarket,testandvalidate,applylessons
learned,andthenscaleandexpandofferings.
www.taascom.comFindusat
info@taascom.comReachusat

TABLE OF
CONTENTS
I II
40Application data
42EULA/Privacy/Data collection/analysis/purpose/sharing
39Customer consent
37Ownership of the data
33Billing details
29Customer details
31Shipment details
27Device details
03 Data required for the service 27
23OEM/Service provider value
21Customer Value
17Auto-detection of what SKU is compatible
17Auto ordering
16Auto-detection of when to replace
02 Offer - Auto-replenishment as a service 13
10What to buy
10Where to buy
09When to buy
01 CUSTOMER ISSUES 05
INTRODUCTION - WHAT’S IN IT FOR ME 01

III IV
63Profitability/KPI management
61Customer engagement
58Customer success management
57Support/Call center
55Billing
54Fulfillment
53Sales
51Marketing of the offer
48Pricing of the offer
47Product Management of the offer
04 Stakeholders/Responsibilities 43
155Connectivity
149Stakeholders UX
147Subscription billing integration/Ecommerce Integration
143Customer lifecycle management
139Security - access control, roles
135Dashboards/BI/Visualization/Portals
131Analytics
127Actionable alerts to stakeholders
123Business Workflow end to end
119Application integration
115Customer engagement
111Data location
107Geographies
101Cloud
95Demand Sensing Agent Deployment
89End to end
83Web portal
79New mobile app
73Integrated into existing mobile app
65Customer Experience/UX
05 Technical deployment architecture 65

Disruption is
happening now.
What are you
doing about it?
INTRODUCTION
Fortune500companiesusedtotake20yearsto
reachavaluationof$1B.Today’sdigitalstartupsdo
itinfouryears.Pauseforamomentandallowthat
tosinkin.
01 www.taascom.com©2020TAASCOMAllrightsreserved 02
Fortune500companiesusedtotake
20yearstoreachavaluationof$1B.
Today’sdigitalstartupsdoitinfour
years.
$1b
Drivingthedisruptionarethecustomers
themselves,whonowhavetheunprecedented
abilitytodirectlyinfluencebusinesses.Welcometo
TheAgeoftheCustomer,whoholdthepowerof
informationandchoicerightattheirfingertips.
Customerexpectationtravelsacrossindustries,and
today’scustomersdemandconvenienceand
ease-of-useregardlessoftheproductorservice.
Theywanttheconvenienceofservicewithoutthe
responsibilityofownershipandthehasslesof
maintenance.
Disruptionisnowhappeningacrossallindustries,andnooneis
immune.Armedwithnewdigitaltools—mobile,cloud,analytics,
sensors,AI,ML,IoT—andpoweredbyBigData,today’smoversand
shakersaretransformingthebusinesslandscapeandtappingnew
profitstreams.
Welcome to The Age of
the Customer

03 04
This tectonic shift in customer preference is
underpinning the move to subscription-based
services in both the B2C and B2B spaces. For
customers, the value of subscription-based
services is clear: no expensive upfront
investments, no maintenance expenses, and
pay-per-use/pay-only-for-what-you-use
convenience. For enterprises, however, the
value of shifting to an XaaS (your product X as
a Service) business model is even more
compelling: a recurring and predictable
revenue stream, a dedicated and engaged
customer base that competitors will find
difficult to disrupt, and a predictive instead of
reactive operational model driven by data
analytics and usage insights.
become a
disruptor
instead of a
disruptee
Gartner projects that by 2022, 60%
of asset manufacturers will offer
outcome-based service contracts,
up from less than 18% in 2018. This
playbook aims to provide you with
the actionable knowledge you
need to transform your business to
a subscription-based model so you
can join the exodus and become a
disruptor instead of a disruptee.
“
BENEFITS OF XAAS
TRANSFORMATION
Recurring Revenue Stream
New services and & subscription-based
models
Predictable revenue stream
Dedicated & Engaged
Customer Base
Intimate sticky relationships
Competitors will find diffucult to disrupt
Predictive Instead of Reactive
Data analytics gives you both customer
insights and operational visibility
Be predictive instead of reactive

According to Salesforce, 76% of consumers expect
companies to understand their needs and expectations. By
2020, 75% of B2B buyers expect companies to anticipate
their needs and provide relevant suggestions before they
initiate contact.
76%
of consumers expect
companies to understand
their needs and expectations
Identifying 
Customer Issues
In an increasingly complex supply chain world, 
understanding and fulfilling growing customer 
demand are key.
05 06
Today’s customer expectations vary across
industries. In e-commerce, according to
McKinsey, churn rates are high, and
consumers quickly cancel services that don’t
deliver superior end-to-end experiences.

In retail, consumers expect to find what they
are shopping for – whenever and however
they decide to shop. Loyalty must be earned
every day. It is more important for
consumer-goods companies to get the basics
right because a single out-of-stock can lose a
shopper forever.
In retail, consumers
expect to find what
they are shopping for
- whenever and
however they decide
to shop. Loyalty must
be earned every day.
“
Multinational information
technology company
Hewlett-Packard (HP), for example,
has identified a gap in its B2B
market operations for a more
seamless ink replenishment
solution. It developed a subscription
model, where the service
automatically delivers ink to the
customer before they run out. With
this offering, HP was successful in
delivering a seamless customer
experience.    
for a seamless customer
experience
SUBSCRIPTION MODEL
SPEED AND EASE
Retail customer expectations are migrating into the
B2B space, McKinsey revealed. For B2B companies
– including oil and gas, mining, utilities, automotive,
healthcare, etc., - speed and ease of doing business
are a top driver of overall customer satisfaction and
loyalty.
www.taascom.com© 2020 TAASCOM All rights reserved

So, how do companies stand out
from the competition and get in
front of the customer with value?
Identify customer pain points and
issues.
Shop anywhere, fulfill anywhere
expectations make inventory
management more complex than
ever
There are three stages to identifying customer
issues. Organizations in all parts of the supply
network need to plan smart and optimize
replenishment. So, regardless if the orders are
fulfilled, there is just the right amount of
inventory without running out or carrying
overstock.
Demand can be very
tough to forecast
0807
When to buy
Demand Sensing 
(identification the JIT replenishment)
STAGE 1
WHAT TO BUy
What is SKU? 
(Is it Cyan or Black cartridge 
& the part number)
STAGE 2
where to buy
Depending on the location and the SLA 
(least cost to ship JIT)
STAGE 3
The consequences of this is to arrive at
:

What to stock?

How much to stock?

When to stock?

Where to stock?
All of these have to ensure that the customers needs
are met JIT, and inventory stock (from manufacturing
to OEM to dealer to customer) is neither excess (leads
to cost) or out (reduced revenue, SLAs not being met
or bad customer experience) and the supply chain
costs are optimized for stocking and shipments
(inventory and time). This becomes even more
important with inventory that is expensive, fragile, or
bulky (space costs) or has a certain shelf life or needs
to be maintained at a certain conditions (e.g.
temp/humidity.)
INCREASING
COMPLEXITY
Serving thousands to millions of
customers every week and sourcing
merchandise from large numbers of
suppliers globally could be taxing. Supply
chains are increasingly faced with
increasing operational complexity.
“

1009
When to buySTAGE 1
Systematic order management to avoid excess inventory
and unnecessary big markdowns

When organizations fail to define the right time to place an
order, inventory issues that arise are far-reaching:
Overstock
Cost
Obsolescence
Stock-out
just in time
ınventory
This strategy is crucial in an end-to-end
demand planning process. It is
important to optimize order and
replenishment activities and seasonal
promotions to increase efficiency and
reduce inventory costs. This also
includes processes for handling
exceptions, including big spikes in
demand that are expected or otherwise.
However, in principle, the JIT strategy is
very difficult to make it work.
Minimal capital expenditure
Low inventory levels
Quick moving inventory
Match customer demand
Low inventory counts
Value 
Proposition
JIT
Just in time inventory
WHAT TO BUYSTAGE 2
Ordering the right amount of product, to be delivered at the
correct time, to the best place
Organizations need to define the order quantity. In this stage, organizations
need to pull data manually or from existing systems to gather a comprehensive
set of inventory metrics, down to the SKU level.

SKU tracking is a task far beyond the capabilities of human planners. This daily
manual activity is:
Time-consuming
Painful for tracking compatibility
Prone to error when identifying genuine or knock offs
WHERE TO BUYSTAGE 3
Supplier selection reflected by transaction shopping involves:
Periodicity
Trust of the vendor/product
Delivery time
Price/value of money
Time and effort
A painful repetitive process
When to buySTAGE 1

IOT IS THE FUTURE OF
ConsuMER GOODS
INDUSTRY
InB2BandB2Cbusinessmodels,thedisadvantageof
enterpriseinformationconstructionkeepscompaniesfrom
developingcustomerserviceandinventorymanagement.
Accordingtoarecentstudy, businessprocessesbasedon
valuechainshouldberestructuredtoachieveutility
optimization.

Towininthecomingdecades,organizationsneedtocapture
newopportunitiesandembracesubstantialchangestotheir
supplychainmanagementapproach.However,notevery
solutionisavailableonthemarket,andnoteverysolution
perfectlyfitandaddressyouruniquebusinessneeds(e.g.
replenishment).
Assuch,weencouragebusinessestothinkthrough
thefollowingkeyquestionswhendetermining
theirpaths:
Intheforthcomingpages,we’lltakeacloserlookat
abusinessmodelthatwillshapetheenterpriseof
thefuture,andhowyoucanleverageitto
transformyourorganization.
Whatistheproblemyouaretryingtosolve?
Whatarethesolutionsandscaleneeded?
Whattechnologyresourcesareinternally
available?Doyouhavetheabilityto
implementthatpathforward?
Whatisthescaleoftheimpactatstake?
Whatisthetimelineforsuccess?
GUIDE QUESTIONS FOR
READERS
Inarecentarticle,McKinseyhas
namedtheInternetofThings(IoT)as
oneofthe10disruptivetrendsthat
thefast-movingconsumer-goods
industrycannotignoreinthenext
fiveyears.Inmanycategories,IoTis
settorevolutionizetheconsumer
decisionjourney,especiallyby
enablingmoreautomatic
replenishment.
IoTissettorevolutionizethe
consumerdecisionjourney,especially
byenablingmoreautomatic
replenishment.
1211 1
1
1.Zhao,Li& Guo,Shouting.(2012).ThevaluecreationofB2B2CE-businessmodebasedonSaaS.JournalofElectronicCommerceinOrganizations.10.1-12.10.4018/jeco.2012070101.www.taascom.com© 2020TAASCOMAllrightsreserved

61%
of organizations are flexible
automation
77%
of organizations view the
solution as relevant
Offer Auto-
replenishment 
as a service
Inventory management is the cornerstone of every
manufacturing operation but balancing supply and
demand is a constant challenge. Manufacturers
must ensure they have enough materials on hand
while minimizing stockpiling.
13 14
B2B markets are an extremely difficult
environment for product replenishment. This
pushes product replenishment function in B2B
firms to require multiple solutions and
services. To achieve that delicate balance,
businesses can no longer rely on manual
processes to accurately forecast demand.
Organizations need automation, a system that
centralizes multiple data sources to efficiently
manage stock. However, a single product offering is
insufficient to successfully automate the entire
operation.
In industrial manufacturing (automotive OEMs,
dealers, tier-one suppliers, equipment
manufacturers, component suppliers and product
companies):
61% of organizations are flexible automation
77% of organizations view the solution as relevant
60% of manufacturing
tasks could be
automated
Manufacturers must
ensure they have
enough materials on
hand while
minimizing
stockpiling.
“
* Source: McKinsey & Company

Replenishment is increasingly
becoming a highly automated function
in the distribution world. To compete
and win the game, businesses can
consider solutions that can transform
their replenishment systems –
replenishment as a service.
The customer’s replenishment decision
determines the availability of inventory
needed to fill orders and, in turn, the cost of
processing backorders and the risk of losing
orders to competitors.

Regardless of the industry, businesses can
put the replenishment function on autopilot
and let the service do nearly all the work
including:
Continuous replenishment program reduces
variations and uncertainties in demand, thereby
reducing the need for surge production capacities
and large inventories
.

Businesses need to take into consideration the
supplier’s ordering rules, as well as anticipated
changes in customer demand and changing market
conditions to arrive at significant improvements in :
1615
Auto-detection of when to replace
Auto-detection of what SKU is compatible
Auto-ordering
GUIDE QUESTIONS FOR
READERS
When creating a new offer, in this case,
replenishment as a service, organizations should
consider three questions:
What type and level of replenishment service
does your business plan to support?
What type of technology is required? Does it
need to be more advanced and involving a
value differentiator?
As supply chain environments evolve, what
type of replenishment environment will your
offering need to support?
Auto-detection of when
to replace
SAFETYSTOCK
LEADTIME
DEMANDHISTORY
SEASONALITY
www.taascom.com©2020TAASCOMAll rights reserved

SIMPLIFY 
AND MINIMIZe

Withauto-ordering,thegoalistosimplify
replenishmentdecisionsandminimize
frictionthroughanautomatedcustomer
journey.
“
Auto-ordering
Calculaterecommendedinventorylevelsforeach
stock-keepingunit(SKU)thatrangefromseveral
hundredthousandtotensofmillions.
You’veinvestedinauto-detectionofcrucialreplenishment
parameters,sowhyleavethingsthere?

Amongthemainappealsofreplenishmentasaservicearethe
easeandconvenienceitprovidestocustomers.Tocompete,
organizationsneedtofocusonremovingroadblockfromthe
replenishmentprocess.

Withauto-ordering,thegoalistosimplifyreplenishment
decisionsandminimizefrictionthroughanautomated
customerjourney.Theauto-orderingfeaturegivescustomers
accesstothefastlane:
Auto-bill
basedon
usage
3
Subscription
21
transaction
Auto-detection of what SKU
is compatible
1817
TRANSACTION
Ratherthanofferingpredefinedtemplates,
businessescanpresentcustomerswithanoffering
thatisbasedonwhatworksforthelatter.  
Whenreplenishmentasaservicematchesthe
supplytothedemand,atransactionhappens.This
way,customershaveflexibilitywhilealsonot
havingtoworryaboutwhentobuy.
Customerconsenttobuy 
whenrequired-singleclick
Flatorone-timechargefor
as-you-gousers
Anybillingcycle–monthly,
weeklyordaily
SUBSCRIPTION
Asimplerapproachwouldbeasubscription-based
orderingprocessofcontinuouslyreplenished
products.
Nouserinvolvement-
machineordersforitself
Automatedreminders,notices
andservicesuspension
www.taascom.com©2020TAASCOMAllrightsreserved

GUIDE QUESTIONS FOR
READERS
Organizationsthatconvertcustomerswithaclick
oravoicecommandareinagreatpositionto
createalifetimeofvalue.Toguideyouonyour
transformationjourney,hereareafewquestions
toanswertoknowyournextbeststep:
Howdoplantoprepareyourbusinessforthe
replenishmenteconomy?
Doyoulosecustomerstocomplicated
sign-upsororderingsystems?
Doyouhaveastrategyinplacetoensurea
smoothreplenishmentprocessfor
customers?
2019
Tocompete,organizationsneedtofocus
onremovingroadblockfromthe
replenishmentprocess.
“
Auto-bill based
on usage
Organizationscanalsooptformeteredbilling,where
theyarechargedbasedontheiractualusageofthe
service.Businessescanmakeitsothatcustomersare
chargedwithanappropriateper-unitfeeforany
consumption.
Nouserinvolvement-machine
ordersandbillsbasedonusage
Trackcustomerconsumption
ofservice
Supportcomplexusage-based
model
OEMs/serviceprovidersareusing
benchmarksandmetricstooptimizesupply
chainperformance.However,because
collectingandanalyzingdataisacomplex
task,organizationsshouldselectonly
solutionsthatmeettheirneedsand,most
importantly,improveperformance.

Businessesshouldalsounderstandthat
clientsrequirevaluefromtheirpartners.
Throughoutatransformationjourney,
organizationsshouldtransitioncustomers
smoothlyandcontinuetosupportongoing
engagement.

Now,welookintothecustomer and
OEM/Service provider value of
replenishmentasaservice.
Every company is essentially part of at least
one supply chain. These chains are defined
by OEM, who provide all capabilities in the
creation of the end product, and customers,
who purchase it.
www.taascom.com© 2020 TAASCOM Allrightsreserved

GUIDE QUESTIONS FOR
READERS
Thesearejustsomeoftheaddedvaluespresented
byreplenishmentasaservice.Organizations
shouldrigorouslyreducecostsandprovidea
rewardingexperiencethroughouttheirsupply
chain.Keyindustryplayersneedtoseekwaysto
increasethevalue-addedtotheirproductsand
services.Herearesomequestionsthatcouldhelp
yourealizesuchvalue:
Doyouhaveaccesstospecialized
technologies,processcapabilitiesand
expertiseoninventoryreplenishment?
Areyourcustomerswillingtopayforadded
value?
Areyouwillingtofindcustomersthatare
willingtopayforvalue-addedservices?
Howdoyouplantomeetcustomerdemands
forhigheroverallquality?
2221
CUSTOMER VALUE
Aswe'vediscussed,themainappeals
ofthereplenishmenteconomyare
costsavingsandtheconvenienceit
offerstocustomers.
Wehaveestablishedthatreplenishment
errorcanleadtooverstocksanddead
stock.Withreplenishmentasaservice
wherebusinessescanachieveJIT
inventory,theywillneverrunoutof
suppliesandwillnotexperience
overstock.
Replenishment
asaservice
customer
touchpoints
LIFETIMEVALUE
+
=
CostSavings
Convenience
Inventorycostssavings
Noimpactonbusinessduetooutofstock
Discountswithsubscriptionsvs
transactionalpurchase
Timeandmoneyofhumanlaborinvolved
inrepetitivepurchasing
Theone-timesubscriptionoptiontakes
careofrepetitivepurchasecycles,allowing
businessestofocusandspendmoretime
oncoreactivities.

2423
OEM/Service provider
value
Inventory cost reduction

In this case, OEMs can utilize
replenishment as a service to optimize
the key process of inventory
replenishment. This strategy increases
mutual benefits for OEMs and service
providers in the long run.
As Gartner would put it, the availability of supply
chain data provides participants the ability to
extrapolate the current environment to better
predict and understand future scenarios.

In this case, advanced analytics will be deployed in
real time or near-real time for dynamic
replenishment. Using real-time or near real-time
usage data, it predicts:
What SKU to stock
How much to stock
When to stock
Where to stock
This gives not only good lead time in
manufacturing but also a significant inventory
cost reduction, which is a big aspect of the balance
sheet.
Most recently, OEMs and other service
providers have begun to adopt efforts to
optimize their performance. Supply
chains are increasingly integrating key
business processes, from raw-material
suppliers through end users that provide
products, services and information that
add value for customers.
Capture lifetime revenue
Arrest leakage of revenue to 3rd party / clones /
compatibles/ competition
Reduce inventory cost
Optimize supply chain
Replenishment as a service will be able to:

Supply chain optimization
Replenishment as service can connect disparate
sensor technologies across the enterprise. The
auto-replenishment capability ensures that bins are
stocked just in time.

Based on predictive analytics, replenishment as a
service drives:
Intelligent stock ordering
JIT Inventory management at the right locations -
OEMs/dealers/customers
Stocking at the right location to reduce transport costs
Optimize costs of delivery
Improved lead time
2625
GUIDE QUESTIONS FOR READERS
Despite these benefits, OEMs may elect to retain current systems
and ignore capabilities that provide a sustainable competitive
advantage. To help you decide, here are some questions that might
help you figure out the best next step for your organization:
Do you wish to reap the benefits of improved focus and
simplification of your in-house operations?
Do you value reduced costs manufacturing operations,
including reduction of in-house inventories?
How do you plan to make use of a growing body of tools
for optimizing key business processes, including
inventory replenishment?

27 28
B2B firms would want to move from a
company that provides replenishment as a
product to helping customers improve
productivity and reduce downtime by offering
replenishment as a service, driven by insights
from data analytics. This way, organizations
can extend the service offering to reach
emerging and service-oriented domains.
To orchestrate a new offering, organizations need to outline the specific
activities needed to roll out the new service. The resources and datasets, which
will provide continuous visibility of what's happening across the business, are to
be identified, defined and acquired.
Usage
Current Inventory Drawdown
SKU
Supply Levels
Data Required
for the Service
Creating a new product offering – and fulfilling the
demands of a digital customer – requires insights
about inventory conditions that inefficient and
infrequent traditional audit settings often miss.
GUIDE QUESTIONS
FOR READERS
Here are some questions to answer to
help you determine what you need to
position your company for a new
initiative:
Do you have the resources and tools
to develop your service?
Have you established a learning
relationship with each customer?
Have you identified your company's
readiness to launch a large-scale
service offering?
Sale automatically
triggers a
replenishment request
Tracking of low on
supplies triggers a
replenishment request
New SKUreplacement
means a complete
replenishment

Knowing your target
customer and taking steps
to maximize the value of
customer data will help
improve every metric of the
new offer.

B2B market companies
sharing and using customer
data are seizing incredible
opportunities, through data
analytics, to improve
business performance.
Customer
Details
3029
DEMOGRAPHICS
Helps target offering
Company Type, Location, Level of Management,
Age
Psychographics
Helps promote service depending on what
clients value
In-depth profiling on how buyers think and respond
Brands affiliations, spending patterns,
replenishment habits
Engagement
Helps determine clients who are ready for
the right offer
When, where and how the buyer engage with your
services
Purchase behavior
Helps identify patterns and segments to
increase sales
Historic information on what, when, where and
how clients buy product or service
Companies leveraging quality data, including detailed
profiles and customer preferences, can deliver far more
personalized solutions to individual customers. To get
started, here are questions you might want to consider
asking your organization now:
Do you have access to customer data that will help
you understand how the service could work for
them?
Have you begun to stockpile some great customer
profiles to leverage in your new offer creation?
Do you have needed data to address seasonal
campaigns and changing customer trends?
creatıng a buyer persona
Influence buying decision
Build and maintain customers
Position for a large-scale initiative
Customize service to meet each customer’s need
Set priorities

Deliveringtherightofferingtotheright
individualattherighttimeisthekeyto
winningmoreclients.

Shipmentinformationisanotherdatato
extractandlookupfromanydatasourceto
integrateintothenewserviceoffering.
Organizationsneedtoaggregate,mapand
normalizerawshipmentdata,andthenapply
businesslogicthatdrivesthenewservice.
Whenyouownyournumbers,itwouldbe
easytospotmistakesandchallengesthat
needtobeaddressed.
ShipmentDetails
3231
INDUSTRY:Healthcare
PAIN:Temperature-sensitivehealthcare
product
SOLUTION:Moreoptionsfor
temperature-sensitiveshipments
INDUSTRY:Automotive
PAIN:Outdatedflatshippingrate
SOLUTION:Replenishmentorder
independentoftruckload
considerations
Thereisnoone-size-fits-allclient,andthereisno
one-size-fits-allserviceeither.
Smallratechanges Traveldistance
On-timeperformanceShippingspend
Packagemeasurement
WhenB2Bfirmshaveextractedandmappedout
relevantcustomerdetails,theywillsucceedinlaying
outthisdisparatedataasdriversofpersonalized
customerexperience.
GUIDE QUESTIONSFOR
READERS
Analyzingshippingdatacanrevealopportunities
foryourcustomersandtheirsupplychain.Here
arequestionsyouneedtoanswertohelpyou
revealredundanciesandinefficienciesthatare
oftenoverlooked:
Howoftendoyoureviewcustomershipping
profiles?
Doyouhaveafullunderstandingofshipping
profilestomakeinformedchoicesoncontract
negotiations?
Isyourapproacheffectiveinlettingyour
customersknowwhyyou’revaluabletothem?

Gathering insights on how customers are
consuming services and how much they are
willing to pay is essential if organizations
want a flexible system.

Relevant client billing information, including
usage data, offer promotions, offer rates,
subscription plans, add-on, upgrade,
renewals, discounts and adjustments,
provides organizations with consistent,
secure and high-quality master data required
to build a new service offering. This data will
help shape and accommodate future growth
needs.
BILLING Details
3433
GUIDE QUESTIONS FOR
READERS
Keeping track of billing details from usage to
crucial data points will help your organization
understand how your services are performing. To
help accelerate time to market of new service
offering, here are questions you need to answer:
Is your organization prepared to make
significant changes to existing billing
processes?
How do you ensure data consistency across
the offer-to-cash life cycle?
How often do you review your enterprise data
lake for billing operations governance and
resources?
Do you ensure that all of your client billing
data are secured in one place?
When B2B firms have identified this wide range of
billing information elements, they will be
successful in eliminating the need for customers
to manage multiple vendor relationships across
the supply chain.

Organizations need to perform a thorough
business capability assessment, which will help
identify capability gaps, align architecture to
future needs, and define an actionable
transformational plan.
Can be shared between:
Customer support
Sales
Pricing teams
Client billing information:
Subscription Payments
Collections Invoice

Data considerations
Wehaveoutlinedtheexistingdataandnewdata
neededtocreatenewserviceopportunities.To
completethebusiness’transformationalplan,
organizationsshouldalsotakealookatthesethree
factors:
UndertheEuropeanUnionprivacylaw,knownas
theGeneralDataProtectionRegulation(GDPR),
businessesarerequiredtoprotectthepersonal
dataandprivacyofcustomers.Itenhancesthe
rightsofanindividual,withanextendedrightof
access,arighttorectificationandnewrightsto
dataportabilityanderasureofdata.The
regulationsstatethatindividualshavetoexplicitly
consenttotheacquisitionandprocessingoftheir
data.
IntheUnitedStates,thereisnocentral
authoritythatenforcesdataprivacylaws.GDPR
doesnotexistintheUS,butdifferentstatesare
evolvingtheirdataprivacypolicy;Californiais
leadingthepackwithspecificguidelinesforIoT
implementations.

So,howcanbusinessesgeneratethegreatest
possiblevaluefromuserdatawithout
compromisingoncompliance?
Ownershipofdata
Customerconsent
Applicationdata
3635
CASE IN
POINT

InJanuary2019,Googlewashitwitha
$57millionGDPRfine.Themassive
penaltywasthefirsttobeleviedunder
theGDPR,accordingtoTheNewYork
Times.
“
lack of
transparency
invalidly
obtained
customer
consent
failure to comply with GDPR
obligations
record fine levied by French data
regulator CNIL
+
=
=
www.taascom.com© 2020TAASCOM Allrightsreserved

Ownership of Data
Data, not oil, is now the world’s most valuable
resource, according to The Economist. This means
that now, more than ever, smart handling of data is
a recipe for business success.  
In the context of the GDPR, data owners are
accountable for the quality, integrity and
protection of their data space.

But first, organizations should define who “owns”
data and what data ownership really means.   
We believe asking the right questions helps. Data
ownership should become clear if you answer these
questions: 
Where an individual exercises any of their data
protection rights, businesses should be able to
respond accordingly.
Who is most impacted if data is incorrect?
Who has the ultimate authority to decide data
changes?
Who owns related data attributes?
3837
Most organizations would have some good practice
already in place. Here are questions you can use to know
if your organization is prepared in meeting data
protection obligations:
Who owns the data?
Do you have a secure storage area for your
archives?
How often do you review and update your terms
of business, privacy policy and all forms and
contracts to ensure they are in line with data
protection guidelines?
What actions have you taken to keep data
encrypted and securely backed up to
protect customer information?
Are you prepared to host training events
for clients and associates on GDPR to help
understand and reassure stakeholders?
Data, not oil, is now
the world’s most
valuable resource,
according to The
Economist. This
means that now,
more than ever, smart
handling of data is a
recipe for business
success.
“

Customer Consent
Businessesneedtounderstandthe
risksofgettingthingswrong.Inthis
case,organizationscouldface
substantialfinesiftheygettheir
consentmechanismswrong.
implement
appropriate
measures

Organizationsarerequiredtoimplement
appropriatetechnicalandorganizational
measuresdesignedtoimplementdata
protectionprinciplesfromtheoutsetof
anyproject.–GDPR,Article25
“ present
legal
agreements

Tocontendwithdifferentissues,
companiescanpresentlegalagreements
whensettingupanewserviceoffering.
“
Application Data
CRMsarepoweredbyspecificdata
aboutcustomersandprospects.Other
enterprisedatamaybecontainedina
third-partyrepository.

So,howcanbusinessesunderstand
andensurethatdataassociatedwith
anyapplicationorsystemcanbe
separated,accessedandutilized
outsideofthatparticularsystem?
4039
Asfarashandlingcustomerconsentisconcerned,consider
thesequestions:
Isitnecessarytogetcustomerconsentbefore
usingthedata?
Whywouldcustomersallowyoutoaccessthe
data?
Howoftendoyoureviewandupdateprivacy
noticestoincludeanexplanationoftransparency
requirements?
Doyouhosttrainingeventsforassociatesondata
processing,legalrightsandcompliancewith
GDPR?
Howoftendoyoureviewallprocessingfunctions
andsystems,whereconsentisconcerned?
data protection considerations
actions taken to ensure data minimization
and protection
+
Whenimplementinganewproject,businessesmust
document:
www.taascom.com© 2020 TAASCOMAllrightsreserved

4241
Is the data available elsewhere?
Is the data trapped in a propriety software
product?
Can you get to customer data from third-parties,
such as SAP or CRM?
How your organization handles the ways by which
you apply data is integral to ensuring compliance, as
well as protecting your stakeholders. Consider these
questions:
Delivering competitive new service offerings pose new challenges. To contend with different issues, companies
can present legal agreements when setting up a new service offering.
How long will the collected data be stored?
How is customer information protected and
stored?

How is personal information shared or
transferred?
How is data linked to and interacting with third party
accounts protected?
How are log files used?
To what extent is customer data analyzed and used?
How to maintain and access accurate information?
What privacy and data protection laws protect
customer information?
How to delete personal data?
How to raise concerns or complains regarding
compliance?
Data Analysis 
DATA sharing 
data usage
What information is collected?
Why is the information collected?
For what purpose?
User Privacy  
DATA COLLECTION
Understand practices in relation to
personal data
End-User License Agreement (EULA)
Success in collecting, analyzing and making sense
of all this required data will influence how you
build the new service offering. In the next chapter,
we will uncover how to leverage this data to define
stakeholder responsibilities.

18%
Growingbyanestimated18%in
compoundannualrevenueperyear,
subscription-basedbusinessesraked
inatleast300%moreprofitoverthe
lastcoupleofyears
75%
By2023,Gartnerpredicts
that75%ofcompaniesthat
selldirectlytotheir
consumerswilloffer
subscriptionservices.Infact,
about70%ofbusinesses
todayarenowdeployingor
considering
subscription-basedsolutions.
Stakeholders/ 
Responsibilities
Theageofthecustomerhasrevampedbusiness
modelsallovertheworld.Sincecustomer
experienceisnowanintegralkeytobusiness
success,businessesmustadapttheirstrategiesto
makesurethattheyknowexactlywheretheir
customersare,andtheycanmeetthemthere.
43 44
Thesubscriptioneconomyisamongthemostimportantevolutionsthatthe
businessworldhasseeninrecentyears.Growingbyanestimated18%in
compoundannualrevenueperyear,subscription-basedbusinessesrakedinat
least300%moreprofitoverthelastcoupleofyears.Andby2023,Gartner
predictsthat75%ofcompaniesthatselldirectlytotheirconsumerswilloffer
subscriptionservices.Infact,about70%ofbusinessestodayarenowdeploying
orconsideringsubscription-basedsolutions.
Allthisfocusonthecustomer
necessitatesstreamliningmethodologies
sothatbusinessescandesigntheperfect
experiencethatwillconverttheir
audienceintotheircustomers-and
maintainthatrelationship.However,
thereisoneotherimportantcomponent
tobusinesssuccessintoday's
subscriptioneconomy:managing
stakeholdersandtheirresponsibilities.
convert audience
into customers

4645
According to the Project Management Institute,
stakeholders are individuals, groups, or organizations
that affect or are affected by project decisions,
activities, or outcomes. These include:
Shareholders
Community Customers
Company
staff
from CEOs to
employees
Designing the right experience that
promises optimal rewards, especially to
customers
Ensuring communication is clear and
concise across the whole organization
Working towards the fulfillment of
shared objectives; and
Maintaining efficiency and security
within your business model
Managing differing opinions
Establishing a comprehensive and
effective communication strategy; and
Avoiding role confusion + mitigating
conflict
One of the most helpful ways to approach
role designation and management is to use
the RACI model: Responsible, Accountable,
Consulted, and Informed. Segregating tasks
and expectations according to these four
layers helps in:
The RACI Model
Who Are Your Stakeholders?
Understanding the specific responsibilities of each of these
designations, as well as your responsibilities to them, is
important to:
REsponsible
1
Stakeholders who are Responsible are those who
have the ability to directly achieve any task, such as
designers, researchers, writers, etc.
Accountable stakeholders are those who are tasked
with the completion of not just tasks, but the entire
project. They also have approval or veto authorities.
Often, these are project managers, IT executives, and
other higher-level staff.
Accountable
2
Stakeholders who must be Consulted are those who
possess the knowledge that is required for the task
progress/delivery. Examples include experts in
Customer Success and Support, Sales, Business
Intelligence, etc.
Consulted
3
Finally, Informed Stakeholders are those who need to
be informed of how tasks are progressing, but their
input does not have to be immediately actionable.
Informed
3

4847
Product Management of the
Offer
Product management is a key pillar of a successful
transformation through the subscription economy.
Stakeholders can best approach this facet of the process
by:
Clearly defining and establishing markers of success,
as well as objectives
Setting standards and expectations, creating layers
of abstraction, and outlining a system of escalation in
case of problems
Mitigating risks through user testing and lean
validation; and
Streamlining efficiency in your operations through
separating roles and tasks, asking your developers
for their input, and encouraging clear communication
within the organization
Pricing of the Offer
Pricing is a powerful lever for the subscription
economy. If your customers like your price - and the
rewards that come with it - they will want to keep
paying. According to a report, companies typically
spend only 10 hours per year on pricing, and it has
adverse consequences for their businesses. For
instance:
double
revenue
Companies that update their pricing at least once
every six months see almost double the Average
Revenue Per User of those that update their
prices only once per year
“
MonetizatioN
X8
Monetization is as
influential (at least 8
times)to business
growth as customer
acquisition
Stakeholder
Responsibilities That
Are Integral to
Success in the
Subscription
Economy
Tosuccessfullytransitiontoandmakea
profitoffofthesubscriptioneconomy,
therearespecificfunctionsthat
stakeholdersmustproperlymanage.
Theseareasfollows.

5049
To choose the right pricing model for your
subscription-based business, your stakeholders
must consider:
Who your customers are, how they use your offer,
what they need from your offer, and for how long
they need your offer
How your competition prices their offerings; and
Your fixed and variable costs
Many businesses typically use these three
pricing strategies:
Cost-plus pricing: calculating all fixed and variable
costs and then adding a percentage margin to set
the price
Competitor-based pricing: Using the prices of
your competitors as your baseline for setting
yours
Value-based pricing: harnessing customer data
that informs on the perceived value of your
business offering and using that to set your price
Single offer, fixed features = fixed price
Fixed or flat-rate pricing
Example : Basecamp
Various packages with various
features/product combinations at
different price points.
Tiered pricing
Example : Wordpress
Pricing scales with the number of users
Per unit / user
Example : Buffer
Price points depend on users'
consumption of a product or service
Per unit / user
Example : AmazonWebServices
As such, subscription-based models must know
how to properly leverage pricing to entice,
maintain, and keep customers. There are four
main strategies that you can use:
www.taascom.com©2020TAASCOM All rights reserved

5251
Marketing of the Offer
Marketing your business offer is the main
bread-and-butter of your subscription
business. Approaching this with your
stakeholders best follows these tips:
A freemium option is a good way to convert
leads into paying customers. According to a
report, 75% of people surveyed used a
freemium model for games, and based on
worldwide gaming app revenue, it works.
Additionally, you can offer free trials to
onboard customers.
Give them a free taste
75%
Pitching to your customers' emotions is
effective, but allowing them to practice their
own agency and make a decision that seems
rational to them can work better. For
example, if you are selling a subscription box,
tell them exactly what they are getting when
they subscribe to that box, why they should
get that box from you and not a competitor,
and how that box is going to improve their
lives.
Put together rational offers
According to John Warrilow, the author of
"The Automatic Customer: Creating a
Subscription Business In Any Industry",
customers will be more likely to subscribe
to a business if they can get 10x the value
of their payment, and not merely a 10%
discount.
X10
Create value, not just discounts

5453
Paying early and paying often, so that your sales
team can bring in continual sales, instead of
getting compensated for mere annuity streams.
Tracking the sales contracts, where the value of
the deal is computed rather than the single sale
count. For instance, if one of your sales
stakeholders closed a three-year deal, you will
want to reward that more than a salesperson that
closed a 6-month deal.
Incentivization must follow some basic tenets for
best practices, though. These include:
Also, capitalize off of upselling opportunities. You
may opt to dedicate this solely to Farmers, or you
can design your sales funnel to allow Hunters to
keep in contact with their customers, too.
HAVE HUNTERS
AND FARMERS
Ideally, you should have "hunters" and "farmers".
Hunters focus on getting new customers, while
farmers focus on keeping them your customers.
“
Streamlining your sales methodologies to
successfully attract and retain customers should,
first, start with segregating your sales teams.
Ideally, you should have "hunters" and "farmers".
Hunters focus on getting new customers, while
farmers focus on keeping them your customers.
To make full use of this, incentives are a great
tool.
A big part of the growth and success of a
subscription-based model rides on the
effectiveness of your order fulfillment. In involving
your stakeholders, this typically gets divided into
two major concerns: the design of your fulfillment
system, and the components that make it up.  
To address the first, there are two major ways by
which subscription businesses handle fulfillment.
IN-HOUSE
OUTSOURCE
FULFILLMENT
Selling a subscription is different from just
converting a traditional lead: you want to
make sure that you keep benefiting from
that sale. In other words, your customers
should want to stay subscribed to your
business offering - and your sales team is
very important to making that happen.
Sales
Fulfillment

5655
The first is in-house, where they take care of
everything that their customers need and they
do the actual logistics solutions that will deliver
what their customers paid for.  
The other is to outsource fulfillment to a
third-party logistics company. Often, businesses
that benefit most from this type of setup are
those that ship out large volumes of actual
products to customers on a timely basis. If you
want to go this way, consider choosing a company
that:
Now, when it comes to the components of your
fulfillment system, an effective model ideally
features:
Billing management is an integral cornerstone of
a well-managed subscription business. Billing
covers:
Creates custom branded packaging
Has a network of fulfillment centers
Offers automated fulfillment
Has an in-house inventory management service
Offers custom-tailored pricing
A good inventory management system
Ecommerce platform integration
A comprehensive picking list; and
An unboxing experience design
Who should be billed
Specific subscriptions/products that customers
are billed for
The amount for which they are billed
When they are billed
Payment collection system
Important data gathered for analytics and
accounting
Billing
Not having a system that allows flexible pricing over
time to meet market demand and changes
Sticking to manual processing of important tasks that
can yield better results, such as delivering a
user-intuitive signup platform
Giving generic receipts and invoices, instead of
personalizing them to encourage brand loyalty
Not anticipating and addressing possible risks and
issues with credit cards; and
Hard-coding their own billing solution
There are various ways to optimize billing, if
you’re switching to the subscription economy.
First things first, avoid common mistakes. These
include:

Streamlinethecollectionof
paymentsthroughavarietyof
methods
(Creditcards,debitcards,PayPal,AmazonPayments,wire
transfers,etc.)
Managingandautomatingspecific
tasks,suchas
Checkout(freemium,trials,etc)
Subscriptioncomponents(pricingmodels,etc)
Billingprocesses(calculations,discounts,schedule,etc)
Invoicing
Accounting;and
Analytics
Productcapabilities;and
Servicecapabilities
Also,speakingofbillingsolutions,therearevarioussoftware
providersthatdoexactlythat.Theyvaryfromvendortovendor,
butatthecore,they:
Thekeyistochoosetherightprogramforyourspecificbusiness
operations.Considerthesefactors:
5857
Customersuccessmanagementiscloselytied
torecurringrevenue,especiallyfor
subscription-basedbusinesses.Whenyour
customersareusingyourbusinessofferingin
suchawaythatitmakestheirlivesbetter,they
willbemorewillingtokeeptrustingyouand,
thus,payyou.Andoneofitsmostbasictenets
isthatyou,asthebusiness,shoulddeliverthe
experiencethattheydesire.
Customer Success
Management
Seamlessintegrationwithyourbusiness
model
Speedydeploymentofsolutions
Monitoringtoolsforincreasedproductivity,
KPItracking,etc
Scalability
User-friendlysystems;and
360-degreecustomersupport
Ifyouintendtooutsourceyoursupportcontact
center,theidealpartnerproviderwilldeliver:
Quick issue/problem resolution
Personal and easy interaction
with skilled agents
Availability of multiple channels
for support
Supportsolutionsarenecessaryinmaintainingyour
relationshipwithyourcustomers-especiallyfor
subscription-basedmodels.
Support/Call Center

How do you approach customer
management, as an organization, and by
involving key stakeholders in your
business?
6059
DELIVER THE
EXPERIENCE YOUR
CUSTOMERS
DESIRE
A Zendesk report upholds the importance of
following this tenet, as they found that more than
70% of customers switch brands because of poor
service, while 7% of customers make purchasing
decisions solely on how they are treated.
70%
“
Differentiate between
satisfaction and success
1
Customer satisfaction is no doubt critical to
making profits, but it is not at all the same as
customer success. For a real shot at growth,
your customers must understand the value
that your offerings bring, so much so that they
cannot go without them. There needs to be a
clear line between satisfaction and success -
and all your business methodologies should be
streamlined according to the achievement of
both.

Align your goals with
those of your customers
2
To meet your customers right where they are,
you need to be the solution to their issues or
concerns. This means developing and
deploying solutions and offerings that will
enrich their buyer experience. Listen to what
your customers need, and scale your business
to continually deliver exactly that.

Establish metrics based on
your goals
3
How do you measure success? This definition
must be clear-cut across the entire
organization, and it should provide the
foundation upon which you will track
analytical data, tools, and instruments.


6261
Customer Engagement
Successfully managing customer engagement
can unlock a veritable world of profitability for
subscription businesses. Here are some of the
best ways to achieve that.
Feedback from your customers is among the
most powerful tools you can have at your
disposal; after all, these are the very people
that are already paying you for your
business. Whatever it is that they want to
say must find a channel, and you can use this
information to design, adapt, and reinforce
your processes.
Allow feedback
When you get recurring subscriptions from
customers, make sure you say your thanks
by offering them a reward. Freebies are a
good way to do this, as are discounts.
Incentivize loyalty
Customers that interact with businesses on
social media spend anywhere from 20 to 40
times more on them than those who don't.
Being readily available across multiple
media channels will communicate your
trustworthiness, and will spur on brand
loyalty.
x40
Always be accessible to your
customers

6463
Profitability/KPI
Management
Finally, do not forget to measure growth
and success. One of the best things that
technology has done for businesses is the
creation of analytical tools that can help
inform strategies, revamp existing
systems, and drive business success. Here
are some of the most important Key
Performance Indicators (KPIs) for
profitability in the subscription economy:
Recurring Revenue Rate
1
Measures recurring value generated by renewals,
subscriptions, and contracted services on a weekly,
monthly, quarterly, or annual basis
Sum of all recurring payments in a week /
month / quarter / year
Average Revenue Per User
2
Measures the average revenue from every subscriber of a
service
Total revenue divided total number of subscribers
Cost of Goods and Services Sold
3
Measures the total cost of manufacturing and delivering
your products/offerings
Sum of labor + material + service and delivery costs
Gross Profitability
4
Measures the balance between production + labor costs
and pricing and service delivery costs
Total revenue minus the cost of goods sold
GUIDE QUESTIONS
FOR READERS
Ready to jumpstart Stakeholder and
Responsibilities management for your
business?Consider these questions:
Who are the different stakeholders
in your organization?Is there a clear
division of responsibilities/tasks
between these different groups?If
yes, how can role designation be
better?If not, how can role
designation be better?
Is there clear communication across
the organization?How is it
impacting your business, in terms of
its goals?Does anything need to
improve or change?
What do your customers need?
What do your stakeholders need?
What do you need from your
stakeholders?
www.taascom.com©2020TAASCOM All rights reserved

Customer
Experience/UX
TECHNICAL DEPLOYMENT 
ARCHITECTURE
Customer experience has turned into one of the
most powerful levers for business growth. In fact,
according to Gartner, 89% of companies will
compete mainly through it, and that is why about
50% of companies will direct their investments
towards designing better experiences for their
clients.  
Market research statistics support this, too.
According to Accenture, 87% of organizations
believe that traditional experiences no longer
please customers. Additionally:
87 %
According to Accenture, 87%
of organizations believe that
traditional experiences no
longer please customers.
65 66
Optimizing customer experience is
among the most promising
opportunities for 19% of
businesses, as opposed to data
driven individual-focused
marketing (16%), and content
marketing (14%). (Econsultancy,
2018)

19%
Customer-obsessed businesses
can be 7 times more relevant to
their customers, 5 times more
likely to be a top provider in their
industry, and 4 times more
profitable than the competition.
(Forrester, 2016)

7x

In order for
customer
experience to
work, it has to
exist ACROSS the
organization.
Alex Gilev, HackerNoon
“
67 68
For subscription-based companies, customer
experience is even more important.

Your clients want to make sure that they are
enjoying your products or services to keep
on paying you.

Subscription-based models are
predicated on the thinking that your
customers like your business - they
want it in their lives and they are willing
to pay to keep it. UX is integral to
making that dynamic sustainable.

There are three main points of
consideration to remember in designing
for Customer Experience.

Why UX Is Important
to Designing Your
Subscription-Based
Offer
Touchpoints
1
Touchpoints refer to points of exposure between your
customers and your product, such as a banner ad, a
targeted social media post, or a billboard.
INTERACTION
2
Interaction facilitates a two-way communication
between your brand and your customers. An example
of this is when a customer clicks on a call-to-action
button or otherwise does any of the things that you
wish them to do.
Engagement
3
Engagement happens when there is a commitment
or an agreement from your customer for more
action. This is different from Interaction in that
Engagement gives your customer the agency to
follow up on a previous action. For instance, if they
clicked on your call-to-action button, Engagement
happens if they proceed with the resulting action
from the button, such as making a purchase or
requesting a quote.

Not all Touchpoints can lead to Interaction,
and not all Interactions can lead to
Engagement.

But every Touchpoint is a possible path to
Interaction and, from there, Engagement.

In designing for Customer Experience, you
need to be clear about your message - from
the Touchpoints through to possible
Engagement.


69 70
Best Practices for UX Design
How the Subscription-Based
Model Is Changing the B2B
Sphere
You want to make your customers want
to pay, and they will be more encouraged
to do that if they can see your Subscribe
button easily. It should be non-intrusive,
but also highly visible. Placing this button
within easy view of your header or
footer is a good idea, as is making sure it
stays on top even when the user scrolls.
A good example of this is the Subscribe
button by the New York Times.

Be simple
The terms of the subscription should be upfront and easy to read, not hidden in
a footnote or indexed in a separate page that opens. Facilitating decisions for
your customers is easier when they know exactly what it is that they want to
commit to. Spotify does a good job at this, as it gives users everything they
need to know when they want to go Premium.

Be clear
Don’t make it complicated or
unnecessarily exhaustive for customers
to want to pay you. Requiring lengthy
information can hurt your conversion
rate. Make your subscription process as
pain-free as possible. Case in point:
Tinder. Users do not need to click on so
many buttons that lead to extensive
forms, and they have 5.2 million
subscribers as of August of this year.

Be easy
The subscription economy is not only disrupting retail, it’s
also fast becoming a key cornerstone of B2B marketing.
Companies can now transition from a transaction-based
model to one that is subscription-based, and for higher
gains.

71 72
Ready to start taking Customer Experience seriously for your
subscription model? You can optimize the process and ensure a
successful design by answering these questions:
In the next chapters, we will discuss the specific UX flow for every
possible platform for your subscription model: Integration into an
Existing Mobile App, a New Mobile App, a Web Portal, or an
End-to-End System.
Who are your customers?
How is your brand exposed to your customers?
What can you do to drive engagement between your
brand and your customers?
What do you need to change to facilitate better
conversions?
Reduced Time-to-Market.
Switching to an As-a-Service model
enables businesses to get to their
target audience faster through
reshaping, scaling, and expanding
offerings. Changing your focus from
pitching your products to
transforming them into a recurring
service frees up so many of your
resources, while also gunning for
maximum potential returns.

Minimized Investment Risk.
Changing anything in your business
model is often costly, but choosing
the right subscription-based model
partner provider can ensure optimal
results. With the right partner,
businesses can focus on model
strategies, customer value
propositions, and profit formulas -
while the partner provider takes
care of the technology platform,
implementation, and operational
management of the
subscription-based model.


Customer
Experience/UX
Integration Into Existing
Mobile App
ARCHITECTURE
The integration of subscription models into existing
apps is one that has been lauded far and wide across
various industries - and it is forecasted to grow even
more. According to the International Data
Corporation, about 53% of all software revenue by
2022 will come from subscription-based platforms.
Similarly, Gartner estimates that all software
entrants - and 80% of legacy vendors - will
incorporate subscriptions into their models.
73 74
There has never been a better time than now
to capitalize on Subscription-as-a-Service
(SaaS). Growth strategy consultancy
Manifesto Growth Architect says that among
504 senior executives that they surveyed,
most believe that subscription-based models
will be a primary component of their revenue
vessels in the coming years. However, only
24% are implementing it, and only 7% are
profiting from it.
  
So if you’re moving to such a model, how do
you make sure that you reap its promised
benefits?

According to the International Data
Corporation, about 53% of all software
revenue by 2022 will come from
subscription-based platforms.
53%
Among 504 senior executives, most
believe that subscription-based models
will be a primary component of their
revenue vessels in the coming years.
However, only 24% are implementing it,
and only 7% are profiting from it.
24%

when
switching to a
subscription-
based model
Thefirstthingtothinkaboutwhen
switchingtoasubscription-basedmodelis
incorporatingwhatyoucanintoyour
existingmodel.Ifyoualreadyhaveamobile
app,youcansimplyopttoadda
monetizationfeaturethrougha
subscription.
“
75 76
Thefirstthingtothinkaboutwhenswitchingtoa
subscription-basedmodelisincorporatingwhatyoucaninto
yourexistingmodel.Ifyoualreadyhaveamobileapp,youcan
simplyopttoaddamonetizationfeaturethrougha
subscription.

Therearevariousindustriesthatcanbenefitfromthe
incorporationofarecurringpaymentmodel.Thosethathave
content-centricapplications,forinstance,canuse
subscriptionstoenablereaderstounlockmoreand
specializedcontent.Serviceapplicationsareanothergreat
vessel,astheycancontinuallyrolloutupdatesthatimprove
theirservicesandmotivateuserstopay.

Inswitchingtothesubscriptioneconomy,businessesthat
have“products”insteadofservicesmustconsider:

Specifictransformationmethodologiestoturn
themintoanAs-A-Serviceprovider
Therightpartnerproviderthatcanease
transformationandensuresuccessfulresults
How to Transition to
Incorporating Subscription
into Your Mobile App

77 78
Ready to branch into the subscription economy? Here
are some questions to consider:
In the next chapter, we will discuss how best to add a
subscription feature into an entirely new mobile app.
How are you developing your product so that it becomes
a valuable and necessary recurring service for your
customers?
What changes do you need to employ to transform your
business model into a service-oriented one?
What are the specific goals that you hope to achieve
through switching to a subscription-based model?
When adding a subscription feature to your mobile app for
the first time, it is natural to expect some resistance from
your audience - especially if you’re a product-centric
business. But there are ways to win them over and preserve
your good relationship with them. Here are some of the best
of them.

Streamline your onboarding and free trial period. Your users
need to be onboarded and given a taste of what they will
experience through subscribing to your service before you
can expect them to want to pay for that service. Set down
clear and concise steps in implementing your onboarding and
free trial periods, so that you can ensure great customer
impressions and experience.

Expand your offerings. If you want customers to issue
recurring payments to your business, you should be willing to
step up your offerings. For instance, if you sell a product that
you’d like to transform into a continuous service through a
subscription, you may want to develop that product so that it
becomes continually valuable to your customers.

Deliver consistent value, every time. Speaking of things that
are continually valuable, your business must commit to
delivering great experiences, every time.

How to Optimize the
Integration For Positive
Results

Customer
Experience/UX
New Mobile App
ARCHITECTURE
When Apple and Google decided to cut back on
their platform fees for in-app subscriptions,
monetization in applications rose. The subscription
economy gained further foothold in the way the
world does business - and today, it is set to only
grow more. In 2018 alone, engagement with
subscription apps rose by 32 percent compared to
the previous year.
79 80
In 2018 alone, engagement with
subscription apps rose by 32 percent
compared to the previous year.
32%
Transitioning Into A
New As-A-Service App
Switching to the subscription-based model is
a great way to ensure recurring profit,
encourage the continued patronage of your
customers, and further establish your brand.
And to fully capitalize off of the subscription
economy, it helps to have:
Specific goals that you hope to
achieve through switching to a
subscription-based model
Comprehensive product
development, which involves
building additional products that
complement existing ones, testing
the prototypes, scaling them, and
extending the value that they
provide to your clients
Commitment to everlasting quality
to keep customers coming back

81 82
Taking it to the next step and designing your new app with a
subscription? Consider these questions:
What are the changes that need to be implemented,
adopted, and prototyped to turn your product into a
service?
How do you ensure lasting value for customers to expect
recurring payments as a reward?
How are you scaling your offerings so that they stay
relevant within the next five years?
How is your current IT environment equipped to handle
customer queries, maintenance requests, etc?

Customer
Experience/UX
Web Portal
ARCHITECTURE
Today’s consumers no longer want the same
traditional business offerings - it’s no longer about
paying for goods, it’s about paying for value. The
subscription economy has arrived with full force,
and the whole world is paying attention.
83 84
As early as 2014, The Economist said
that 80% of consumers want a new
consumption model
IDG Research Services says that 80% of
German companies have dabbled in
subscription business models.
In 2015, Credit Suisse said that the
US spent $420B on subscriptions.
IFOP said that 50% of people in
France are looking beyond
traditional ownership
80%
80%
50%
420B

85 86
Today, the Subscription Economy Index from
Zuora said that subscription-based models
grew by 350%. Additionally, IDC predicts
that by 2020, 50% of businesses will
transition into offering more digitally
enhanced products, services, and
experiences.
50%
Signup/Member Registration forms
Payment Processing gateway; and
Subscription Packages or Renewal options
In incorporating these, it is best to remember to
design the website according to optimal:

Convenience. Enticing customers to become loyal
and paying customers is easier if they don’t have to
submit to a laborious process that requires too
much time. Stick to keeping things simple and easy,
with easy-to-understand language.

Functionality. Switching to a subscription-based
business model should offer maximum rewards for
your paying customers. A well-maintained web
portal is key to ensuring recurring returns.

Best Design Practices
for Subscription-Based
Web Portals
Designing great UX for web portals follows
typically the same principles as designing for
mobile applications. Subscription-based web
portals typically contain these elements:
How to Optimize A
Subscription Feature
for Your Web Portal
Use your content to promote
membership/subscription or create a lead
generation funnel, such as issuing special or
paywalled reports, granting specific access to
high-quality articles, etc.
Offer a free trial, and make your Call-to-Action
clearly visible and simple.
Highlight promos, discounts, and value that
your customers will want to cash in on.
Give users a guarantee or a moneyback option,
if it is possible.
Make use of interactive content types such as
quizzes to leverage conversion.

87 88
To harness the full power of subscription-based web portals,
consider these questions:
How are you leveraging the current content that you
have to encourage customers to become members or
subscribers?
How is your current website equipped to handle
subscriptions? Are there changes that need to be done?
Do you need to upgrade to ensure continuous quality
service, especially in handling customer concerns or
conducting maintenance activities?

Customer
Experience/UX
End-to-End System
ARCHITECTURE
Leveraging a subscription-based model for your
business instead of focusing on traditional offerings
is not only ideal in these changing digital times, it is
also necessary to your growth. In the previous
chapters, we have discussed how to transition from
a goods-based model to a subscription-based one,
and how you can incorporate it into an existing
mobile app, a new application, or a web portal - all
while keeping Customer Experience central to your
transformation.
89 90
To optimize the process, melding all these elements together and tying them with your specific
business approach is best. When you transition into an As-A-Service company, your business
value should be clearly communicated to your customers - from end to end. There are five
specific stages that are integral to this system, and they are:
Awareness
1
Consideration
2
DECISION
3
Usage
4
Renewals/Subscriptions
5
End-to-End System:
Implementation and
Maintenance
Implementing and maintaining an
end-to-end Customer Experience system
for a subscription-based model
accommodates more opportunities for
positive returns when it is aimed at a few
central components of an effective model.

Pricing is important to three major growth strategies, especially
for subscription-based models: customer acquisition, customer
retention, and customer churn management.

A seamless user experience is critical to the subscription
economy, and one major pillar of that ideal UX is an
integrated approach to attracting new customers, from
mobile platforms to assisted sales. B2B companies should
especially focus on:
Creating simple and automated workflows across
multiple channels
Defining policies for term lengths and multi-channel
support, particularly for mobile phones
There are several ways to approach pricing; it can be a
static monthly fee, or a one-time one-price-fits-all
structure. Both have differing advantages and
disadvantages. To strike the best balance for your
business, it helps to consider:
Expected functionality by customers
Discounts or incentives for bulk purchases
Usage levels
Loyalty rewards
9291
Pricing Customer Acquisition
Across Various Channels
Getting your billing right is necessary in successfully not
turning customers away and for subscription businesses,
there are specifics that must be considered. Service
offers, as opposed to traditional product purchases,
need to contend with various usage bills, billing dates,
prorated accounts, new customers, and others. Invest in
a billing system that can integrate many data points into
one platform and issue clear and accurate bills.
In addition, your accounting should look out
for revenue recognition metrics, which include
recurring profit margin, retention rate, and
growth efficiency index. These will help inform
the financial health of your business, as well as
alert you to changes that may be necessary to
drive better returns.
Accurate and Intuitive
Billing and Metric-Based
Accounting

93 94
To establish and maintain an efficient end-to-end
subscription-based system, consider these questions:
How comprehensive are your resources to
accommodate the demands of an end-to-end system?
What needs to be upgraded/improved on to facilitate
better functionality and customer experience for your
target market?
What are the pain points in your business
transformation, and how can they be remedied?
Subscription-based businesses make most of
their money from consistently paying
customers. According to Zuora, most large
enterprises make only 15 to 25% of their profit
from brand new customers - the bigger share of
the pie lies in current members or subscribers.
Inculcate deep and satisfying relationships with
your client base to drive compound growth.

Strong Customer
Relationships
According to Zuora, most large enterprises
make only 15 to 25% of their profit from
brand new customers - the bigger share of
the pie lies in current members or
subscribers.
25%

Demand Sensing
Agent Deployment
ARCHITECTURE
Inanagewherecustomerexperienceandsatisfactionare
centraltobusinesssuccess,identifyingandoverpassing
customerdemandiskey.TheFourthIndustrialRevolution
hasgrantedbusinessesapowerfullevertodrivegrowth
anddesiredresults:data.Andtoday,modelsarebeing
revampedtoaccommodateinformedanalysesinto
strategicplanninganddecision-making.  
Forecastaccuracyisoneofthecentralcomponentsthat
measureandpredictcustomerdemandand,whenmet,
customersatisfaction.Inotherwords,itcanhelpmakeor
breakprofitprojectionsandothermajorelementsof
businesssuccess.
95 96
Exposure to social media
1
Order frequency
patterns and behavior
2
Activities by competitors
3
Market trends
4
Demandsensingaimsathigherforecast
accuracybytakingdataintoaccountand
makinginformedshort-termprojections
offofvariousdemandsignals.These
include:
Benefits of Demand
Sensing for Business
Forecast Accuracy
Demandsensingoffersmultiplebenefits
toforecastaccuracyinitiatives.Someof
themostimportantofthemareas
follows.

Scale current product offerings according to
defined demand/requirements
Revamp business approach towards ensuring
consistent customer satisfaction
Plot customer journeys, understand their
buying behavior, and streamline strategies to
raise engagement and close sales
97 98
Relevant Downstream Data
1
Demand sensing allows you to access data relevant to
the end customer, which includes channel data
(individual orders, etc), market data via social sensing
(housing starts, etc), and point-of-sale tallies. Demand
signal repositories are available to collect, store,
harmonize, and normalize all these data attributes.
Comprehensive Demand
Management
2
Demand sensing also makes way for a more
comprehensive demand management program,
particularly since it enables other players in the
organization to contribute to the overall data analyses.
Examples of outputs from demand sensing are 18 to
24-months consensus demand plans and supply chain
planning SOR or system of record.
Better Responses to
Demand Signals
3
With the data that demand sensing collects, your
business can develop more agile responses and look
forward to shorter production cycles, faster
changeover speed, and other advantages.
Either through a customer's PC or a
gateway device
Standalone
Either through an existing desktop
application or a mobile app
Integrated into an existing app
Headless or UI
1:1 or 1:n
Direct, indirect, standalone, or RFID
shelf/refrigerators
Device supplies
Sensors
Demand Sensing Agent
Deployment
Methodologies
How Demand Sensing
Can Benefit the
Subscription Economy
Demand sensing is typically used in consumer
product industries, but it can be equally beneficial
to the subscription economy. The data that
demand sensing collects, stores, and then gets
analyzed is relevant to predicting demand for
specific goods, outlining customer journeys, and
preparing for customer demand.
Turning your goods-based business into an
As-a-Service offering rides on having a complete
idea of what works, as far as selling your product is
concerned. From there, you can extrapolate
analyses to:

99 100
Ready to start? Here are some questions to consider:
What are the gaps in your current forecast demand
system that demand sensing can help improve?
What analytics are you tracking, measuring, and
assessing to inform your business strategies and policies?
How can they be improved, with demand sensing?
What are the specific infrastructure changes that your
organization needs to adopt to fully leverage demand
sensing?
Which specific agent deployment methodologies will be
ideal for your organization?
How to Leverage Demand
Sensing for Subscription-Based
Businesses
To fully capitalize on the power of demand sensing for
subscription-based businesses, it helps to start with a proper slate that
identifies the current challenges that need to be bridged in order to
successfully integrate its capabilities into your existing system. We
recommend:
Assessing your current IT environment and streamlining
the approach to the adoption of demand sensing within
your organization
Defining the specific goals that you wish to achieve
through demand sensing
Choosing the right technology partner to help bridge
the transformation

CLOUD
ARCHITECTURE
Cloudcomputinghaschangedthewaypeople
access,store,andmanagedata-anditisonly
projectedtobeevenmoresignificantinthecoming
years.
AccordingtoGartner,thecloudservicesindustryissettorakeinmorethan
330billiondollarsinrevenueby2022,throughsolutionssuchasBusiness
ProcessServices(BPaaS),CloudApplicationInfrastructureServices(PaaS),
CloudApplicationServices(SaaS),andCloudSystemInfrastructureServices
(IaaS).
  
Forbusinesses,thecloudasadeploymentmodelhasrevolutionizedstrategies
andboostedthepotentialforprofitreturn.Itsengineeringallowsfor
maximizedefficiencywithinorganizations,seamlesscollaborationacross
variousgeographicallocationsanddiversedatasources,andreduce
operationalcosts,tonameafewbenefits.Anditdoesnotstopthere.
  
XaaSorX-as-a-ServiceorAnything-as-a-Serviceissteadilygaininggroundin
today’sbusinesseconomy,thankstothecloud.Withafullsuiteofservicesthat
businessescanaccess,transitioningfromaproducts-basedmodeltoa
service-orientedonehasneverbeeneasier-orsmarter.

101 102
330 billion
dollars
AccordingtoGartner,thecloudservices
industryissettorakeinmorethan330
billiondollarsinrevenueby2022,
throughsolutionssuchasBusiness
ProcessServices(BPaaS),Cloud
ApplicationInfrastructureServices
(PaaS),CloudApplicationServices(SaaS),
andCloudSystemInfrastructureServices
(IaaS).
“
Leveragingthecloudtopoweryoursubscription-basedbusinessoffersmanyadvantages,suchas:
  
ReducedCosts.Usingthecloudasyourdeploymentmodelenablessubscription-basedbusinessestohave
accesstothevariousfunctionalitiesthattheyneed-withoutmakingthesignificantcapitaloutlaythatall
thathardwareandsoftwaretypicallycomewith.Additionally,businessescanscaletheirITenvironmentsto
meetcustomerdemandsandpowerbusinesstransformation.
  
MoreProductivityandAgility.Downtimehasexpensiveconsequencesforbusinesses,andthesameholds
trueforemployingrigidapproachesamidstchangingmarketconditions.
Advantages of the
Cloud for the
Subscription Economy

104103
The cloud equips businesses to maximize operational efficiencies and profit
potential. In fact, according to the 2018 Flexible Consumption Models Study
by Deloitte, 75% of responders said that XaaS paved the way for new
solutions, as well as opened access to technologies that would have been
otherwise too costly.

Better Data Use and Management. Data has turned into one of the most
efficient drivers of growth, and businesses that want to succeed need to take
full control of it.

The cloud as a deployment model allows for optimal storage, access,
interpretation and analysis of data to help you:
Understand customer requirements and adapt strategies
towards not only meeting but exceeding them
Forecast demand and streamline methodologies to improve
customer experience and ensure recurring revenue; and
Navigate pain points and revamp approaches for better
organizational efficiency
To fully use the power of the cloud to successfully
bridge the transformation towards the subscription
economy, there are a couple of things to manage.
Some of the most important of them are as follows:
How to Optimize the Cloud
As a Deployment Model for
Subscription-Based
Businesses
Align methodologies to specific business
goals and make sure everyone in the
organization is onboard the transition
Choose your ideal XaaS model:
unlimited subscription
predefined subscription
subscription plus overages
consumption-based
outcome-based
Define the business technicalities that
the transformation will cause,
particularly in terms of revenue
(identifying withdrawal from service
conditions, boosting customer
experience, fine-tuning contracts
between your business and the
customer, etc)
Partner with the right technology
provider to help you make the move to
the subscription-based model
successfully

105 106
Ready to put the cloud to the test? Consider these questions:
What solutions will need to be migrated to the cloud, and
what functions will work better within an on-premise
architecture?
What steps will need to be implemented to make sure
the entire organization is aligned with the overall
business goals specific to the transformation?
What metrics will be established to measure the
progress of the transformation, in relation to the
migration to the cloud?

CLOUD
ARCHITECTURE
Geographies
Thecloud,asadeploymentmodel,has
revolutionizedthewaybusinessesdothings-and
forplentyofgoodreasons.Firstoff,cloud
computingallowsaccesstoresourcesthatwould
otherwisebetoocostly,especiallyforcompanies
withlimitedinfrastructurebudget.Cloudplatforms
offerahostofon-demandcomputingsolutions,ona
pay-as-you-gobasis.Inaddition,thecloud
ecosystemboostsoperationalefficienciesinseveral
keyareas,asitprovidesbusinesseswiththe
functionalitiesthattheyneedtoimplement,
maintain,anddeliverqualitysolutions.

DatafromSynergyResearchGroupsaysthatinthe
firstquarterof2019,thecloudcomputingmarket
totaledrevenuesofmorethan$150billion. Andthis
canonlygoupintheyearstocome,especiallyinlight
oftheincorporationofXaaSorAnything-as-a-Service.

150B
107 108
The Cloud and the Subscription
Economy
Asbusinessesswitchtoasubscription-basedmodelfromagoods-basedone,thecloudis
steadilygainingmoremarketshare.XaaSofferingsaredisruptingglobalindustries,owing
tothesuperioradvantagesthattheyofferovertraditionalandin-premiseinfrastructures.

Additionally,theyaretheperfectresponsetothechangingconsumermarket:customers
nowadayswantexperiences,notjustproductsorservices.Andthecloudismorethan
equippedtoexceedcustomerexpectations-especiallyacrossvariousgeographical
locations.


Keep track of location-specific
regulations. Geography plays a central
role in many aspects that relate to the
use of the cloud, as a deployment
model. First, there’s the latency issue: if
your data is hosted in centers that are
too far from your place of business, you
may face connection speed issues.
Additionally, geopolitics should be
considered. EU regulations, for
instance, prescribe certain stipulations
about the handling and storage of data
of their citizens.

Choose the right platform and partner
provider. The right platform with the
right technology partner provider will
also be critical to harnessing the full
functionality of the cloud, across
geographical points. Make sure to ask
all the questions that you have so that
you can ensure business continuity,
scalability, and data security.

GUIDE QUESTIONS FOR
READERS
Ready to tap into the power of the cloud?
Consider these questions:
Will your business offerings reach
citizens in countries that have
geopolitical regulations about data
security, storage and management? If so,
how do you intend to ensure business
continuity in light of governing policies?
Which specific metrics will you need
your cloud provider to provide,
especially if you’re deploying in multiple
geographies?
To fully optimize the cloud as a deployment model, taking charge of
geographical conditions - and working with them - is key. Amazon
Web Services, one of the most popular cloud platforms, operates
using large data centers all over the world. These are divided into
regions and availability zones, where each region is a specific
geographic area (such as EU: London). Availability zones feature
data centers that are far enough apart to not be affected by
downtimes in case of emergencies, but also close enough that they
can ensure the continuity of business solutions.
The Cloud and Geographies How to Optimize the
Cloud In Respect to
Geographies
109 110
launched regions
22 availability zones
69
points of presence
201 direct connect locations
97
Serving 245 countries and territories, AWS has

CLOUD
ARCHITECTURE
Data Location
Cloudcomputinghasopenedupunrivalled
functionalitytobusinessesofallsizes-regardlessof
theirlocation,infrastructurebudget,andbusiness
models.
111 112
Oneofthebiggestadvantagesthatthecloudoffersisits
abilitytoenableaccesstodata-aswellasitsstorage
andmanagement-regardlessofwhereyouoryour
customersare,intheworld.AmazonWebServices,for
instance,employs22regionsand69availabilityzonesto
powerbusinessesin245countries.  
Howdotheydoit?Byleveragingdatacenters.
Forsubscription-basedbusinesses,thecloudasadeploymentmodelis
evenmorebeneficial.XaaSsolutionsoverthecloudequipbusinesses
with:

Fullfunctionalitytoensurebusinesscontinuityanddeliver
consistentlygreatcustomerexperience
Pay-as-you-needsolutionstooffermaximumflexibility,
regardlessofbudgetandbusinesssize
Roomforscalabilitytoallowbusinessestoexpandtheir
offeringsandreachmorecustomers;and
Establishedstandardsfordatasecurityandmanagement
22 regions69
availability
zones
businesses
in 245
countries

TofullyoptimizedatacenterstoequipXaaS-centricbusinesses,
considerthesequestions:
Whatkindofsecuritydoyourequiretofeelconfident
aboutthesafetyandintegrityofyourbusinessdata?
Whereareyourcustomerslocated?Doyouintendto
expandyourmarketinthenearfuture?
Whatdoyourcustomersneed,intermsoftheprotection
oftheirdata?
Whatkindofcontentanddatadoyouhost,use,store,or
need?
CloudplatformssuchasAWStypicallyusefourlayersofprotocolsandpoliciestoensure
datasecurityforbusinessesthatdesirebusinesscontinuity,easyaccess,andcomprehensive
management.Theseare:
The Cloud and Data Location
113 114
Perimeter Layer
1
wheresecurityfeaturesandmeasuresareusedtoguaranteethephysicalsecurityoftheirdata
locations.Theseincludeintrusiondetectiontechnologies,fencing,andsecurityfeeds.

Infrastructure Layer
2
whichcomprisesthedatacenterbuilding,aswellastheequipmentandsystemsthatareintegralto
itsoperation.Thesecoverbackuppowerandfiresuppressionequipment,aswellasHVACsystems.

Data Layer
3
wheretheactualdataisstored.TheDataLayerisprotectedbyaccessrestrictionandmanagement,
threatdetectiondevices,andafullsuiteofsystemprotocolstoensuredataintegrity.

Environmental Layer
4
whichincludesconsiderationssuchassiteselection,construction,andsustainability.Underthis
layer,thedatacenterisprotectedagainstenvironmentalrisks,suchasseismicactivityand
extremeweather.

CLOUD
ARCHITECTURE
Customer Engagement
Intheageofthecustomer,experiencesarekeyto
drivingbusinessgrowth.Thecloud,asadeployment
model,isoneofthemostefficienttoolsthat
businessescanaddtotheirarsenaltoensurethe
continuityofsolutions,aswellasdeliverconsistent
qualityacrossvariouslocations.
Businessesthatwanttotransitiontothesubscriptioneconomycan
harnessthecloudto:
Cutcapitalexpenditureandchannelthatbudgetintooperational
expenditure
Improvecollaborationwithintheorganization,regardlessofvarying
locationsanddiversedatasources
Getaccesstoalltheresourcesthattheyrequireforscaling,
maintaining,andimprovingbusinessofferings
Ensurebusinesscontinuity
115 116
Accordingtothe2018IDGCloud
Computingstudy,73%of
organizationshavemovedatleast
oneapplicationorportionoftheir
computinginfrastructuretothe
cloud.
73% 57%oforganizationshavedoneso
becausetheybelievethat
cloud-basedsolutionsareintegral
toboostingcustomersupportand
services.
57%
How the Cloud Can Boost Customer
Engagement for Subscription-Based Businesses
MoreAccessibility
Cloud-basedsolutionsgrantbusinessestheability
toopenupaccessibilityacrosstheirentire
organization,inawaythattraditionalcomputing
cannot.Sincecustomersneedtobesoldon
experiencesratherthanproductsormereservices
tokeepthempaying,thecloudequipsbusinesses
interestedinswitchingtothesubscriptioneconomy
toreachtheircustomersfasterandeasier.


117 118
As data is available anytime and anywhere, businesses
always have the information that they need to :
make informed projections
streamline their methodologies towards maximum
rewards
keep track of demand, exceed it, and ensure better
conversion
Making use of data points that analyze customer
behavior, demand, etc
Integrating relevant platforms, applications,
and systems that can drive up engagement
and, from there, conversion; and
Harnessing a full suite of functionalities
that are necessary in designing
customer experience
More Customer Experience
Personalization
Specialized customer experiences are your
bread-and-butter, if you're switching to the
subscription economy. Cloud-based solutions can help
you finetune the way you deliver these experiences to
your customers by:
More Collaboration
Cloud-based services help businesses
access information simultaneously,
wherever their human resources, data,
or customers may be in the world. This
makes it easy to ensure alignment within
the organization - especially for those
that are still in the process of switching
to a subscription-based model.
To successfully drive better customer engagement through
the cloud, consider these questions:
Which specific areas in customer engagement need
more work or better results? How is your business
approaching finding the right solutions to fix them?
How will you measure progress? What metrics will
you need to look at?
What is your system in place for maintaining
customer relationships for existing clients?
How are you attracting and converting new
customers?
What needs to improve or change to ramp up
conversion?

CLOUD
ARCHITECTURE
Application Integration
Thecloudequipsbusinesseswithfastandeasy
accesstotheresourcesandtechnologiesthatthey
need,wherevertheymaybelocated,orhoweverbig
orsmalltheirbudgetis.
Applicationintegration,inparticular,allowsyoutoaccessand
managebothin-premiseandcloudsolutionsto,amongothers:
Streamlineyourbusinessmethodologies
Improvecollaborationwithintheorganization
Track,measure,analyzeandrelevantbusinessdata;and
Designanddeliverbettercustomerexperiences
119 120
Manycloudcomputingprovidersdesign
ApplicationIntegrationtobeaspain-freeas
possible,especiallyforsmallbusinessesthat
donothaveasstackedanITinfrastructureas
moreestablishedenterprises.AmazonWeb
Services,oneofthemostpopularcloud
platforms,helpseasetheprocessby
validatingarchitecturestoensurethe
efficiencyoftheintegrationofsolutions.
Additionally,theyallowforquickdeployment
throughtheuseofsolutionaccelerators.
Accordingtoasurvey,90%ofrespondents
believethatintegratingsystemsisoneofthe
mostcommonhurdlestosuccessfulsales,
especiallyinconnectingtoexistingsystemsof
theircustomers.   
Subscription-basedbusinessesneedtotake
controlofthisintegration,asconversion
reliesonit.Withoutaproperlyworking
system,yourcustomerswillnotwantthe
experiencethatyouhopetoselltothem.
90%
of respondents believe that
integrating systems is one of
the most common hurdles to
successful sales, especially in
connecting to existing
systems of their customers.
Application
Integration Tips for
Subscription-Based
Businesses

ReadytohaveacrackatApplicationIntegration?
Considerthesequestions:
Whatspecifictechnologiesorsolutionsdoyou
requiretoensureefficiencyinyourbusiness
operations?
Howwillyourin-houseteamhelpwiththe
integrationanddeploymentofsolutions?
Whatarethespecificperformanceattributes
thatyouneedtomanagetomeasureand
validateprogress?
121 122
Flexibility
1
Applicationintegrationmustaccommodatevarious
integrationflows,aswellasbescalableenoughto
meetrisingendpointdemand.
Businessesshouldhavemorecontrolovertheir
applicationsthroughmonitoringcapabilitiesthatlet
youlookintoinformationflowsandother
performanceattributes.
Management
2
Fine-tuneyourauthenticationandauthorization
processestoensuresafeandsecureaccessto
resources.Datamustalsobeencrypted,andstorage
mustmeetcompliancerequirements.
Security
3
Thereareacoupleoffactorstoconsiderinfacilitating
theprocess.Theseare:

CLOUD
ARCHITECTURE
Business Workflow End-to-End
Businessworkflowmanagementisintegralto
runninganefficientorganization-andwhen
customerexperienceiskeytoprofit,businesses
mustriseuptothechallenge.Thankfully,cloud
computingallowsforasimplerwaytomanageboth
synchronousandasynchronoustaskssothatthey
resultindistributed,fault-tolerantapplications-
whetherin-premise,onthecloud,orboth.
TheAmazonSimpleWorkflowService,forinstance,isdesignedto
equiporganizationswiththetoolsthattheyneedtostreamlinetheir
operations,withoutworryingaboutinfrastructure. Itdoessoby:
123 124
Helpingyoutrackprogressand
configuretimeouts;and
Maintainingthedurabilityofthe
workflowstate
Allowingbusinessestodefine
Workflows,Domains,Actions,Activity
Workers,ActivityTypes,andDeciders
Routinginformationthroughout
theentireWorkflow,andbetween
variousWorkers

Tosuccessfullymanageyourend-to-endbusinessworkflowthrough
cloudsolutions,considerthesequestions:
Whatarethespecificdaily/weekly/monthlytasksthatare
integraltoyourbusinessoperations?
Whatarethespecificrolesthatyourin-houseteamhave,in
relationtothesetasks?
Whattechnologiesarenecessarytotheeffectivedeployment,
integration,andmaintenanceofthesetasks?
Howareyouron-premiseandcloudsolutionsintegrated?
Whatarethepainpointsandbottleneckareasinyourcurrent
workflow?Whatneedstobedonetoeasethem?
125 126
The Importance of Smooth
Business Flows for
Subscription-Based Businesses
Now,whyisasmoothbusinessworkflowimportantfor
subscription-basedbusinesses,orthosethathaveyetto
transition?Switchingtothesubscriptionmodelputscustomer
satisfactionfrontandcenter-andaproperlymanagedworkflow
isoneofthebesttoolsyouneedtodesignyourbusinessmodel
sothatyoucanconsistentlysurpasscustomerexpectations.
Insightfulworkflowshelpyoumakesurethat:
Customerdemandisdefined,sothatyoucan
accordinglystrategize
Customerengagementismeasuredandtracked,sothat
youcanbuildonitandensurethedeliveryofbetter
customerexperience
Identifypainpointsandbottlenecksinyourcurrent
businessflow,sothatyoucandesign,implement,and
maintainbetterbusinessmethodologies

31 %
of the respondents admitted that
they ignore these alerts due to false
positives.
40 %
of the respondents said that
the alerts do not come with
actionable intelligence
CLOUD
ARCHITECTURE
Actionable Alerts to
Stakeholders
The digitization of virtually every process in the
world has ushered in radical progress for most
businesses - but it has also exposed them to more
vulnerabilities. Using the cloud as a deployment
model requires the use of comprehensive modern
threat protection. Thankfully, many cloud platforms
come with alert solutions to notify IT managers and
stakeholders about important security incidences.
127 128
The challenge is turning these alerts
into actionable events. According to a
survey by the Cloud Security Alliance, half
of the businesses surveyed have six or
more tools that issue security alerts -
but these alerts are not utilized fully.
More than 40% of the respondents said
that the alerts do not come with
actionable intelligence, while more than
31% admitted that they ignore these
alerts due to false positives.

managing alerts
is extremely
important
Forsubscription-basedbusinessesthataimtohosta
bigpartoftheirITinfrastructureonthecloud,
managingthesealertsisextremelyimportant.There
areover2billiontransactionsgeneratedbycloud
usageeverymonth,andthreatprotectionmustbe
designedtowardsoptimizingactionableinformation
tostreamlineresponsestrategiesandyield
favorableresults.
“
130129
TomakefulluseofActionableAlertsfunctionalitiesfor
yourstakeholders,considerthesequestions
Doyouhaveanin-housesysteminplacefor
threatdetection?Howcanitbeintegratedinto
yourcloudmonitoring?
Howisyourorganizationequippedtorespondto
threats?Whatistheprotocolfordisasterevents,
datarecovery,backup,etc?
Howoftendoyourstakeholdersgetupdates
aboutsecurityeventsandotherkeyfunctions?
Howisyoursecurityprogramholdingup
againstdigitalthreatstoyourbusiness?What
canbedonetoimproveit?

CLOUD
ARCHITECTURE
Analytics
Analyticshaveturnedintooneofthemajor
businessleversthatareintegraltosuccess-andin
thesubscriptioneconomy,itplaysakeyrolein
keepingyourcustomershappyand,thus,paying.
Hostingsomeofyourprocessesonthecloudisa
goodwaytogainaccesstorelevanttoolsand
systemsforanalyticsthatcaninformyourapproach
tomaintainingthesubscription-basedmodel.
AmazonWebServicesprovidesdatalakesandanalyticaltoolsthatareidealfor
subscription-basedbusinessessincetheyareequippedforoptimalscale,
agility,andflexibility.ItsintegrationwithvarioustechnologiessuchasMachine
LearningandArtificialIntelligencealsomakesiteasierforbusinessesto
harnessthefullpowerofdataandanalyticstopowerdigitaltransformation.
131 132
Turn data from analytics
to actionable insights
1
Analyticsdatamustbetimelyand
accurate,aswellasdelivered
appropriatelytomakesurethattheycan
beturnedintoactionableinsights.
Make analytical
approaches comprehensive
2
Traditionally,analyticalstrategiesaimto
uncoverdataaboutleadacquisition-
particularlythespecificbehaviorsthatlead
toit.However,thisshouldbe
supplementedwithusingthedatafor
makinglong-termprofitabilityprojections,
collatingchannelmetricswithcustomer
metrics,andusingamorecomprehensive
approachinsteadofjustaggregateor
descriptiveanalytics.
Use analytics to power
life cycle management
3
Therearesixmaincomponentsoflife
cyclemanagement:discover,explore,buy,
use,ask,andengage.Analyticsshouldbe
pervasiveacrossthiswholecontinuumto
helpinformperspectives.
TipstoOptimizetheUseofAnalyticsForYourBusiness
Thehandfulofanalyticstoolsthatwehaveatourdisposaltodaystillhingeupontheir
comprehensiveusetotrulymaximizetheirfunctionality.Keeptheseinmind:

133 134
To turn analytics into the powerful game-changer that it is,
How are you using analytics in your organization, at
present? What are the specific issues that you have
encountered in your use of analytics?
What are your goals in using analytics? What is working?
What are you failing to achieve? How do you intend to
bridge the gap between what is effective and what is not?
How is your team equipped to turn analytics data into
actionable insights? What systems are in place to help
ensure you can harness analytics to its full use?

CLOUD
ARCHITECTURE
Dashboards / BI / Visualization /
Portals
DataVisualizationandBusinessIntelligenceare
amongthemostimportanttoolsinanenterprise's
arsenal-especiallythosethataretransitioningto
thesubscriptioneconomy.Data-centricsolutions
thathelpyouaccessrelevantinformationfrom
multipleanddisparatesourcesandsubsequently
analyzethemtoinformyourbusinessstrategiesare
keytodesigninggreatcustomerexperiencesthat
willkeepyoupaid.
135 136
AmazonWebServices,oneofthemostpopularcloudplatformsintheworldtoday,hasa
suiteofDatavisualizationandBusinessIntelligenceservicesthataredesignedtoequip
businesseswiththeabilityto:
UnderDataVisualization,forinstance,youcandefinesetinformationtypesintocharts,
whichyoucananalyzeforpatterndetectionandotherfunctionalities.TheseincludeKPIsor
KeyPerformanceIndicators,Comparisons,Compositions,Relationships,andDIstributions.
Collect, compare,
analyze, and manage
data across various
silos
Use your data to
optimize your
business operations
and gear for higher
conversions

Curb significant costs, as users are only
charged for every access of the
dashboards or reports
Curb costs
Scale access to tens of thousands of
users without needing to pay for
additional scripting, infrastructure, or
capacity planning
Scale access
Speed up your time-to-market while
saving on development costs
Speed up
Integrate with on-premise and cloud
data sources
Integrate
Business Intelligence or Analytics, on the other hand, is a
pay-per-session service that allows businesses to create and
publish interactive dashboards to streamline access to data
within the organization. On top of that, you get to:
137 138
To make the most out of cloud-based BI and visualization tools,
What types of data do you collect, store, and analyze to
inform your business methodologies?
Where is your data located, accessed, and stored? How
do you manage all these sources?
What are the specific metrics that you want to analyze
and evaluate to fuel your business transformation?
How are you integrating data management into your
in-house IT infrastructure?

Taascom playbook - Your Business Transformation Journey Begins Here

Taascom playbook - Your Business Transformation Journey Begins Here

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