Data-Driven Decision Support in SaaS Cloud-Based Service Models

Abstract

Software as a service (SaaS) is a major service model for delivering software to end users through the cloud. SaaS platforms provide their users with cost-efficient, flexible and scalable services that can be available on demand, anytime, and anywhere. Moreover, SaaS empowers software providers to establish recurring revenue and create profitable businesses. However, SaaS can endure high customer turnover due to reasons such as serving a wide range of customers, intense competition and rapid evolution of technology. Maintaining a regular customer base and keeping users engaged is crucial for the survival of a SaaS business. Thus, it is crucial for SaaS providers to identify both the reasons behind users’ engagement and churn of their app towards taking proper actions to retain them in the long term. SaaS data regarding user behavior, subscriptions and system performance can be utilized for deriving insights and identifying patterns to support decision-making for SaaS providers. To this end, the aim of this survey is to review research in data-driven decision support systems in SaaS, identifying current gaps and challenges and highlighting directions for future improvements towards the development of more efficient and intelligent systems.