Consultancy for SaaS Product Development
Increasing SaaS development team effectiveness and customer satisfaction with Azure DevOps
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Software Development
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DevOps & Infrastructure
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The Challenge
Our client, a Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) provider, delivers complex multi-tenant software used by a wide range of end-users.
The client was struggling with inconsistent and infrequent software releases, resulting in dissatisfaction amongst their user base.
This was caused by the reliance on manual processes, uncertainty around management, and inconsistent definitions of when a release was “done,” leading to release paralysis - delays would mount as product owners and developers tried to include “just one more thing.”
Key Pain Points
Manual Builds and Tribal Knowledge
Manual builds required the right person to be available at the right time, running a mix of tools installed locally and custom scripts which they (and only they) understood. This made the build process fragile and unable to scale.Infrequent Test Deployments
Coordinating a deployment to test was a significant effort, often taking days. As a result, features would accumulate without real feedback, and cycles of feedback would take one or more weeks, delaying launch of features.Release Paralysis
Releases to production were delayed for weeks or even months, giving a frequency of release of one per year or fewer. Product owners and developers would continually add features to the next release, resulting in a moving target and constant deferral of the release date.Unclear Definitions & Inaccurate Estimates
Teams lacked a shared understanding of what constituted a "complete" feature. Estimates generally focussed on when an issue could be completed by (calendar time) but failed to take account of competing priorities, prerequisites, or non-development activity such as builds, meetings and liaising with support.
The Solution
We delivered a comprehensive solution combining technical implementation and process consultancy to transform the client’s development lifecycle. Leveraging Azure DevOps as the foundation, we introduced automation, visibility, and predictability into previously manual and opaque processes.
Alongside tooling improvements, we worked closely with the development team and product stakeholders to reshape their ways of working - introducing new approaches to estimation, release planning and quality assurance.
This dual-track approach ensured that the technical improvements provided measurable benefit in practice.
Implementation Highlights
Backlog migrated to Azure DevOps with custom process for structured product roadmap and task management
CI/CD pipelines built to automate previously manual builds and deployments
Dashboards showing live metrics (velocity, bug count, test results, etc.)
Automated quality gates for unit testing, code quality, and dependency scanning
Fixed release cadence introduced, with support for interim patch releases
Improved estimation model using story points and velocity tracking
Adoption of modern development practices, including automated testing and documentation
The Impact
The implementation - delivered over several phases across multiple years - allowed us to provide targeted expertise precisely when it was needed. This phased approach ensured that improvements were introduced at a sustainable pace, giving the client time to adapt and build confidence at each step.
The client benefited from our flexible engagement model, which supports both ongoing partnerships and discrete, pay-as-you-go interventions. This approach enabled them to align investment with value, phasing costs alongside measurable improvements in process maturity and delivery performance.
Key Outcomes
A shift from release cycles of 12–18 months to predictable monthly releases, without compromising quality
Increased visibility and confidence in the development process, particularly among non-technical stakeholders
Improved release quality and delivery accuracy through automation and better estimation practices
A measurable uplift in user satisfaction, thanks to faster access to new features and quicker resolution of issues
By modernising their development tooling and practices, the client has laid a strong foundation for ongoing continuous improvement—empowering their teams to deliver better software, more frequently, with greater confidence.
Key Facts
- Industry: Technology / Software-as-a-Service
- Team Size: ~15 developers and product stakeholders
- Project Duration: Multi-phase engagement over several years
- Primary Tools: Azure DevOps (Boards, Pipelines, Dashboards)
- Engagement Model: Flexible – ongoing support + ad-hoc consultancy
- Outcome: Predictable monthly releases with higher quality and visibility
Our Services
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