It's been around a few years, but RaaS ... Results as a Service ... is getting more play in projects. RaaS is a play on the more familiar and older SaaS, Software as a Service. So the difference is, among other things, that RaaS is end-item focused; tools and processes are in the black box; and the customer is buying a result they can use.
Wait!
Have we just relabeled the firm fixed-price (FFP) contract?
- FFP has been around since the beginning of time it seems.
- The customer contracts for an outcome, a result, and end-item, at a fixed price.
- The customer does not weigh in on process, methods, and tools
- The customer does not weigh in on staffing or schedule details. Major milestones, perhaps only one milestone at the end are all that count.
If Agile Methods are part of the FFP contract, then the customer may be in the loop for partial product evaluation and course corrections, but such has to be within the envelope of the original scope, or the dreaded change order comes out. And if that happens, there goes the "fixed price".
In any event, beware of old wine in new bottles, unless the wine is really different, along with the bottle!
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