Start with the exception your team handles every week
Imagine a training studio with two branches and 20 staff accounts. Customers buy ten-class packages, book at either branch and sometimes cancel after the refund deadline. A standard calendar can display available classes. The difficult part is keeping the package balance, seat availability and payment record consistent when staff make an exception.
Run the same scenario in each shortlisted product: book the final seat, cancel it, then have another member of staff repeat the cancellation. Check whether a credit is returned twice and whether the waiting list gets the seat. Record the outcome rather than accepting “supports memberships” as an answer.
Compare three ways to deliver the same service
| Decision | SaaS | Custom | Hybrid |
|---|---|---|---|
| Booking rules | Use supported rules; change the process for gaps | Implement branch, credit and override rules | Standard bookings with a custom exception flow |
| First release | Configure and import; validate edge cases | Design, build, test and migrate | Configure plus integration testing |
| When something fails | Vendor support within your plan | Your agreed support team owns diagnosis | A named owner must trace both systems |
| Leaving the system | Test exports and attachment access | Keep source, accounts and runbooks | Export records and preserve ID mappings |
Use the same three-year cost model
The following inputs are invented to show the calculation. They are not Astera fees or a prediction of which option will cost less. Hold user count and scope constant. Replace every input with a written quotation and include any internal labour, taxes and transaction charges relevant to your business before using the model for a decision.
| Input | SaaS | Custom | Hybrid |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-time implementation | 30,000 | 180,000 | 90,000 |
| Monthly operating allowance | 7,000 | 4,000 | 5,000 |
| 36-month total | 282,000 | 324,000 | 270,000 |
Illustrative planning inputs, not market prices, a quotation or client results.
HKD thousands · all bars start at zero
Total = implementation + monthly allowance × elapsed months. Constant usage; excludes internal staff time, taxes, transaction fees and later scope changes.
View data table
| Period | SaaS | Custom | Hybrid |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 114 | 228 | 150 |
| Year 2 | 198 | 276 | 210 |
| Year 3 | 282 | 324 | 270 |
In this example, the hybrid route is HK$12,000 below SaaS over three years. That difference disappears if the integration needs more than HK$333.33 of extra support per month. The small apparent saving is therefore a reason to investigate support ownership, not a reason to choose hybrid automatically.
Run a small proof before signing
Prepare a representative sample
Use anonymised member records, a multi-branch booking and a late cancellation. Include a refunded payment and a duplicate staff action.
Walk through the staff work
Time the manual steps and note who resolves an exception. If a spreadsheet is still required, include its upkeep in the operating plan.
Rehearse the exit
Export members, balances, bookings and attachments. Confirm another person can understand the files and reconcile a sample account without the original vendor.
Before you proceed
- Test a normal case and an exception with real sample data.
- Compare setup and operating costs on the same basis.
- Check export, integration and account-ownership arrangements.
