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Automation, particularly through SaaS products, is often heralded for its ability to streamline operations and reduce manual workload. However, the maintenance of these automated systems, especially APIs, is a critical aspect that requires careful management to ensure ongoing effectiveness and efficiency.
Initial costs for implementing a new automation solution can be significant, but ongoing maintenance should also be factored into the total investment in automation. How can companies manage this?
Balancing Automation Benefits with Maintenance Costs
The cost of maintaining automated systems can vary widely depending on the complexity of the tasks they perform, and the frequency of updates required. "Generally, we allocate about 15%-20% of the initial development cost annually towards maintenance," DevSquad founder Philip Alves said. "This budget covers everything from updating APIs, testing and integration, to training staff on new versions. It is a necessary investment to safeguard the longevity and functionality of the automation."
The effectiveness of maintaining automation systems is undeniable, he added. While there is an ongoing cost, the return on investment comes in the form of reduced labor costs, higher accuracy and the ability to scale operations rapidly.
He noted the upfront cost of updating APIs is offset by the significant operational efficiencies the improved functionality and integration with other modern systems can provide.
“However, it is crucial to strike a balance. Over-automation without strategic planning can lead to diminishing returns if the systems become too complex or costly to maintain,” he said.
In short, for businesses to obtain the numerous benefits automation offers, they must take a strategic approach to maintenance including regular updates, allocate budget for ongoing costs, and continuously assess its effectiveness.
Related Article: How Automation Can Improve the Employee Experience
Automation Maintenance Strategies
There are a number of ways to beat maintenance costs and keep automation deployments working as they should, said Siri Varma Vegiraju, a software development engineer at Azure.
Create an Abstraction Layer
If organizations create an abstraction layer between applications and the external APIs, it can help isolate your codebase from direct API changes. This allows you to head off any issues before they arise.
He cites the example of a payment gateway. If you have an application that integrates with a payment gateway API, he said, you can develop a local service or library that standardizes interactions with this API. When the external API changes, you only need to update your abstraction layer, not the entire application.
API Versioning Strategies
Another suggestion he offers is to design applications to support multiple versions of an API. This approach can provide more flexibility and time to transition to newer versions.
Here he cites the example of a web application that might support API calls to both v1 and v2 of a weather data service. This allows the team to test and transition to the newer API version without disrupting the user experience. Once fully transitioned, the older version can be deprecated and removed.
“Estimating the cost of maintenance in terms of developer hours can vary widely based on the complexity of the system, the frequency of API changes, and the responsiveness of the development team,” he said. But you can expect several standard charges:
- Development of Abstraction Layer: 40-100 hours initially, depending on the complexity and number of APIs.
- Maintenance and Updates of Abstraction Layer: 10-20 hours per API version change, as the abstraction layer needs to be updated to accommodate changes in the underlying APIs.
- Initial Development of API Versioning Strategies: 30-60 hours to implement support for multiple API versions within the application.
- Ongoing Maintenance: 5-10 hours per month to monitor and manage API versions, including testing and deprecating older versions.
- Testing and Quality Assurance: 10-20 hours per update cycle for testing changes to ensure they do not break existing functionality.
“Maintenance is part of software development life cycle. Dependencies change, new versions get rolled out, old versions get deprecated,” he said. "It is something teams cannot avoid. But, teams can try to make it as seamless possible using these approaches. By making maintenance more seamless, teams can save time and, consequently, reduce costs for the company.”
Related Article: 5 Steps to Start Leveraging Automation in Your Workplace
An Ounce of Prevention ...
Maintenance should be factored into any automation development plan, said Victor Santaro, CEO of ProfitLeap.
The first thing organizations need to do is build flexibility into the initial design, he said. APIs and software will inevitably change, so planning for updates from the start avoids expensive retrofitting down the line. Open-source tools and designing modular systems can give more control over updates, he continued.
Workplace leaders should also develop regular maintenance schedules. “We review [one client's] automated billing system quarterly to ensure it remains aligned with changes in their pricing or business model. Constant monitoring and minor tweaks prevent the need for major overhauls," he said.
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Organizations also need to streamline the update process itself. Using code repositories, for example, can automatically push any changes made to the system out to new versions of the API. "For a medical tech startup, this cut the time spent on software updates by over 60%," he said.
He added: “Keeping automation cost-effective requires a balance of proactively planning for change while maximizing efficiency. With the right mindset and tools in place, businesses can enjoy the benefits of automation without being bogged down by constant maintenance needs."