Architectural refactoring as a strategic tool in the evolution of a web-based SaaS product

Working in the highly agile world of Software As-A-Service (SaaS) enterprise software products, the authors describe their experience of the constant evolution in terms of continuous refactoring. This paper examines several of the key drivers for this refactoring, their impact on product architecture and code, as well as the factors that influence timing of such impacts. The drivers examined are speed to market and associated viability, cost, organisational productivity, market demands/changing technology trends, changing underlying technical services, increased scale and the associated necessity for increased agility, and changing regulatory frameworks.