Multi-tenant SaaS foundation built for enterprise readiness
The foundations we put in place when building a SaaS product that will need to sell to enterprises.
This is a reference architecture describing how Shivacha approaches this class of system. It does not describe a specific client engagement and contains no client names or results.
Challenge
Early SaaS products often defer tenancy, permissions, SSO and audit logging — then face costly retrofits when the first enterprise customer asks for them.
Context
Relevant to B2B SaaS companies from first release through Series B and beyond.
Approach
How we approach it
- 1
Tenancy model up front
Shared schema with tenant IDs and row-level security, with a path to isolated tenants.
- 2
Roles and permissions
Organisation, team and resource-level permissions from the first release.
- 3
Enterprise identity ready
SAML/OIDC SSO and SCIM designed into the identity model.
- 4
Metering and billing
Usage events captured from day one to support pricing changes.
Implementation
Key implementation elements
Row-level security
Database-enforced tenant isolation.
Audit logging
Tenant-visible logs for sensitive actions.
Feature flags
Per-tenant entitlements and gradual rollouts.
Preview environments
Per-branch environments for faster review.
Outcome
The foundation lets product teams focus on differentiating features while enterprise requirements — SSO, audit logs, granular roles — become configuration rather than projects.
Lessons
- Tenancy and permissions are cheapest to get right in the first month.
- Database-enforced isolation is a stronger guarantee than application checks alone.
- Capturing usage events early keeps pricing options open.
Services
Services involved
SaaS Development
Build and scale SaaS products: multi-tenancy, billing, roles, integrations, analytics and infrastructure designed for growth.
Learn moreSingle Sign-On (SSO) Integration
SSO for SaaS products and internal applications using SAML and OIDC, with SCIM provisioning for enterprise customers.
Learn moreFull-Stack Development
Full-stack teams delivering complete features across frontend, backend, data and infrastructure — end-to-end ownership.
Learn moreMore work
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