It’s that feeling in the pit of your stomach. It’s telling you to
go with the best solution, not the cheapest. You’ve felt it before, and
now it’s back as you decide between creating your own customized
software or buying a pre-built package off the shelf. We know, it’s not
an easy decision, and the right answer is different for every business.
If your company is one that continuously works to innovate and stay
ahead of the competition, if your team wants a solution that fits the
processes that they’ve created, if you have technology partners that
need to snap right in, then a custom software package is likely going to
be the most cost-effective solution for your company. Why do companies
use custom software? What is the main advantage of a custom system
development? Let’s take a look.
5 Advantages of Custom Software
- It is built to your business rather than the other way around.
As soon as you take off-the-shelf software out of the box, it starts to
box in your business. You are now left having to conform your
operations to the way that software runs. You’ve been through this
before -- limited users, limited access to information, limited
connections to your other software, etc. Customized software allows you
to create software that is personalized and adapts to your way -- and
your customers’ ways and your vendors’ ways -- of doing business.
- Scalability is built-in. Nothing is more
frustrating than hitting the limit of your software and being forced to
make the decision to start over again. Your software should grow with
you and your customer base.
- It is more cost-effective. On day one, your custom
solution will cost more than an off-the-shelf package. But over the long
haul, the custom package is going to catch up and be more
cost-effective. You won’t have to purchase licenses, buy software
upgrades, or even go through the process of replacing it every few years
as your business grows. Then, there’s the other side of the cost
equation, the opportunities. Custom software -- being custom-designed
for your business -- will produce new efficiencies, create happy
customers and vendors, and drive innovation that maintains your
competitive edge. All of that needs to be factored into the total
cost-benefit analysis.
- It is more agile and adaptable. As your customers’
needs change, as technology changes, as your own way of doing business
changes, you’ll need your software to keep up. Often, that can be a
simple integration with other software or a simple module added to your
solution. You will avoid having to start over and go through a mass
migration to a whole new solution. Your software will grow with you.
- You always have the latest version. One of the most
aggravating aspects of off-the-shelf software is dealing with Support.
Having to call an 800 number and then hearing that your software has
reached “End of Life” is not what your team needs. With custom software,
your solution gets better and better over time and is supported by your
team (Sol Minion Development). That also means that your software remains secure.
One of the biggest vulnerabilities in software is outdated security,
and you’ll take care of that concern with your own software.
Conclusion
Companies that are always looking forward, looking for that
competitive edge, are the ones that benefit from customized software.
With a custom solution, you’ll be able to grow, adapt to your processes,
and create new opportunities for your team and your customers.
Contact us today to explore the possibilities for your business.
Read More: Connecting Services | Customized Business Logic | Custom Software TCO Analysis | Scalability is Essential to Planning