An off-the-shelf solution can be a more affordable, faster alternative to custom software development, and depending on your requirements it may be the right solution for your business. There are several scenarios where custom software development is more suited, depending on the uniqueness of your business, whether it is for internal use, or if it is your own IP you are looking to commercialise and own. Top things to consider include:
Often, in an attempt to roll-out a solution quickly and save costs, organisations try to fit an off-the-shelf system, promising industry best practice, around their unique business operations. Which is the exact same thing their competitors are doing. With an off-the-shelf solution, feature development is driven by the software provider, and that may or may not be in line with the direction of your business. If you are looking to build on the uniqueness of your business and differentiate your company, or sell your solution in the marketplace, then custom software is a good option and will allow you to drive feature development.
A common issue we see with organisations who choose off-the-shelf software is insufficient integration. Inadequate integration results in staff having to enter and maintain information in multiple systems without a single source of truth – a productivity nightmare. Off-the-shelf solutions also have ongoing licensing costs, which can be as expensive as maintaining your own solution. If you need to share data between business systems, then custom software may actually be a price competitive option.
With most off-the-shelf solutions, meaningful customisations can be expensive yet compromised, as you need to work within the constraints of the product. Adding or subtracting features could lead to too many or too few functions for your company. When choosing a product option, customers need to be sure that most of the business functions are available either out of the box or via configurations that can be done by a number of providers. This way you get, and pay for, what you need, and you are not tied into one vendor.
A software system tailored to your company’s specific needs, with a focus on scalability and efficiency, will mean the difference between offering a commoditised service or a highly differentiated one at a more profitable price. If you are considering a custom solution, here are a number of ways custom software can benefit your business:
A system that is specifically designed with your needs in mind will enable your team to work faster and smarter. One integrated software platform, rather than separate software systems, will yield major efficiency gains as all the data is in one place and staff don’t have to switch between different systems to get their work done.
A custom system that is fit-for-purpose and built to your specific business operations will provide the flexibility to outperform your competition and drive your product strategy. This advantage continues to grow the more you invest in your proprietary system.
A custom solution will help leverage the unique value add of your business. A tailored and intuitive portal will improve the overall experience your customers have with you, creating loyalty, delivering a customer first strategy and driving revenue.
Landy Lotus is an IT Solution firm based in Sydney. We work closely with startups, small/large companies as well as non-profit organizations to improve/streamline/automate business processes, raise efficiency/productivity, reduce costs and more.