Why choose Custom Business Software over Ready-Made options

So why would you choose to build custom software for your business rather than use a ready-made option off the shelf? To explain the process let’s go into a bit more detail about what the two options are.

Ready-Made Business Software

Already made, published or off-the-shelf software, often designed and created by a large commercial body like Microsoft, is a ready made solution that often does “most” of the things you want a system to do and usually lots of features you don’t really want or need (but still have to pay for them).

This software package has been produced with profit at the forefront and is built as a catch-all option for the mass market in order to gain as many sales as possible. With scaleable sales in mind the initial cost can look attractive and the pricing model is usually a per user per month amount.

The amount of functionality is usually gated meaning the more powerful options are higher up the food chain and are more expensive to gain access to. This results in costs quickly escalating especially if your team is growing.

So while you’re investing in a system that may work well to begin with there may quickly reach a point where it makes more sense to switch. However, many businesses feel trapped paying the now large monthly subscriptions worried that if they try and move to a new system it will be crippling and a very difficult thing to do.

The GDPR which came into force in 2018 makes it clear that all data should be portable – read more here – which means every system, however large or small, should allow users to download and move it elsewhere.

Bespoke or Custom Software Solutions

Bespoke, custom, specifically designed software solutions are designed and built for each use case and client. This means that the functionality involved is specific to a way a company does business and can help in a number of ways.

First is productivity and the second is the time saved. If the business processes are well understood then a software user interface and automations should be able to speed up the process and take out or manage and bottlenecks for data.

A good example of this would be to get employees to fill in their own time sheets or mileage logs either by form or in a portal they can access via their own phone. If they can select dates and times and attribute their time to a client or job then their pay and your client invoicing can be automatically generated without office admin having to take the time to create it.

The third is perceived value. Much like having a secret sauce recipe or a huge client database, a custom software solution stands your business apart and adds value in the way you do business but also if you decide to sell your business.

Which version to choose?

The main downsides to having a software solution designed and built specifically for you is cost. There will always be a bigger upfront investment but the end results can have a much greater impact.

Much like buying a tailor made new suit the cost is larger as you’re paying for an expert to take measurements, you’re choosing the colours and types of fabrics, customising the pockets and any secret compartments.

The end result is bespoke and something you feel amazing wearing and showing off which gives you pride and satisfaction, while the alternative is an off the peg affair from a mass marketed high street brand who hope to sell you another suit as soon as possible.