Do you also find yourself struggling with the “build or buy” dilemma? Many companies first choose to go for off-the-shelf software solutions simply because they are instantly available after you pay their licence. What often happens afterwards is that the team realises that this is not a perfect match for their new project because it lacks important details.
At this point they can either choose to cut off valuable project features and adapt themselves to a ready-to-use solution or have a bespoke software that will adapt to their exact needs. My experience working in a bespoke software development company shows me everyday that each business has unique needs and client’s expectations that should be adequately addressed in order for a business to thrive. When you have a certain vision for your piece of software, going for a custom developed software is the better choice and that is why:
1. Match Your Company’s Vision
Every company has a growth strategy and unique vision. These aspirations are paved with individual pain points that will be different for every organisation.They can only be properly addressed if a software product really provides valuable insights. Off-the-shelf products rarely have functionality modifications, so that users must adapt to what they have already bought.
Just the opposite happens when your business goes with bespoke software solutions. Executives or decision makers can communicate values and product features aligned with the company’s vision, so that the dev team can code software that meets your expectations and needs. In the end, Rocket Lab says, “instead of fitting into predefined boundaries, your business benefits from software adapted to serve the needs of your audience”.
2. Make the Software Work Best for Your Needs
Adapts to Your Unique Needs
Probably the top reason to prefer a bespoke software rather than a traditional one is that it is designed to meet the exact business needs of your company. It is inevitable that these will change over time and when this moment comes, adjustments could be easily made. No matter whether your business grows and thrives or experiences momentary setbacks and operates on reduced capacities, bespoke solutions are adaptable and go with huge flexibility to meet situational changes properly.
Helps You Achieve Your Goals
No matter if your goal is to have a multinational company or to establish strong ground on your local level, if you choose to include a new product or service in your business or simply aim to grow steadily over time, your tailored software solution will be on your side. Your goals may even transform in time e.g. you may need more online presence because of the current Covid-19 lockdowns, which requires a focus shift. Once you have an idea of what your business needs are, you can leave the technical details to the dev team to realise.
3. Better Integration With Existing Systems
When you choose custom developed products over traditional ones, you immediately become software that is compatible with your existing technical infrastructure. An experienced dev team can advise you what are the best options depending on legacy software, currently used programmes in order to create a software product that will serve you even better.
Tailor made software will be designed in a way that it fits within the existing business ecosystem, thus avoiding incompatibility problems and system errors. As an additional beneficial side effect, once you have your bespoke software ready to use, your team can enjoy higher productivity rates because everything will be in one place and many tasks will be automated.
4. Easier to Scale
Business growth goes hand in hand with transformed needs. While your business grows, it will undoubtedly need to adopt a right approach to face changes. When a pivotal business stage takes place, ready-to-purchase software products may no longer be relevant or the licence may get too expensive. There are various ways to scale a custom software solution as your needs expand. New features can be added to some that java become obsolete can be removed, software capacities could be expanded or downsized – it is all possible.
A feasible option is to scale horizontally (scaling “out”) instead of vertically (or “up”). Scaling out amplifies the system availability and you won’t need to worry about hardware capacity. Also, it is important to scale a software properly, so that its performance remains stable. Relevant metrics to keep in mind when scaling are e.g. memory utilization, CPU usage, network I/O and disk I/O. Custom software is easier to scale because it builds upon a carefully chosen database that allows such transitions. To actually scale a software program, dev teams often opts for “Relational Database Management Systems” (RDBMS) or SQL databases such as MySQL, MSSQL, Oracle, and PostgreSQL.
5. Technical Support and Regular Maintenance
Besides giving you a serious competitive advantage because of its uniqueness, bespoke software solutions also provide better technical support. If you one a small to medium enterprise (SME) chances are that you already have experience issues with traditional software. The support there is rather slow due to the widespread use of the software. Usually, business owners receive a ticket with the promise to get an answer within 48h and delays are not uncommon.
If you choose to hire an outside vendor to develop your bespoke software, you are no longer dependent on traditional providers and long periods waiting for resolving an issue. Especially if the vendor of choice is also a SME like you, they will be devoted to your success just as you are and will make sure your needs are promptly met. Bespoke software solutions also need regular maintenance to perform at optimal levels, so your vendors will also care for that instead of you. After all, custom software development companies are responsible for your managing your product and modifying it when necessary.
Author Biography Aleksandrina Vasileva
Aleksandrina is a Content Creator at Dreamix, a custom software development company, and is keen innovative technological solutions with a positive impact on our world. Her teaching background mixed with interests in psychology drives her to share knowledge. She is an avid reader and enthusiastic blogger, always looking for the next inspiration.