Businesses need good software to run systems efficiently and to ensure employees work productively to achieve various goals. You could convince yourself that it's easier and a lot cheaper to buy software off the shelf (OTS) that'll work fine at least in the short-term till you find a permanent solution.
It doesn't seem worthwhile to hire experts to ideate, conceptualize, and execute software systems from scratch. And who has the time to spare for customization when the assembly line is screaming to roll-off products into the waiting arms of consumers?
This kind of thinking has undergone a paradigm shift in recent years. Entrepreneurs realize that in a hurry to squeeze evolving business practices into inadequate OTS software, the business is barely functioning at lower capacities.
The full potential of the business is unleashed when you've taken the trouble to customize the software. Customized software adapts to change, responds to increasing demands, and grows with you as you upscale your business. This scalability is possible when you hire a company that designs software to work in sync with your expectations, and precisely as your growing needs dictate.
Software developers at Entrance Consulting share insights regarding the tangible benefits of building versus buying, and of hiring custom software development companies instead of implementing OTS solutions.
Custom software development involves an in-depth review of business requirements and risks
Remember that any software development project analyzes and breaks down the functional, systemic, and technical needs (and expectations) of your employees, IT staff, vendors, and customers. Business risks and security lacunae are also probed.
If the requirements are not adequately assessed, and the coding is not accurately done, you may face issues during project execution and product deployment stages. For many businesses, the reservoir of skill and expertise needed to tackle change are rarely available in-house. So, you turn to techies that are willing to probe issues and ask questions that you've never even thought of.
With a custom software development partner, you're guaranteed a well-focused technical analysis of every aspect of your venture.
Customization offers a bouquet of tools that bring innovative ideas to fruition
Every entrepreneur cherishes the freedom to innovate in the pursuit of new products, services, and markets. It is the primary role of the custom software development company to dig deep into its storehouse of skills and expertise to bring new ideas to fruition.
Custom software development brings specialized skills into focus – you get exceptional coding expertise, detailed insights into market trends, technical feasibility reports on new ideas, and comprehensive risk assessment scenarios.
Customization ensures that great ideas are smoothly implemented and the company can look forward to decades of productivity, plan for increased profitability, and aim for a buoyant increase in market share.
You're no longer constrained by the limitations of in-house IT expertise. The painstakingly built software can expand functionality as you upscale business.
Custom software development effortlessly handles projects of differing size and complexity
There is a common misconception among entrepreneurs that OTS solutions can be easily implemented, whereas customization is time-consuming, cumbersome, and ill-suited for fast-tracking software projects. Nothing could be further from the truth.
OTS solutions are easy to execute, but the software architecture is a stripped-down version that is incapable of offering solutions for businesses that want to upscale and upgrade in tandem with fast-changing, highly competitive scenarios.
The majority of customized software projects take between 4 to 9 months to implement. Customization forces companies to go through a three-stage process culminating in a better appreciation of requirements and optimal use of resources.
- Requirements, specifications, and designing stage: It's similar to building a home starting with a blueprint where you merge architectural vision with budgetary specs to pave the way for impactful decision-making.
- The planning and development stage: An amalgam of creative designers, expert architects, and skilled software engineers combine their talents to deliver applications that are user-friendly and evoke customer delight.
- Software testing and standardization stage: You ensure that the applications measure up to benchmarked standards, and function smoothly in differing environments. The robustness, durability, and adaptability of the software to differing demands is validated.
The end result is software that is compatible with your unique requirements. The time, money, and energy that you invested in the process cost-effectively improve productivity and profitability.
Custom software companies share expertise in delegated development of new platforms
The breakneck speed with which software is changing and evolving erects huge administrative hurdles before in-house IT teams. If your IT managers lack the necessary skill sets and knowledge resources, you find it challenging to implement change.
Custom software companies bridge the knowledge gap, bringing expertise in delegating and deploying applications on new platforms. This expertise frees your IT team, enabling employees to work within their strengths and focus on the areas where their services are really required.
Outsourced custom software engineers are often viewed by entrepreneurs as change management personnel that can train in-house teams in deploying application rollouts, software installation packages, and regular software updates.
The budgetary benefit: Customization isn't as cost-intensive as people think
You can't blame companies for getting carried away with the low initial cost, and rapid-fire deployment options of OTS software. But, in going down that path, businesses are ignoring the long-term implications. OTS software has limited functionality and isn't geared to handle changes in upscaling companies.
You'd probably end up adding layers of customization to overcome the deficiencies of OTS software and get entangled in bugs and systems conflicts that result in costly downtime.
In stark contrast, the experienced custom software company accurately estimates the scope of your requirements and the time frame necessary for executing the project. The business owner gets sufficient leeway to plan his budget and does what it takes to complete the project within budgeted goals.
You are billed by the hours that the expert works on your project. The software developer's billable man-hours can be rescheduled depending on changing requirements. Such a scenario seriously advantages businesses that are keen on adopting cost-saving measures.
The mother of all benefits: You're acquiring a living, breathing, dynamic extension of your own business
Four fundamental factors identify and separate the top custom software development companies from all other pretenders:
- You get an IT partner that probes your business inside out and understands how technology can be leveraged to make your business productively profitable.
- The outsourced IT personnel combine a high level of technical excellence with creative skills to transform your company into a more agile and customer-centric avatar.
- The custom software developer brings the culture of creative collaboration where there is unlimited freedom to share ideas and contribute individually to attain business goals.
- Mastery of every level of software complexity (backend, mobile, frontend, and databases) ensures that the software developer is equipped to deliver high-quality solutions. The business is primed for smooth expansion minus the performance issues that plague OTS software.
Conclusion
Whether you're a sole proprietorship firm, a medium-sized business, or a prominent business entrepreneur, there's a need that brooks no compromise. You need bug-free software that won't let you down because your business learning curve is too short and squeezed to tolerate failure.
It makes sense to tap reservoirs of external skills, expertise, and experience to finetune your business brief, sift the bad ideas from the good, discuss improvements, and commit yourself to a constructive software development cycle.
In short, custom software development gifts you a secure, failure-proof system that swiftly operationalizes your project requirements because it's meticulously customized to your unique business needs.
