Make IT

Making a decision on whether to use an out of the box solution, or a going with a customized approach can be stressful for many new and mature companies. It feels like a leap of huge faith. 

The most fascinating thing about this perceived conundrum is that every business knows that in the end, a solution customized to their explicit needs is the best case scenario. Simply put, in a perfect world, you would have custom software development. Yet trepidation remains. Is your concern based on cost? Development timeline? Usability? All of the above? Today we address these points while taking a look at which corporate scenarios dictate the need for a tailor-made software solution.

5 Reasons Why Your Small, Medium, or Large Organization Should Consider Customized Software

1. You’re in a Competitive Industry

Do you depend upon software to deliver a product/service to your customer? Pundits of off-the-shelf software will call it a competitive advantage because it allows you to get your offering to the market faster than your competition. Even if we assume that this is the case (potentially rebuked in item number #5 below) such a thing is only a short term advantage. Your competition has already taken note of the same or comparable software solution. Yes, it was marketed to them too. Within the year they can have the same digital offering on the market and will position it as a newer and more updated version of what you have provided your customers. And guess what? It will be. Cookie-cutter software solutions simply cannot provide you with the same competitive advantage because of the simple fact that it’s open to all. If you’re thinking long term, the only competitive advantage to be had in software development is a customized one.

2. You’re Looking at Future Expansion

We assume that you’re in business to grow your business. A custom software platform is conducive to this growth. Because it becomes uniform to your business and your business alone, it is scalable and streamlines the growth process. This is especially applicable to those seeking to franchise operations:

Creating a single platform for all franchises will allow for more fluid communication and processing between individual managers and the company as a whole. Businesses working with international clients can also benefit from the greater capabilities that can be put into a custom framework. (business.com)

If selling your business is a part of the end game, you immediately add value to your company by developing a proprietary (or hybrid proprietary) software platform. 

3. You’re Concerned About Cyber-Security

You’re right to be concerned about the safety of your company data. One look at the top 5 cyber security threats for the year ahead lets you know that every measure must be taken to hedge risk. A big part of this defensive front is found within custom software development, one built using modern open source technology. One notable benefit of utilizing open source software is found in the fact that enough industry experts will review the code to uncover most security issues. That being said, open-source code can become vulnerable prior to deployment, which is why a professional custom software provider must include identification, remediation and risk management in the software via an integrated approach to application security management. When you combine this customized touch of security with industry monitored open source code you gain the peace of mind that your data will be safe from prying eyes.

4. You Depend Upon Other Software Platforms

If your business depends upon the use of other software platforms and programs then chances that an off-the-shelf product will match are small. In the long term, as the same platforms, programs, and plug-ins are updated, those chances near nil. Everything may work fine for a year and in one foul swoop you’re blindsided. At best, you obstruct your efficiency, but it is not improbable that the customer impact may be far more damaging. The only way to guarantee the union between your existing software and a new addition is to develop a custom platform, one that is built to anticipate and adapt where and when it is needed.

5. It’s Not as Costly or Time Consuming as You Think (not at all)

5 Reasons Why Your Small, Medium, or Large Organization Should Consider Customized Software

The biggest argument against custom software development is cost and time. Traditionally this may have been the case. However, the open source software and tools available today have changed the game forever. The quality and availability of open source software continues to increase at an astounding rate. Developers are able to choose between numerous best-of-breed frameworks, libraries, and tools to utilize when building custom software solutions. Since the source code is available under an open-source license, developers can analyze, edit, and improve the design of these components. These building blocks can be customized and augmented to suit the unique needs of your business at a fraction of the cost of traditional tailor-made development, yet offer the same benefits detailed above. The turnaround time is also much faster. Organizations of all sizes have adopted open source software development for their custom needs and have been able to grow their own customer base because of it.

Need an example? The following quote about Netflix says it all:

Cost savings may be only part of open source’s allure, but it’s still a big part, no matter what size the organization. ‘How can Netflix charge as little as $8 per month for its service?’ Hammond asks. ‘Because everything is built on open-source software. They focused on content, not building an operating system or a testing framework.’ (ComputerWorld)

The only catch is that as a business you will need to find a custom software development firm that can deliver this unique solution. Thankfully, you’ve already found us. If you are through the key business planning and research phases of your project and are now looking for an experienced IT Advisor, contact Make IT today by calling us or completing the form found here.