Starsoft
Custom software is software customized to meet specific requirements and features for your business, requirements that other ordinary off-the-shelf software cannot meet or provide.
Custom software doesn’t perform generalized functions like other software; they are made to meet unique requirements for a specific set of people or users, or businesses.
This article will be all about custom software. In this article, we will discuss;
- Custom software development
- Benefits and challenges of using custom software
- Tips to consider in building custom software for your business
What is Custom Software Development?
Custom software development is the software development unique only to a particular business or people. It involves all the processes involved in developing other software, including planning, designing, coding, testing, deploying, and maintenance.
Custom software development also adopts methodologies used in software development, like Agile software development, DevOps, and other known methods.
However, the significant difference between custom software and other software is that custom software is designed solely for one business or people, and only these people or companies can access the software. This may be due to certain features and functions that will be incorporated to enhance further the services that the business provides to its users.
Off-the-shelf software, on the other hand, is easily accessible to the general public. They are widely available and meet the generalized needs of their users.
So, why do people or businesses opt out of custom software instead of generalized software? Well, you will find out soon enough in this article.
Importance/ Benefits of Custom Software
The benefits of using custom software include:
- Customized features
- Scalability
- Profit generation
- Boosts productivity
- It saves time and
- effort
Customized features
Investing in custom software grants, you access to an array of features and functions in the software, specifically created for your business. The requirements and resources you presented to the developing team would be incorporated into the custom software.
This means that your users’ needs and business requirements are of priority in your custom software and will help you serve your customers better and promote your business growth. You can only access this custom software and your business is an added advantage, unlike other software.
Scalability
Your custom software is scalable. This means that it is not just fixed for a particular requirement; it can also be expanded depending on your business’s needs. So, if your company wants to grow more than it is now, your custom software can adjust to meet your new requirements.
This feature prevents unnecessary maintenance costs/costs of expanding your business, like getting more required licenses for your custom software.
Profits generation
Creating custom software for your business can also generate more profits for you. Once your custom software is developed, it belongs to your business alone. However, you can decide to provide software services for other companies, and they can pay you in return (usually through a monthly/yearly subscription model or a fixed contract).
Boosts productivity
Custom software can boost your business’s productivity to its customers. You would have already incorporated certain features in your custom software tailored to satisfy your customers’ needs and requirements.
This way, your business serves its customers better with your custom software.
It saves time and effort
All the time and efforts invested in finding enticing ways to serve your customers right using off-the-shelf software can be saved simply by creating custom software. The custom software would target ways to help your customer, so you don’t need to waste time on that anymore.
Instead, the time and effort can be maximized to achieve other productive duties for your business.
Disadvantages of Custom Software
As appealing and enticing as custom software sounds, with all its features and functions, it is not suited for every business due to the following reasons:
- Cost of development
- Time-consuming
- Risk of technical disadvantage
Cost of development
Compared to off-the-shelf software, the cost of custom software development is high. Also, after development, the continuous maintenance of custom software is as expensive.
So, if your business is low on budget, or can fulfill its requirements with other software at lower costs, then custom software is not the best option for you, and you should consider other software too.
Time-consuming
Custom software development takes a longer time to reach its finished state than other software. Each building and development process requires more time to implement the unique features and functions that your business needs.
So, if you intend to work for the short term, custom development might not be the right for you.
Risk of technical disadvantage
To use custom software requires a bit more technical skill. This is because the management and maintenance of the software are now in your hands, and without adequate skills, you might find it challenging to maintain.
Before venturing into custom software development, there are specific tips that you need to consider in building custom software for your business.
Tips to consider in building custom software for your business.
- The necessity of custom software for your business
- Have a clear, defined goals
- Feasibility
- Communication
The necessity of custom software for your business
Before you decide to develop custom software for your business, you need to ask yourself if it is really necessary. Have you considered other options, and you’ve vetted that custom software is your best option? Is there a good enough reason to develop custom software for your business?
Answer all the above questions with sincerity and logic. The most important question, however, is this: Can other software plans like investing in a packaged software subscription get the on done for you, or better still, can they provide more the 80% of the features that you seek in custom software?
The answer to the above questions will either deter you from continuing with your decision to build custom software or solidify your decision. Either way, the answer would help your business tremendously.
Have a clear, defined goals
Another essential thing to consider before building custom software is the goal. What goals do you have for your business with custom software? Are they clear and defined enough? For a plan to be considered defined, it needs to be correct, complete, consistent, and clear(4C’s).
If your goal meets these four criteria, you are good to go.
Feasibility
You also need to know if custom software is feasible for your business. Can your business handle the budget for custom software? Can custom software achieve the goals that you set in place for it? You should know that custom software is only suitable for a long-term project. So, if you were planning for the short term, discard or re-plan.
Communication
To build custom software, communication is quite essential amongst the key members of the project. Whether you are using an in-house development team or an outsourced team, consistent communication should be your trademark.
Communication allows you to monitor the project’s progress and keeps you up to date with the necessary information. Also, if, during the development process, you have new features that you would like to include or even remove to better your software, communication is necessary.
In short, communication can make or break the success of the project. So, it would be best if you took it seriously as it is of utmost importance to both your business and the developing team.