Wondering if and why your business needs custom software? We get you!

The pandemic has had a significant impact on the way businesses work. Both large and small companies were forced to go online and embrace digital transformation in order to stay ahead of the competition.

It’s a big challenge for business owners and chances are you’re facing it too with each passing day. And you’re also probably starting to consider the importance of custom software development and how the right decision can help you balance your business’s immediate needs with your customers’ expectations. 

Because, even though off-the-shelf software (OCTS) products provide support to businesses, nothing can come closer to tailor-made solutions that will meet your company’s specific needs.

Let’s dive a little deeper into the details of custom software.

What is custom software development?

To make the right decision for your business it is important to have a full understanding of what exactly custom software development is and what it can offer.

Custom software development is the process of designing, building, deploying, and maintaining software solutions for a specific organization or group of users who intend to perform a specific function.

For example, a restaurant might need a custom application developed for online ordering to meet the changing needs of its customers. Or a manufacturing company might need a custom solution to streamline its processes.

And to do this, software development companies analyze the business goals and product requirements, try to understand the needs and preferences of the customers, and develop a solution that will allow companies to always stay one step ahead of the competition.

Custom software vs. commercial software

Custom software solutions are developed with the market’s ever-changing demands in mind.
And they are ideal for businesses looking for a solution easily adaptable to innovations and changes.
OCTS refers to pre-packaged solutions built for the mass market. Standardized and generalized, these applications are created to help businesses carry out their tasks in a less flexible and personalized way.

With just the above you might be feeling ready to chat with our software experts about your next step.

Or you might be needing a little more information on why your business needs custom software. So, let’s explore how bespoke software can be used to solve your business problems and drive growth.

1. It’s a targeted solution

Need a product that will address your exact needs? Then investing in custom software development is just what you need.
Remember, your business is unique and a one-size-fits-all solution is hard to find when it comes to software.

Custom products give you a lot of space to grow and choosing them means you take your business’ success seriously.

2. It’s extremely efficient

Standardized solutions often require businesses to change their processes in order to adapt to the software they choose. Custom software helps you save time and increase productivity by making the processes swift.

3. It’s simple to integrate

It’s common for a business to use multiple solutions at different stages. By choosing OCTS you risk facing compatibility and integration issues which can lead to reduced efficiency and productivity.

On the other hand, custom software is a compatible and robust solution. will save you further investment since it’s built to support both your existing hardware and other resources, it can easily be integrated with existing systems and can even be used to extend the functionality of existing tools.

4. It can increase profitability

Want to hear something cool about custom software? Not only does it solve your business problems but it can also help you make money! By licensing or selling it to other companies a custom solution is a great investment, depending on the terms and conditions.

5. It’s easy to scale

As your business grows, so do your needs and processes. And OCTS might become too expensive to license or just unable to support your goals anymore.
If growth is your plan being limited by software is not a wise choice. Instead, go for a custom solution, stable and flexible, that can grow and scale with your business. It will both save you time and money when the time comes.

6. It offers independence

Being dependent on the company that has developed the off-the-shelf software you are using can be very stressful.

Imagine the company changing its pricing, going bankrupt, or stopping product updates. And it definitely sounds stressful having to change your software provider in a short period of time.

Choosing custom software development means not having to worry about anything. You can use it as long as you like and just the way you like, meaning also that you will save a lot of time which you can use to focus on things that matter most for your business.

7. It offers increased security

Looking to keep your data and information safe and secure?

Hands down, security is always better when it comes to custom solutions. With so many cyber hackers out there targetting commercial software solutions daily, it’s wise to invest in software that needs a lot more effort to break or hack. Custom software experts know how to add extra security layers through encryption so you can run your business with zero worries.

8. It’s easily personalized

Personalized experiences today are more important than ever. So if you’re looking to stay ahead of the competition and address your audience’s unique needs then custom software is the only way to go. Custom solutions allow you to design and develop a system that is aligned with your brand’s uniqueness and fit software seamlessly into your company’s workflow.

9. It’s cost-effective

Custom solutions might not sound like the most money-saving choice, but in fact, it is. Because it provides you with long-term savings.
Usually, OCTS goes hand in hand with purchasing additional hardware for it to run efficiently.

On the other hand, custom software experts will take your current hardware capabilities into consideration, providing efficiency and productivity with low initial costs.

Plus, custom software needs less maintenance, less training, and consistent support that will resolve any technical challenges or security loopholes that may come up in no time.

10. It provides faster adoption

Nothing beats implementing software solutions that don’t ask for changes regarding the way your company works. Exactly because it’s developed according to it. A tailored solution offers much faster adoption than an OCTS and so you can relax and do things just the way you always did.

11. It will always be up to date

Worried that your software might be old-fashioned in a few years? Not if you choose a custom solution. While OCTS can become obsolete over time, custom software is always able to fulfill evolving needs and never be outgrown by competition.

12. It offers powerful reporting

The best way to tell if your business is heading the right way is by putting all the information into numbers. Which means business reporting.

For example, you might want to know:

• Your average daily production
• Your customers’ preferences
• Your peak traffic hours
• The number of products produced within a specific time period

And, when it comes to successful companies, being organized and keeping records of your growth is a top priority. But we all know that accessing, retrieving, and analyzing your business data is without a doubt a complex task. With custom software, it becomes a lot easier because everything is customizable, from invoices and daily reports to attendance and your products.

Is Custom Software Right for your Business?

All the above might sound pretty tempting for a business with unique needs. But is your business the right business for a custom solution?

This checklist might help you evaluate correctly the best decision. Go ahead, ask your shelf:

• Does my company have a set of unique processes?
• Does my company use multiple software solutions for a single process?
• Do I use tools that will need to be integrated with my custom software?
• What benefits do I expect to get from software?
• Are my users facing issues with the current software?
• Does my company belong to a strongly competitive niche?

If you’ve answered “yes” to most of the answers you know what to do.

Need help planning your next steps for creating a custom software solution that will meet all your company needs? Book a free consultation call with our software experts today!