Things You Should Know About Bespoke Software.

The popularity of custom-made software solutions is on the rise in many sectors of our economy, and it is paramount for any business owner and manager to know the few key details about bespoke software to decide whether or not it is worth adopting in their business. This list is by no means exhaustive, but should only serve as an introductory course to learning the basics of bespoke software and its strengths and weaknesses.

#1 The Cost of Bespoke Solutions is Going Down

While software programs are getting more and more complicated, and businesses require more and more features to be implemented, it is natural to think that these market forces are making bespoke software extremely expensive and unaffordable for smaller businesses, but this is simply not true.

Due to increased globalization and the nature of software products, almost all of the world’s software engineers compete for clients, and this means that, with a bit of research and luck, you’ll find an experienced and reliable software development agency that will finish the product for you using minimal time and resources.

This is one of the primary reasons we’ve seen an explosion of bespoke software in the market recently, and why it might have an ROI a dozen times greater than you’d expect. This is a trend we’re seeing in all sectors of the IT world. Businesses will now hire an SEO company in London, a bespoke software agency in Silicon Valley, and freelance content writers from all around the world. This means you can get the best and cheapest services available anywhere.

#2 The Quality of the Software Depends on You

Although we often hear that the quality of bespoke software surpasses the quality of off-the-shelf software solutions by a huge margin, and any decently sized business needs bespoke software solutions if it wants to be competitive, this isn’t entirely true. The one thing you need to understand about bespoke software is the fact that the quality, design, and feature-set of the software solution depends entirely on you.

When you commission a custom software development company to create a solution for your business, they don’t know its peculiarities, the niches you’re going to target, and the long-term growth plans you have, and no development agency will spend a lot of time and resources trying to figure out how your business works and how to make things efficient. You need to be the one that comes up with apt requirements for the software solution. This usually entails a lot of research to make sure you have everything thought out and covered before development starts.

That’s why if you fail to make adequate preparations, you’d have to contend with a bad-quality software solution that you realize doesn’t perform half of the functions you need a year down the line.

This is why people who start a business in a sector they’re not familiar with generally, they’d have much better luck adopting off-the-shelf software made by trustworthy developers that are familiar with your industry than trying to use a bespoke software solution.

#3 Adopting a Bespoke Software Solution Can Help Your Company Grow

Adopting a bespoke solution has the potential to help your company achieve rapid growth and expand into new markets like no other kind of software solution has.

Most successful businesses are organic and respond to market demands, which might mean working across different sectors or having unconventional business processes that aren’t best served by traditional solutions. Although off-the-shelf software solutions are getting better and more flexible each year, they still confined you to the traditional solutions and processes common in your business sector, and they’re not good at expanding and adapting to changing and variable business needs.

This is why if you are thinking about adopting unconventional methods or growing your business in different niches, and you have a specific plan and process you want to follow, you can easily incorporate that into your bespoke software solution. This added flexibility will mean your business is always competitive and you’re providing the best service possible, greatly expanding your business and encouraging growth.

#4 Bespoke Software Can Bring Your Team Together

Bespoke software solutions, if adopted correctly, is a great vehicle to promote more teamwork and interconnectedness among your employees. If you have a big business with many different branches, it is extremely hard to efficiently move data, reports, and information around from one branch to another, and most businesses have very limited contact between the various branches of the business. This is detrimental to your business’s health as it increases alienation and turnover.

You can, however, create dedicated channels for sharing information, giving feedback, and streamlining teamwork among all branches of your business with a bespoke software solution. You’ll find out your employees are much more engaged, and your business more flexible and efficient than ever before.