If you are a business owner (or a human being, for that matter), the chances are that you have come across and used some type of software. Even by reading this, you are using a device that runs all kinds of applications. But, to step aside from those everyday tools we all use, let's talk about the software you need to run your business. As we all know, there are two main types of software - bespoke or custom developed, and off the shelf or "ready to use" software. Let's take a look at the two, and decide what's a better option for your needs at this moment.

Spoiler alert: we offer both.

What Is Bespoke Software Development?

Bespoke software or tailor-made software is a term used to describe custom software development. The great thing about bespoke software is that it is directed at your company, your needs, and your customers! Whatever requirement you have, custom software will meet them. In the past few years, it has become a growing trend in the digital world. Because it is tailored to your specific needs, the software will adapt to your business, not the other way around.

What does this mean? You don't have to change how you do your business or organize your personnel to adapt to new software usage. Your new software will work for you. Bespoke software used to be a luxury, while these days, with advances in technology and users' demands, custom software has become a necessity. At least, if you want to keep up with your competition, or better yet, be ahead of them.

One significant advantage is that with this type of software, you own the code. Nobody else is allowed to use it. And because you own it, it can be easily integrated with other bespoke software you may have or can be changed, expanded, and updated. The possibilities are endless.

What is Off-the-shelf Software?

Like the name itself suggest, it is software that you can use immediately. Often called commercial software or ready-made is a standardized application that aims to the general public, and it is mass-produced. Because they are made for a wide range of customers, you will often find many features and operations on them. Unfortunately, you will not need all those features a lot of times, and you will miss some that you actually need.

Benefits of a Bespoke Software

Custom made software sure has a lot of benefits. We will list some of them below. If you already know that you need one, contact us for a discovery meeting about our custom software development services.

Optimized business process

Every company or organization has its process and a business model. Sometimes it's ok to switch to a different model, but often time (especially if the in-house process works fine and gives good results), it is hard to change things. With off-the-shelf software, no matter how great it is and how many features it has, you will probably need to adapt your business to the software. However, with custom made software, that is not the case. It will be designed and developed according to your needs. It will be a perfect add-on to your already existing processes.

Invention

You can choose what technology to use; you can choose how you want it to look like - you can choose absolutely everything. This is a great opportunity to make your process inventive. Don't want to be like your competition? No problem, let's invent somethingdifferent. And the best part? It's going to be unique and all yours.

Emphasize your business vision

The company that is willing to invest in custom software for their business shows a great deal of professionalism and quality. This sends out a message to your partners and customers (and competition) that you are serious about your work, that you value your in-house models and processes, and that you are committed to improving it even more.

Reliability

If you are a well-established business (or you are on your way to getting there), reliability is a huge factor for you. You don't want to let your customers down. You have to keep that trust you have successfully created. Having a tested and perfectly tailored software is going to help you with that. You don't have to wait for updates from a third party, and you will always have a reliable tool that will work to your advantage.

Uniqueness

What is the formula for a perfect and successful business? There is none. Because every business is unique, "one size fits all" just doesn't work here. The same is with the software you use. With custom software, you will have your uniqueness. And in the world where we digitalize every possible business, being unique has become a "must" with such high competition.

When we are talking about avoiding "one size fits all" solutions, check out here how customizing a product can improve your sales.

Adaptability

It is normal for business processes, organizational models, and market dynamics to change over time. When it happens, you will have to adapt your business and the technology you are using to these new circumstances. When you have customized software, it can be easily changed. You can integrate new technologies into your existing ones and change your needs according to the new market trends.

Compatibility

Your business will often time need multiple software solutions for different processes. Even though the processes will act as individual models, they still need to "communicate" with each other. Sometimes, the output in one process and one software will be an input to another.

When using several different commercial applications, communication between them becomes a problem. To solve that problem, business owners will often have to find another app that will help connect those different software solutions. Even with that, it is not guaranteed that everything will work in a smooth flow. On the other hand, when you have a custom software environment, all of those pieces are connected and work perfectly with each other.

Exclusiveness

Maybe something that works for five other companies still don't work for you. That is totally fine; that's why bespoke software exclusively belongs to you. And because it is exclusively developed for you, it will meet all your requirements, making sure that your processes and activities are adequately approached.

Flexibility

Another great thing about custom software development is that it is flexible. You decide what features it will have. And if your business and requirements grow, your software can be easily updated as well.

Security

One of the biggest concerns in the digital age is data security. While off-the-shelf software will already have some sort of security integrated and ensure that all data security acts have been followed, custom software still offers you more control over security. You can decide what is the best data-security technology for your needs and which protocol will suit your business the best.

Also, custom software usually gets fewer hacker attacks and data breaches than the off-the-shelf ones. So, when thinking about security, bespoke software is definitely a way to go. And if you think about it, security is something your customers expect from you, and you must not fail them with that.

Cost-effectiveness

On the first look, it may seem that off-the-shelf software is a cheaper version. And sometimes it is. However, when ordering custom software, you can divide your process and needs into phases. You can make a plan and timeline when you are going to order everything you need. Also, once you implement that software, there are no additional and hidden costs. So, having custom software developed could be cost-effective in the long run.

Can Off-the-shelf be a good idea?

Of course! Businesses use ready-made software all the time! Sometimes, you can find the perfect solution for you that already exists, and you can implement it right away. Do you know the famous term SaaS or Software as a Service? Well, this is it! The most common ones are project management tools, designing tools, or if you are selling complex products that are highly customizable, you can benefit from a tool such as zipCPQ. Let's say you are selling custom cylinders. You can do this "the old way," or you can use zipCPQ (Configure, Price, and Quote software) and allow your customer to configure their desired product, and drastically fasten the sales process.

Conclusion

As you can see, both custom-made and off-the-shelf software have their advantages. How to know which one to choose? We would say probably both. Some processes are going to be better done with already made software. Not the mention that you will have an existing community of people using the same software and excellent customer support. In some other cases, you will need custom-made software - the one that will be tailored to your specific need.

At this moment, we don't know what you need, but if we get to know you, we can help you decide, and whatever you decide, we sure know how to make it happen!

So, give us a call, or drop us a line!