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Custom development is a heavily advertised service since it can be much more lucrative for the software houses than offering off-the-shelf software. But is it always the best option you can get? Check particular scenarios to see whether custom software development is worth your investment.
When planning to introduce a new product in your organization, sooner or later, you’ll have to face a choice: off-the-shelf or custom? Most companies pick subscription-based, ready-made solutions since it’s faster and cheaper. The custom software development services are costly – there’s no doubt about it. However, in some situations, choosing them pays itself quite quickly. And going for the ready-made options may put you at risk of financial loss.
We’ve analyzed various scenarios to make it easier for you to make this difficult decision that may determine the success of your project or innovation.
Is custom software development always worth it?
Custom software development is often portrayed as a universal remedy to all software-related issues. Are your employees struggling due to the intricate and non-intuitive interface? Is your data handled ineffectively? Or maybe the performance of your software is too low, particularly in the case of processor-intensive operations?
Go custom – that’s what you may often hear when searching for potential solutions to these or any other issues. But unfortunately, it doesn’t work for everyone due to the specifics of custom development. So, without further ado – let’s break down the custom software development model to see how you can benefit from it.
Custom software development – cons
Let’s start with the disadvantages so that you can see the big picture right away. Custom application development is not cheap – and that is why most companies decide to avoid it. The higher cost corresponds to the amount of work necessary to deliver a finished product. How much will it cost? Well, since it’s custom, we cannot really tell. The final price depends on consumed time, resources, and the applied technologies (among other factors).
It doesn’t mean, however, that by going custom, you put your company at risk of spending much more than expected. Always set up all the conditions in the contract before launching the project and ask for a detailed quote to avoid unexpected expenses.
What are the other cons worth taking into mind? The main ones include:
- time-consuming development process – logically, the solutions developed from scratch or from basic components will take some time to be ready;
- level of engagement – to create a custom solution that makes a difference, you’ll need to fill briefs, deliver insights, participate in the research and make some decisions; with an off-the-shelf solution, you skip that part.
Custom software development – pros
Interestingly, all the disadvantages listed above can become advantages depending on your perspective. Getting more engaged in the process allows you to adjust the tool to the user’s needs, and, as a result, the software fulfills its role better. Also, you can keep an eye on the whole process to make sure that things are taking a good direction. Speaking of which, here’s our tip – to maximize your level of control, try to cooperate with software development company that manages their projects in the Agile model, like FireUp Software House.
Other advantages of custom app development include:
- seamless integration with other programs and systems
- the opportunity to choose the most fitting development model (native, cross-platform) and technologies
- ongoing technical support
- unlimited possibilities of scaling up
- tailor-made selection of features and independent application management
In which scenarios, custom software development services are a match?
#1 You have particular business goals in mind
Is your app supposed to address specific issues or bring your company closer to fulfilling particular business goals like, for instance:
- reaching a defined conversion rate
- improving team’s productivity
- reducing defects on the production line by a specified percentage)
- reducing the number of complaints
- identifying performance issues and solving them
If you want one software to solve various problems at once, bespoke software development is the way to go. With the off-the-shelf solutions, the level of personalization will never be that high. Plus, if your industry or specialization is relatively niche, it won’t be easy to find a solution that fulfills your needs.
#2 You have a unique idea for an application
In that case, a custom software development service is the only right choice. Unfortunately, ready-made solutions – even if customizable – always equal compromise. And your one-of-a-kind idea deserves a flexible approach to stand out in the world of innovation!
#3 You’re planning to scale up
With ready-made solutions, you’re always dependent on the choices your provider makes. And, at the same time, your options of adding functionalities, automation tools based on artificial intelligence, and your own extensions are quite limited. If scaling up is one of your long-term goals, it’s better to invest in the development of custom software right away. In its case, your return on investment is guaranteed.
You may also like: The Advantages of Custom Software Development
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