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Developing and implementing custom software is a serious step for any company regardless of its size. While the benefits of such a decision are overwhelming, substantial costs tend to keep business owners from researching development options.
Custom software has a high ROI. It helps your company improve productivity, stay compliant with industry requirements, avoid security issues, and much more. However, some businesses can stay productive while using off-the-shelf software.
Here are a few things you should watch for when making a decision about custom software investments.
1. You Keep Buying New Software
Off-the-shelf software usually has a limited variety of options. When the business grows or adjusts direction, it often requires functionality the main off-the-shelf program doesn’t have. So business owners search for additional apps to get the job done.
Eventually, employees are stuck with several programs, which they need to juggle to maintain productivity. This usually entails doing a lot of manual work like retyping details from one program to another. While some software can be integrated with another, many apps have to be handled separately.
With time, you end up paying more for off-the-shelf programs than you would for custom software while drastically reducing employee satisfaction.
2. It’s Becoming Hard to Reach out to Your Customers
The key to your company’s profitability is happy customers. If you’ve been noticing that customer relations are suffering since your staff is overwhelmed with work, you may need custom software.
Building customer relations requires high-quality tools. If your current off-the-shelf software can’t do the job, your retention efforts could disappear in vain.
Custom software can help you manage your customer base while reaching out to clients across various channels. You can keep all the information in one place, thus streamlining your marketing and sales enablement.
3. Your Business is Growing
Startups rarely have the funds to develop custom software. The amount of work they do can usually fit into a couple of off-the-shelf apps. As your company starts growing, you could find that the off-the-shelf solutions aren’t growing with it.
Off-the-shelf software isn’t created to accommodate the needs of companies that grow or scale quickly. Most likely, you would need to purchase other solutions to ensure a smooth transition. This in turn would involve extra time for learning and transferring information, thus keeping your employees from focusing on their core competencies.
Custom software can grow with your business. One of the key custom software development trends involves creating a flexible solution that needs minor tweaking to satisfy the growing company’s needs.
4. You Are Experiencing Issues with Data Analysis
Data collection and analysis are the pillars of any businesses’ profitability. In order to stay ahead of the competition, you need the right tools to handle your data. Off-the-shelf software usually presents a generic solution to your data collection and analysis requirements. It may not be sufficient to provide you the tools for efficient decision-making.
Custom software can help you optimize business operations by handling business-specific data according to your current business goals. It can also maximize customer data security.
5. You Are Falling Behind the Competition
While many factors could stand behind your loss of edge, poorly matched software can be one of them. If your main competitors are taking advantage of custom software, it can be nearly impossible to outrun them with off-the-shelf alternatives.
High-quality software is an integral part of your company’s profitability. If it doesn’t get the job done right, you could have trouble staying ahead of the competition.
Customs software is specifically designed to cater to your company’s needs. It can simplify meeting business goals and staying competitive.
The Takeaway
If you notice one or more of the abovementioned signs, you need to rethink your software. While top talent is one of the pillars of business profitability, it can’t help you succeed without the right tools.
Custom software development is a highly profitable investment. While it may require large upfront expenses, it can help your company become an industry leader. By reevaluating your current business operations, you may find that custom software is your next step toward success.
Also read: The Advantages of Custom Software Development
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