Custom Software Development: How Importance is it for Small Businesses?
About a decade ago, it was taboo for
small businesses to consider custom software development services as the development
costs were sky-high. Instead, they had to make do with the existing features
and offerings in readymade solutions and even adjust their strategies to
accommodate the limitations of the software. This approach allowed them to
spearhead towards making their presence in the market, but over the course,
they found it challenging to remain bounded within the limitations.
However, technological advancement
and innovative digital solutions are within the grasp of small businesses
without breaking the bank. Unfortunately, most small to medium businesses are
afraid to make the jump, and this article aims to highlight the importance of
custom software development for small businesses.
What is Custom Software Development?
Based on a general consensus, most
readymade software would have features that most of their audience would
require. However, in pleasing the audience in general, attention cannot be
given to addressing the unique challenges of everyone. Custom software
development is understanding the challenges of the end-users and crafting
features that would solve that specific problem. Custom software development
can be compared to tailor-made clothing. As per the wearer’s body dimensions,
the measurements allow the clothing to fit snugly.
Custom Software development can be
referred to as the process of designing, deploying, and maintaining software
solutions with long-term challenges in mind. When creating software from
scratch, the software development company needs to consider factors such as:
·
Targeted
user groups
·
Business
requirements
·
Challenges
faced
·
Technology
needs
·
Existing
concerns/ issues
By opting for a custom software
solution, businesses gain the advantage of the best platform and the latest
technologies to achieve business growth. Moreover, businesses get everything
under one roof instead of relying on multiple tools or software for certain
features. You can read further about what custom software development is.
Industry Verticals Greatly
Benefitted from Custom Software Development
Custom Software development can be
beneficial for specific industries more than others. Here are industry
verticals that are really benefited from custom software:
·
Online
Banking and Finance
·
Call
centers and BPOs
·
Travel
and Hospitality
·
Automotive
companies
·
Government
organizations
·
Shipping
and Logistics
Benefits of Custom Software Development
Addresses the Specific Needs of Your Business
Readymade and off-the-shelf products
and services have the broad needs of their audience in mind when it comes to
offering features and facilities. Unfortunately, this may sometimes fall short
of fulfilling the needs of businesses. By opting for a custom software
solution, small businesses get something that unique and specific to their
needs that aligns with their vision and goals. Through the power of custom
development, the sky is only the limit. Partner up with the right technology
partner, and they can deliver something that achieves your business goals.
Cost-effective
Custom software development provides
businesses with a cost-effective solution. Businesses only pay for developing
the features they want to be included in their software, and it provides
businesses with superior flexibility, scalability, and overall lower cost of
ownership. In the longer run, this proves to be a cost-effective choice for
most businesses.
In step with Business Growth
As a pre-requisite to every custom
software development, businesses need to chart out the short and long-term
goals they wish to achieve using the software. This allows software development
companies to craft the software to accommodate growth and scalability. Hence,
instead of compromising on the features and functions of the software, business
owners and other stakeholders can focus on growing their businesses using the
tools and features they need. All this without breaking the bank or cutting
corners in any way.
Ownership
In the case of a readymade solution,
the businesses only have the license to use the product as is. Strict TnCs
ensure that the businesses cannot modify any part or the whole of the software
and the updates and maintenance was in the grace of the software provider. In
case of custom software, the business is the true owner of the software and
complete power lies with them in terms of modifications and customization. The
development company periodically provides all the security updates and patches
to keep the software running smoothly.
Security
Small businesses can benefit from
more robust data protection against hacker threats thanks to custom software
that employs extra tools to close common security gaps. This is achievable
since the code isn’t accessible to the general public and extra security
measures like encryption are put in place throughout the development process.
Conversely, pre-made software solutions are easier targets for hackers and more
prone to assaults. It is intended for widespread use, and the source code is
simpler to break than a customised solution.
Long term support and maintenance
As mentioned earlier, companies
using off-the-shelf solutions are forced to depend on the software vendor.
There isn’t much that organisations can do if the solution supplier decides to
cease maintaining and updating it. Custom software development removes these
limitations and makes the business the true owner of the product, enabling them
to continuously upgrade and grow the software in the desired direction. In
addition, it scales and transforms in response to your company’s requirements.
Custom Integration Support
Businesses require flawless data
flow across various technologies in order to run efficiently, yet integration
assistance can occasionally provide a significant challenge. In order to
guarantee that companies may employ third-party software integration such as
analytics plugins, payment gateways, heat map tools, and more as per the
business’s needs, developers can construct bespoke integrations and
workarounds.
Custom Software Development vs Off-the-shelf Software
Wrapping Up
When choosing the software type for your business, ensure it matches up with the company’s goals and needs. When you contemplate the features, you are being offered, and what you expect in lieu of your business and employees’ needs, you save time and money in the long run while getting business flexibility and growth. In a nutshell, custom software development companies are the right answer as long as your budget can accommodate it. So, let’s build your next development project as custom business software. The Vindaloo Softtech’s development team is ready to be contacted.
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