2021. June 30.
People like custom products because they are solutions perfectly tailored to solve their problems. This is also true in the field of software development. Custom solutions are like tailor-made clothes: they fit at every point as they are supposed to. Let’s review why custom software development is a good decision!
What does custom software development mean?
Custom software development is a program designed precisely to meet the needs formulated by a company. These tailor-made solutions have the same structure as any other software, except that their design and functionality are adjusted to a specific situation. Due to their uniqueness, they typically respond to the problem of a single company, and transferring them always entails modifications.
Custom software development is a repository of creativity. There is no common solution, no tried recipe, as it all depends on what company it is and what the problem is. This type of software development can be applied to any industry, just think of big success stories like Airbnb or Amazon, all of which have conquered the world with their unique software, introducing innovative applications. However, it is important to emphasize that customization is not only a privilege for large companies, but also a solution available for smaller companies.
Custom or off-the-shelf
Custom software is tailored to the operation of a particular company, helping to increase efficiency, connect with consumers, and increase revenue. Off-the-shelf solutions are already completed, they only have to be adapted. These were built from a general perspective to provide a one-size-fits-all solution that helps most people. These can also be customized to some extent, but this falls far short of the flexibility of custom versions.
If this is so, why doesn’t everybody develop custom software? The answer is simple: because of its price. The initial costs of off-the-shelf solutions are far lower than those of custom ones; however, it is not at all certain that the latter ends up being more expensive in the long run.
It should also be kept in mind that someone provides off-the-shelf solutions, as well as the updates related to them. This means that you must often wait for quicker, more efficient versions to be released, which is not the case for custom developments.
Arguments supporting custom software development
It provides a precise solution
Not surprisingly, its most important benefit is that it responds exactly to the problem that it needs to. Custom developments create opportunities for growth, and thus for success.
Scalable
This type of software development entails a high degree of flexibility, which comes in handy especially when the company begins to grow. It is worth choosing a solution that can grow in tandem with the company right from the start.
Makes integration easy
It is not enough to make developments, they must be integrated into the existing, functioning system. This is much simpler in the case of custom development, as errors and incompatibilities can often occur when using off-the-shelf solutions.
Cost-effective
Although custom developments have higher costs at the beginning, it is not at all certain that they are more expensive overall than off-the-shelf software. Namely, the latter typically have a monthly/annual fee, while the former entail a one-time expenditure.
Builds on the specific circumstances
In the case of licensed software, it often happens that the hardware requirements of the software are higher than what’s available. This leads to additional expenditures. However, with custom development, a system’s capabilities are taken into account when planning the software.
Guaranteed continuation
For off-the-shelf software, you must take into account the risk that the development company may suddenly withdraw from the market, discontinues the product, or even goes bankrupt. In this case, the user of the software gets into serious trouble and have to start the whole process again from scratch. This problem does not exist for custom developments.
A competitive advantage can be gained
Custom solutions are always special, they have a good chance of gaining the attention of the target audience, especially if the solution is high-quality with an attractive design. This allows companies to put competitors behind them as they offer something that no one else in the market has. However, it is especially important to find the best-performing and most talented developer team.
They are secure
The issue of security is of paramount importance in connection with web software and applications. Software built on ready-made solutions often falls victim to a hacker attack first. Custom-developed solutions are typically more secure because they are not as well-known as off-the-shelf solutions.
Custom software development is a really exciting and challenging field. All in all, it has more advantages than disadvantages. So if you have the financial resources for it, it is definitely worth choosing.
We at SynerinSoft think that every client deserves the latest technological solutions to get the most out of their business, while also assisting their employees work efficiently. However, this is very often only possible through the development of custom solutions. https://synerinsoft.com/en/services/development
