Custom software development: why blend in when you can stand out

Software development, website development and PWA (progressive web app) development is usually a major milestone in the life of a company, both in terms of progress and financial means. That's why everyone wants to do it well, to make as few mistakes as possible, and reach the initial business goal. Custom software development is a tailor-made solution that can make a significant contribution to improved financial results. Let's look at what custom software development is and why it can benefit your company!

The power of a custom solution

When a company wants to develop software, there are two ways to go: either to go for a ready-made boxed solution or to opt for custom software development. In almost all cases, custom software development will produce a more satisfactory result, but before we get into the details, let's think about what custom means in the 21st century.

Nowadays, the most precious treasure is attention. If you're thinking about developing a website, software, mobile application, or PWA, you want to create a platform that can capture the attention of your users, your target audience, and your potential customers. But it has never been more difficult than it is today!

Whereas in 1994 there were only 3000 websites, today there are 1.88 billion. This abundance is not only limited to websites, with almost 2 million mobile apps available for download from the Apple App Store and 2.87 million from the Google Play Store. This means that there is huge competition for users' attention, so no company can afford to take software development lightly.

But it's much easier to stand out with unique solutions. Should you choose ready-made or half-finished solution, it is easy for a competitor to simply copy it. Additionally, should the software be intended for internal use, the problem may be that the ready-made software is expensive but does not solve all the problems, so you must look for additional software and options to fill the gaps.

On the other hand, custom software development offers an opportunity for the company to show itself, attract the attention of the public and create software that is fully adapted to the business needs. Here's a look at the benefits of custom software development and how the process works.

What is custom software development?

Custom software development means that the company does not use existing or half-finished solutions, but develops custom software tailored to the company's needs. Let's take a simple example: 
There is a courier company with 10 employees. They must coordinate their work to satisfy customer needs. To do this efficiently, the company wants interactive software through which they can assign tasks, schedule work, plan routes, etc. One thing you can do is to choose an off-the-shelf software, which you painstakingly try to tailor to your company's profile, probably without much success. The company can easily lose time and money during the process. The other way is to custom-developing the software. No useless functionality, just what you need, but at a high quality.

The advantages of custom software development

There are many advantages to opting for custom software development, whether it's developing a PWA, a web structure or an app. Here are the most important ones! 

A unique solution for a unique problem

The advantage of custom software development is that it is unique, meaning that it is fully tailored to your needs. This results in software that is precisely tailored to the problem and is compatible with existing infrastructure. In terms of usability, it can outperform template-based solutions, not to mention the increased transparency, process automation and therefore work efficiency.

Easy upgrade

Custom software is created for the customer, so if changes or upgrades are required, they can be easily made at any time. However, this is not the case with out-of-the-box solutions, where you must wait for the software company to release the update. However, it can also happen that the software company goes bankrupt or simply discontinues its support of the product. In this case, new alternatives must be found, usually at an expense.

Economic solution

In general, using template software is not just a matter of paying the fees and then using it. In theory, that is true, but it should be remembered that ready-made solutions need to be integrated and may need to be tweaked as far as possible, which can be a cost in man-hours.

Not to mention that it is easier to make mistakes, thinking that the software will be a good solution to problems, but it fails to deliver. This learning curve can be very expensive, which is not the case with custom software development.

Security

Generally, template-based solutions are less secure because they are easy to figure out. Custom developments are protected by a unique security structure that is much harder to penetrate from the outside.

Technology independence

Custom software is characterised by its technological independence. These solutions do not rely on other resources or other service providers. 

Full ownership

In the case of custom software development, the ownership belongs to the customer. There is no need to buy it, subscribe to it or pay royalties, because the customer owns the software.

Flexibility

Flexibility is the most important feature of custom software. They are always exactly what you need. So if the circumstances change, it is relatively easy to make changes to the software. 

The custom software development process at SynerinSoft

SynerinSoft follows the agile methodology when getting involved in custom software development. We approach the task with a modern mindset and first-hand industry experience. We believe that the impossible does not exist and we prove it every day. The development process has multiple steps to ensure quality.

• Assessment: The first step is the business analysis, to determine the goal of the development. Particular attention should be paid to the UX/UI design aspects, which can be the key to success.
• Design: This is the elaboration phase, during which the development company prepares several solution designs for the problem outlined. When the plans are being prepared, the UX/UI elements are designed and the question of how to support the underlying systems is answered.
• Execution: During this process, the client and the software company are in close contact and constant consultation. Testing is the best way to detect bugs and is carried out at several points during the development during the testing phase. In the final phase, the client receives the finished software together with the development documentation.
• Follow-up: During the final phase, additional requirements should be agreed upon to ensure an up-to-date system, which can then be incorporated into the completed system as part of the follow-up/legal compliance process.

Custom software development can be done in a variety of programming languages, such as .NET, C#, Java, Javascript or SQL.

In terms of technology, most projects are built on the .NET Core framework, as the breadth of .NET allows for flexibility, yet ensures efficiency. We also rely on Azure cloud resources and MS SQL database servers for implementation.

Curious to see how we work in practice? Contact us and we'll show you!