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In an ever-evolving business climate, organizations need every edge they can find to thrive, stay competitive, and grow. One edge can be honed through the benefits of custom software development.
What is custom software? Exactly what it sounds like. It’s software made for you and your business, specifically. This means it addresses the needs, goals, and constraints of your business, and when designed properly scales and grows with you.
You might think it may be more simple and convenient to pursue out-of-the-box solutions for business-focused applications. As cloud-based SaaS tools have exploded in popularity, you can find applications to manage repetitive tasks, automate billing processes, track reservations, and more. The problem with commodity solutions is there is no guarantee that these existing technologies give your organization the kind of long-term solutions that fit your business needs — and will remain relevant as you grow.
Does custom software sound like an ideal solution? For many, it will be. But it’s not always the right approach. Factors like training, time to implement, and cost should be weighed when considering a transition to new business software of any kind. Before deciding on a custom software solution, address four areas to make sure it’s the right fit.
Goals — Reflect on your business goal, how it’s achieved today, and how you’d like to achieve it in the future. Do you need something simple and straight ahead, or are you appealing to a specialized market?
Workflows & Inefficiencies — Are you overwhelmed with too many manual processes? Can your team cover everything in a given day? A custom solution can control nearly anything on your plate.
Analyze Your Growth — If you’re at capacity, or rapidly approaching it, consider how much you can grow with out-of-the-box tools before inefficiency rears its ugly head. If things are slow, dig into the root causes. A custom solution could be what’s needed to get on track.
Consider Your Users — Remember, your tech is there to make it possible for your team to do its best work. Your people power your success. If your team is struggling with legacy software, that could be enough to justify an exploration into customization.
After this self-examination, the decision to invest in custom software may be readily evident. In that case, keep reading, as we explore four of the biggest benefits of custom software.
Unlock Your Next Project with VAULT: From persona research to product launch, and beyond, we’ve been the secret sauce for hundreds of custom software development projects. Connect with us to learn more.
Most businesses (but not all) will find that custom software offers tangible benefits compared to mass-produced options. Here’s a look at the four most impactful areas where custom software benefits those who invest in its capabilities.
Just as no two businesses are exactly alike, it makes sense to utilize software designed specifically for their own individual organization. Custom software development ensures that the software contains all the features and functionality that an organization needs to optimize their processes — and nothing it doesn’t. Matched to a specific business identity, custom software complements your working model because it was designed to align with your goals while maintaining room to grow with you.
The goal of every business is to grow, increasing the scale of their operations through new processes, services, and products. Often, off-the-shelf software solutions can adequately address an immediate need but aren’t equipped to handle continued growth of a business. And when attempts are made to modify off-the-shelf solutions to accommodate growth, errors and bugs result which only increase the loss of productivity and efficiency.
Custom software development is capable of handling growth and is designed to do so in a bug-free manner. Businesses can continue to use, update, and adjust their software — through enhancements — and avoid yearly license renewals or new purchases. Additionally, the right custom software development partners offer ongoing maintenance and support well after the initial product is finished.
When adding an out-of-the-box software solution, there is an expected learning curve. The new software has to be integrated with current tooling, programs, and systems. Experiencing compatibility issues, bugs, and even costly downtime often results. Many of these issues are addressed up front with custom software development because it is designed for your organization specifically.
Beyond integrating seamlessly with your existing tech stack, custom software development also aids in helping businesses with outdated systems in making the necessary shifts to mobile and the cloud. These updates can hone a competitive edge in the market and add efficiency in the workplace.
We touched on this earlier, but working with a custom software development company means you’ll never be left out in the cold when it comes to making updates, bug-fixing, or troubleshooting. Off-the-shelf software often carries minimal customer support which makes solving problems, or extending the life of the software, problematic.
With custom software development, you have access to continuous support from a dedicated external team of IT professionals who perform maintenance, add software enhancements, execute updates, and more. Ongoing technical support minimizes downtime and keeps your processes running smoothly.
Learn How VAULT Gets the Job Done: When iCopy decided to invest in building proprietary software, it had a vision but lacked experience in product development. Learn how Vault led the way.
At Vault Innovation Group, we’re more than just another custom software development company — we’re a partner in your success. For more than a decade we’ve assisted tech-powered brands, founders, and visionaries in solving design challenges and ship purpose-driven products and software.
We navigate your project from start to finish with our five-step approach — Discovery, Design, Build, Launch, and Support — that covers everything from initial strategic planning, software design and development to operational support after launch. We’ll guide, advise, and support you through the process at every stage, while remaining open to the unique needs of your business.
Find out how our digital product, custom software, and application development services can help your business expand. Reach out now to explore the possibilities or request a discovery call.
