Custom software development is the process of specially designing and developing software for a specific organization or user, as opposed to generic software packages which are designed for the mass market. Choosing the right level of investment can make or break a small or medium-sized business. It is a difficult process to weigh the expected benefits against the (reasonably) certain costs of investment decisions and balance your focus between administration and technology. Custom software developers consider the unique needs and goals of their clients, and so offer several benefits compared with commercial off-the-shelf software. Here are a number of things custom software development can do to promote your business in today’s high-tech world.
Efficiency Hacks
Perhaps most significantly, custom software automates otherwise time consuming manual daily activities such as updating software. A tremendous amount of time can be unlocked with automation, leading to a significant rise in the overall efficiency of your workforce. The opportunity cost of not investing in automation (i.e. the wages which otherwise have to be paid to human workers) can be extremely high. This benefit also flows to management: with more time you can focus on business concerns rather than poring over code, debugging IT problems. Automation speeds up almost all of your business processes as it allows workers to focus on a far smaller set of problems, which they can specialize in solving rather than constantly multitasking and learning or being trained to solve new problems.
Specialized teams such as those at Facetwebtech.com software development company are trained to have a well-rounded set of highly developed computer skills uncommon to most businesses. Custom software has multiple systems and databases at its disposal and can combine much functionality all in the one bundle. This interconnected system can more efficiently communicate with its various parts in order to organize cross-system tasks. Your processes become streamlined in the one system, which is especially valuable if you are operating from different branches and locations. Custom software is scalable: the latest business data is assembled together, enabling all of your workers access to the most recent and up-to-date information irrespective of where they work.
Keeping You On the Cutting Edge
If businesses fall behind their competitors in the technology landscape they can be removed from the map. See Blockbuster. Custom software keeps you up to date by automatically updating your different systems and implementing the latest hardware and software technologies. When existing business software becomes obsolete (which happens every couple of years) the security of their system becomes immediately compromised as, generally, the older and less up-to-date their drives, software and operating systems are, the more vulnerable to malware and hacking they are. Off-the-shelf software only offers updates for a few years, they don’t scale as well and they typically prohibit subtracting or adding on additional features. There are a never ending supply of compatibility issues with certain programs over different operating systems, different versions of the same operating system, different browsers etc.
Customizability
Custom software can be not only created according to a specific set of directions from the client, but can be built in such a way as to allow for further customizability options in the future, which can be especially useful in dynamic industries. Customer interfaces, such as kiosk ordering and table service can also be customized to your businesses – or the customer’s – liking. Smarter and smarter algorithms can help with planning your strategic vision (or quarterly plans) as well as with management. Software, including staff and customer interfaces, can be built on the basis of what the available big data about your industry – and internal data from your business and customers – predicts will be the most effective strategy to respond to production requirements or consumer preferences.
Custom software developers compete with one another over their ability to translate whatever their clients envision into a reality. They have years of experience with highly disparate requests, and so have an instinctive ability to think creatively and boldly. This customization allows you to think differently, standing out with sleek, original designs. It also confers you complete creative freedom to pursue your vision without being limited by the constraints of the knowledge level of your workers or the technical constraints of off-the-shelf software systems. Your imagination is the limit.
There are always new breakthroughs in efficiency, technical capacity and customizability in the tech world. If you’re not sure you can keep abreast of it all, consider outsourcing your IT systems to custom software developers.
About the author
Kai Kirby is a software developer and all round geeky guy who can talk tech for hours! He shares his knowledge and his passion through his written articles.
