Bespoke Software Development: Solution to Transform Your Business

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Whatever your company does, sooner or later, you will conclude that you need to automate all processes to increase your efficiency and, as a result, profitability. The trend goes toward universal digitalization. So in this article, we will understand what bespoke software development is and what are its benefits for your business.

When a company’s management decides on the need to implement specialized software, it has to select between bespoke software development and a ready-made application that the company can use. Next, we will determine which option is preferable, highlighting the pros and cons.

Yes, bespoke software development can be a big investment, and the development process can be challenging. Despite these obstacles, the potential benefits are often worth the investment. Your costs will be focused on the design, development, and testing process. A properly developed custom software solution will increase efficiency, improve outcomes and increase your competitiveness in tough markets.

Andrei Kasianau

CEO, Glorium Technologies

Pros and Cons of Ready-Made Digital Solutions

Ready-made applications are universal IT products created for everyone and not for a specific business. You can buy software from the manufacturer, install it on a PC, and use it immediately.

International companies such as Adobe, Corel, Hubspot, Mailchimp, and other well-known developers provide many ready-made products to millions of companies. You’ve probably already used one of the globally available solutions for CRM, online bookings, bookkeeping or content management.

These apps have both indisputable advantages and substantial disadvantages.

Benefits of Off-The-Shelf Software

Off-the-shelf software’s main benefit is instant access to a range of features and functionalities already developed and tested by both the software provider and the end users.

• Significant savings for the company’s budget: The cost of ready-made software is much lower than the amount you must pay to develop an individual product. Provider breaks it down between all companies that intend to use the program. Also, do not worry about updating the software — developers typically do this continuously.
• One-size-fits-all features: A product gets developed based on an analysis of mass market participants’ needs. The developers write their functionality, design, and user interface to satisfy the average user’s requirements.
• Short timeframe: With a ready-made solution, you will not wait until the ordered application passes all the SDLC stages or spend time communicating with developers and making adjustments to the project. You only need to choose a provider and pick a project best meets your requirements.
• Minimum bugs and high-quality technical support: Software checked not only by testers but also by users is less likely to fail. And if controversial issues still arise, you always have the opportunity to contact the support service or refer to the experience of other users.

Disadvantages of Off-The-Shelf Software

Off-the-shelf software can be a convenient and cost-effective solution for many businesses, yet it has limited customization options, lacks scalability, and may be incompatible with existing systems.

• Failing to meet your demands: Ready-made software does not allow you to add necessary features or exclude elements. Besides, the functionality of apps is standard in some areas (for example, in accounting, it is reporting, integration with banks, tracking payments, etc.). This leads to a situation where companies with a narrow specialization may need help. For example, a delivery service may require a broader range of filters and menu items for customers to check out.
• Payment pitfalls: Although the initial cost of ready-made IT solutions is lower than individual ones, later, such savings can lead to additional expenses. The developer company may charge for software installation, employee training, or licenses. Ultimately, subsequent costs can be higher than the initial cost of applications.
• Possible incompatibility with previous software: It is another unpredictable expense that may arise if you work with ready-made programs. If new software is incompatible with the existing infrastructure, you must rebuild it. And if you need an experienced IT team, all that remains is to attract an out staffer for these works. And pay them accordingly.

Ready-made software is most suitable in the following cases:

• The company needs to establish work in a short time
• It is acceptable to use software with standard functionality
• The initial cost of the product is crucial

Pros and Cons of Bespoke Software Development

Individual, or specialized software consists of programs developed exclusively for a customer company, tailored to all its needs and the specifics of its field. This strategy seems the most efficient for automating your particular tasks. However, custom software has several disadvantages to consider while selecting whether to design it.

For example, the industry as complicated as aircraft has a myriad of back-end tasks and data that need to be taken care of. On this picture, you can see the Emirates Airlines’ Network Capacity Optimization tool, developed to allow the dispatchers at Emirates Airlines to optimize the usage of their plane fleet.

In custom applications the user can create different scenarios, evaluations, sequences, estimations and what not, called to answer the needs and requests of their particular business. However, custom software has several disadvantages to consider while selecting whether to design it.

Advantages of Bespoke Software Development

The biggest benefit of custom software development for businesses is the ability to meet a particular organization’s unique needs, which drives enhanced efficiency in many areas.

• Automation of unique projects: An individual application can be developed for any organization, even if your company is an innovative startup with minimum practical experience.
• Economic optimization: By purchasing individual software, you pay only for the functionality you plan to use.
• Opportunity to participate in the production process: The GloriumTech team provides bespoke software development services using the Agile methodology, allowing clients to control development, make adjustments to the product and receive interim reporting.
• Complete control over the application: Custom software differs from ready-made software in terms of scalability, the capacity to upgrade at any moment, and independence from developer services.
• Upper hand over competitors: Almost every industry in the modern world has become increasingly competitive. As a result, original software is the finest approach to stand out and display your concern for people and the exclusivity of your services.
• Total integration with existing infrastructure: Making a custom computer program allows you to consider the highlights of all applications as of now running in the venture and minimize the taking toll of making changes.
• High level of security: Hacker attacks, as a rule, are aimed at software with many users since their main task is to cause maximum damage. Since custom applications have a limited range of users, it is safer to use them.

Disadvantages When Ordering Custom Software

When thinking about bespoke software development for your business, consider potential drawbacks — higher costs, longer timeline, and a greater need for project maintenance and support.

• Labor- and time-consuming process: If your goal is to get your business up and running quickly for a quick ROI, you should build the right digital solution well in advance.
• Higher initial cost: The price for unique software can significantly exceed ready-made purchasing solutions. Of course, any cost to develop an individual application is a long-term investment that will pay off over time. But specific difficulties may arise if your budget is limited when creating the software.
• Potential misunderstandings: When discussing the goals and functions of the future application with the contractor, make sure to have a clear task. Suppose mobile and web development is also outsourced. In that case, discussing all your conditions and wishes with the contractor must be fully implemented in the final product.

Bespoke software solutions are optimal for organizations that:

• Have the time to develop an application from scratch
• Want to stand out from the competition with a one-of-a-kind digital solution
• Are confident in their IT teams or contractors and can rely on them to develop the right software and support the finished product

Areas of Use for the Bespoke Software

Of course, custom software can be used in any area, no matter your work. But some organizations need help getting by with ready-made solutions, so for them, the question of choosing between creating and buying an application is not worth it.

Examples of Companies that Need Bespoke Software Development

Companies across various industries require bespoke software development to meet their business needs. Examples include healthcare, logistics, financial institutions, e-commerce, and manufacturing companies. Any company with unique business processes that off-the-shelf software solutions cannot adequately address may benefit from bespoke software development.

Large Marketplaces

Big companies like Amazon, Alibaba, and others work exclusively with personalized solutions. Ready-made software would not cope with the multitasking of such resources. In addition to placing goods and orders, they must solve several other tasks, including delivering goods and other logistics processes, inventory, and online payments.

For example, Alibaba has created numerous software solutions to let its users — from small shops to large manufacturers — connect to customers, do safe transactions, manage their inventory and logistics all within one platform.

Banking Structures

Firstly, the activities of banks and other financial institutions directly relate to financial risks. Using off-the-shelf software for them would mean daily exposure to the risk of hacker attacks. It would entail a decrease in the level of customer confidence. And secondly, each bank has a specific target audience and explicitly focuses its software on it. Some banks rely on mortgage lending, others serve budgetary organizations, and others prefer premium segment customers.

For example, Golden Sachs, one of the biggest financial institutions in the world, not only makes bespoke software for their internal and back-office operations. They have also developed a custom platform, Marquee, for their customers – traders and investors – to be able to manage their assets and liquidity without leaving the bank’s ecosystem.

Transport Companies

Taxis, delivery services, and logistics companies must go for bespoke software development. High competition in the transport sector and the narrow specificity of each organization’s activities make it impossible to use standard solutions. For example, FedEx has developed numerous products to cover different aspects of their operations, and now shares this software with other developers and users.

Thanks to unique bespoke software development solution, Uber became a household name, and their platform is now an example referenced by endless copycats.

Companies from many other industries choose custom software development for their products, as well. Not only it helps businesses to stand out, but also allows optimize their workflows, enhance customer experiences, and unlock new opportunities for growth and success.

See some examples of the bespoke software development solutions delivered by Glorium Technologies in our selected case studies.

At Glorium, we take one dozens of different projects for our clients, and boast a large pool of software engineers experienced in different industries. Feel free to reach out to us with your ideas, and together we will fiend the best way to make it happen.

Food for Thought

Companies should consider bespoke mobile app development to stay on top of the technological wave. According to statistics, in 2021, users made 230 billion software downloads for mobile devices. And this means that a high-quality, convenient mobile application can increase customer loyalty and gain an advantage over competitors.

This working model remains in high demand despite a few difficulties in ordering individual software. GloriumTech provides bespoke software development services. With us, you can be sure that the finished product meets the highest quality standards and your requirements.

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