Ready software is like picking a a meal deal from your local Tesco. It’s convenient, ready-to-go, and widely accepted by others. Think of solutions like Hubspot or Salesforce. They work out of the box, which makes them an appealing choice when time is tight. But just like some ready-made meals, you might end up with ingredients you don’t need or, even worse, miss out on the unique flavour that would have made the dish your own. Not to mention that all of the “ready” softwares are rarely ready and require your input to set it up. Whatever the sales team says, it’s an effort. Especially if technology isn to your strong suit.
The custom software is your recipe crafted by an expert chef who tailors every ingredient to suit your taste and needs. It may take longer to prepare. But in the long term it’s a fraction investment of your time and efforts. Because it’s built around the way you work, understand and with main goal to make your work better, easier, more efficient. And not to package up and sell to 1,000 more people that day. The choice between these two routes might seem insignificant, but it is anything but that. It can shape the future of your business.
Breaking Down the Basics of Software
To make the right choice, let’s first understand the fundamentals of both options. The ready software option is pre-built and designed to serve a broad audience. It’s like buying a ready-made suit that fits most people but might not perfectly suit your measurements. Examples include tools like Monday.com, Salesforce, or Zoho, which cater to general needs such as Task manager, CRM, and everything in between.
Why are they so popular? Ready solutions offer speed. The software has already been developed, tested, and refined through continuous improvements. You can purchase it and start using it immediately, often with minimal setup. Or you can get their support to set that up for you (of course at the fee). And you have to use it, as you’ll be paying monthly fees to keep all your data up and running whether you’re using it or not. It’s a very common trap that I walked myself one too many times.
The other downside is limited customisation. You might find that features are missing or don’t align with your business’s processes. And if you need modifications, you’ll often have to work with the software’s limitations or pay for expensive integrations. Zapier did save more than one software business with their integrations and API tools.
Custom software, on the other hand, is specifically designed to meet your unique requirements. It’s like getting a bespoke suit just for you. It is built from scratch, with every feature designed to suit your workflow, business requirements, and even your long-term vision. This makes it far more adaptable to changes in your business as it grows and evolves. For example we’ve built an internal training system for a local company. The user features where so advance that the system also replaced their HR software with few additional integrations and adjustments by us.
The catch? Custom software takes longer to develop and before you can use it to replace anything you’d like. The new features aren’t rolled out regularly, it’s something you should request. But it gives you control over everything. You won’t pay for unnecessary features and avoid those awkward fits. It’s completely yours, from beginning to end.
The Development Journey: Tailored to Your Needs
Building custom software is a journey that involves more than just website design and coding. It’s about understanding your needs and working closely with a development team to craft the right solution. Here’s how the process works:
Requirements Gathering:
The first step is deeply understanding your business needs. It’s not just about today; it’s about what you want to achieve in the future. It would help if you collaborated with a development team that understands your industry and technology. An exercise also known as project mapping.
Choosing the Right Development Partner:
The right team is crucial to your success. You don’t just need programmers; you need experts who can integrate their technical expertise with a deep understanding of your business. You need a designer to make it look good, a person to oversee the process and a team of testers to make sure the software is robust. Also, the wrong team can lead you the bad path back on the software market as they are team of sales people pushing other solutions and plugins.
Development & Iteration:
Custom software often uses an agile methodology, allowing flexibility in development. This means you can adjust as the project progresses, ensuring the final product is precisely what you need.
Testing & Deployment:
After development, rigorous testing ensures everything works perfectly, with no glitches that could disrupt your operations.
At every stage, you have complete visibility into the process, and the result is a product designed specifically for your business. Project mapping helps to indemnify these stages of design, development, testing and deployment. So you stay on target with no budget changes.
Costs: The Real Price of Convenience vs Control
It’s essential to look beyond the initial price tag when comparing costs.
Ready software may seem less expensive at first glance. You purchase the software license and gain instant access. But, as with any subscription-based model, there are recurring costs (like maintenance, updates, and training). And, if you need custom integrations or features, those will often require additional investment. Not to mention the cost ideas “per user” and when it’s a reasonable monthly price only if you pay for a year upfront. Why would they say it’s £19.99 per month, when it’s actually £239.88 per year or £29.99 per month. It’s the worst, pricing, marketing whatever strategy..
Custom software has a one-time investment. You’re paying for a product that’s specifically built for your needs. Over time, you’ll benefit from the lack of ongoing license fees or subscription charges. Plus, since your software will be scalable, you can avoid costly reworks when your business grows. A very positive NPV.
The key takeaway: ready software offers quick, low-cost access to a solution but can become expensive when customisation and licensing costs pile up. Including time and effort spent learning and adapting your work to it. While custom software requires takes longer to launch but leads to long-term savings and a more efficient operation.
Compatibility: Finding the Perfect Fit
One of the biggest headaches of using software is compatibility. These tools are designed to work in general environments rather than specifically in yours. You might encounter challenges when integrating them with your existing systems, forcing you to pay for additional software or custom integrations. Over time, the lack of a perfect fit can lead to inefficiencies. You’re always at bay of the integrations working and progressing.
Custom software is designed to fit perfectly within your existing business structure. Whether you need it to sync with your CRM, ERP, or other internal systems, it will be built to integrate with your current tech stack seamlessly. There’s no “patchwork” approach – it’s all designed with your infrastructure in mind.
The User Experience: Custom-Made for Success
When it comes to software, user experience (UX) is everything. A tool that’s difficult to use or requires constant troubleshooting can waste time and energy. You’ll end up on calls, documentation forums and googling things.
General software often has a broad user base, which means it is designed with general user needs. While some may find it perfectly adequate, others may need help with an interface not entirely aligned with their workflows. If you have a unique process, you might find yourself “hacking” the software to make it fit, which can hurt efficiency.
The custom software can be designed with personalised UX from the get-go. The interface can be built around your workflow, making your team more productive and reducing the learning curve. Custom software gives you control over the user journey, ensuring everything from the layout to the functionality serves your business goals.
The Verdict: Which One is Right for You?
There’s no definitive answer to the off-the-shelf vs custom software debate because the right choice depends on your business’s size, needs, and future goals. Here’s a summary of when each might be right for you:
- Off-the-shelf software is ideal if you need something quick, budget option and your business needs are relatively standard. It’s perfect for smaller businesses or those that don’t need advanced custom features. As long as you’re good with computers, software and ready to learn more.
- Custom software is the right choice if your business requires a tailored solution that fits perfectly with your workflows, offers scalability, and aligns with long-term growth. While it’s more time consuming to get it up and running upfront, providing a truly personalised tool that evolves with your needs could save you money in the long run. And the best part, it requires minimal of your effort and team efforts to do it. You order and check as it grows legs and arms to run your business, add value to it and general piece of art.
It’s about finding the right balance between cost, flexibility, and future growth. Whether you go for off-the-shelf or custom software, the goal is to select a solution that accelerates your business operations and helps you achieve your strategic objectives. And we can help with both. We work with CRM systems and Zapier to build your ideas and make them reality.
