Looking for brand-new software for your business? When deciding on the software for your business, the struggle between tailor-made software and ready-to-use solutions can prove to be an important decision. Each option indeed has its set of pros and cons, thus the right choice for your business will depend on a number of factors.
At Digital Aptech (dapl), we understand that the software solution that you opt for your business can make or break your brand. Here, we have provided a detailed comparative analysis between custom software and off-the-shelf solutions to help you make an informed decision.
What are Custom Software Solutions?
Custom software is also known as business software, owing to the fact that it has been created for a specific business. It is built to specification, works with other systems already in place, and is efficient.
Advantages of Custom Software:
Built to Specification: Business software or rather custom software is created according to the user’s specifications.
More Effective: Business processes that can be repetitive can be skipped enabling users to focus on more productive areas of the business.
Factor in Competition: Business software takes care of unique functionality that gives a business a competitive edge.
Disadvantages of Custom Software:
More Expensive: It is actually considered expensive to make customized or business software compared to substandard packages.
Longer Implementation Time: The cycle of making customized software is definitely longer than the cycle of deploying a pre-packaged solution.
Regular Interventions: Quite a number of times, custom software is modified to give way for new features so as to meet the market requirements.
What are Off-the-Shelf Software Solutions?
Off-the-shelf software is simply computer applications developed into finished products that can be purchased by the public and is also referred to as commercial software. It is quite appealing to several companies because it is cost effective and easy to implement.
Benefits of Off-the-Shelf Software:
Faster Implementation: As the software is readily available, it can be implemented in a very short time as it has modes of operation and features built within it.
Lower Cost: Compared to the development of unique software, the cost of off-the-shelf software is much lower because the overhead of developing a unique piece of software is lower due to the larger number of users purchasing it.
Proven Technology: Vendors have successfully sold their software to various businesses around the world therefore it has a better chance of being dependable and stable.
Drawbacks of Off-the-Shelf Software:
Limited Customization: Off-the-shelf software is manufactured in a way that seeks to cater for the problems encountered by people in different businesses. Because of this, it is possible that the software will not entirely meet your requirements.
Potential for Security Risks: There are widespread concerns that off-the-shelf software may contain loopholes in their security and roughly the most competent offenders tend to be attackers who exploit software that has not been installed with required updates.
Vendor Lock-In: The user just has no choice but to rely on the vendor to provide any new release and maintenance for the offered software as it is common with commercial software.
What Factors to Consider When Choosing Custom and Off-the-Shelf Software?
If you are looking to choose between custom or off-the-shelf software solutions ideal for your brand, here are the crucial factors to consider:
Budget: Look into how much your business plan can accommodate and the eventual costs the strategy will result in.
Time: Consider how quickly you want the program to be in place.
Target: Analyze the target market business processes and determine if packaged software will meet those processes.
Growth: Think about how the enterprise will be developed and if the software can accommodate such changes.
Risk: Determine the security risks that are able to emerge from either option and decide on the option which has a lesser risk.
Conclusion: Digital Aptech as Your Software Solutions Partner
The ultimate choice for your business will rest on your brand’s specific business requirements, needs, priorities, budgets and other special considerations. Each of the options will come with their own advantages and drawbacks. You need to weigh the pros and cons and determine which one would suit best for your brand.
Need help in choosing the most appropriate software solutions? Let Digital Aptech (dapl) and its team of consultants assist you. Our IT consultant and strategy team in collaboration with our business analysts will carefully examine your brand’s requirements, target audience, profit expectations, potential pitfalls and suggest solutions that would be conducive for your brand’s growth. Connect with a team of skilled and vetted mobile app development, web development and E-commerce experts who can help you achieve what you are looking for.
Get market-leading software solutions from a team that is trusted by top-performing organizations and give your brand the success it deserves.
