The online news is recently filled with technology-infused titles, especially about business. No one would ever suspect that metaverse would play a role in business success, let alone that we will become so dependant on custom software solutions to guide us through our daily tasks.
Technology was invented to simplify our lives. So it’s no wonder it found its application in evolving businesses worldwide. You must have heard of one company that uses custom software in their daily tasks or to attract more consumers.
Either way, software development services are gaining traction each year. To prove the point, there are numerous market research companies conducting surveys. One such is Grand View Research.
According to them, custom software data show that the bespoke software development market will increase by 11.7% between 2022 and 2030. So why all this demand for custom software companies? Because businesses discover that bespoke software has many benefits. It improves productivity, efficiency, and cost-cutting while simplifying procedures.
Being compatible on the market is like watching the Game of Thrones series; everyone is developing a cunning plan to be faster, better, and provide an excellent experience. Perhaps you are mulling the idea yourself. However, you are not entirely sure whether you should enter this arena just yet. To help you decide, there are some common reasons and signs that your business needs a custom software solution.
5 Reasons Why Custom Software is Necessary for your business
Many disbelievers are ready to ask why I need custom software when there are off-the-shelf solutions? Well, it depends on how informed they are about custom software and their business needs. So, before we go into why you might need custom software, let’s look at what it is and its real-life example.
Custom Software Practical Example
Custom software development is designing, deploying, and supporting software for a specific group of users or organizations. Unlike commercial off-the-shelf software, custom software focuses on a closely specified set of criteria. For example, an ophthalmology office deals with patients’ history and current information.
Most offices are just starting to use Excell or spreadsheets to store their patients’ data. Now, imagine a different approach. The office has custom-built software. Its management software contains all medical records, journals, patient search filters, recall, and appointment scheduling.
Why custom-built software if there are off-the-shelf solutions? The answer is simple because healthcare software is complex, and each office has its specific way of working and needs. For instance, perhaps a software development company can connect the ophthalmology instruments with management software. Then, when the doctor gets results, these are automatically stored in patients’ data.
Imagine how much time the doctor saves on inputting these parameters manually. In addition, not all off-the-shelf software is built in the same way. Perhaps it is not as user-friendly as it seems, and if your business grows, the software is not scalable and has no room for expansion.
Some feature always needs to be added, and most ready-made software does not allow changes. In contrast, the custom software built according to your business needs can be tweaked and changed at any time.
5 Signs That Your Business Needs Custom Software
Each entrepreneur gets excited about their business. But, in truth, many jump on the train of improving services too early. There is nothing wrong with wanting to provide better services and experiences for your clients and employees. But, the timing may be inaccurate and drive you on the wrong path.
As you know, each business has its way of working and the necessary data that circulates the organization. At some point, some of the daily tasks might give you signals that it is time to step up your business and think about custom software services. Depending on your business, you might choose to outsource custom software development.
#1. Your business is drowning in paperwork and manual processes.
You might have employed the most efficient person for the specific job. But, if that person uses ineffective software for daily tasks, productivity gets lost between the software codes.
The internal workflow in your organization influences not only employees but customers’ satisfaction and, finally, your business performance. For example, you might have used the services of some company, and you were surprised and pleased with how efficient they are. But, unfortunately, it is rare nowadays to provide a complete experience and service efficiency to your clients. That is why such companies are still high above others on the market.
The goal of any business is to increase revenue, but it comes with higher productivity. If your employee is struggling with too much manual work, that means you might have lost time and human error on your hands. What happens when that error affects the customer? It is not your employees’ fault but the lack of tools to show their total capacity and capability.
If your employee has too much paperwork and manual inputs of data each day, it might be a good sign that it is time for a change and new custom software to automate their tasks. But, unfortunately, that leaves your employee to do something much more important.
#2. Your firm outgrew your legacy application.
More often than not, companies keep depending on the software they have used for decades. In truth, it still works, but the changes in business and technology might have taken a toll on your application. During those decades, you have indeed made changes to your business. It might have grown over time, or it provides new services.
Each change and growth of the business is like pouring water endlessly into a glass that cannot receive it. Then, finally, the water starts overflowing over the rim. It is identical to your legacy software. So the first sign that it is time for new custom software is when your legacy application fails to meet your needs.
#3. It’s getting difficult to reach your customers.
Everyone knows that each business depends on the customer. In our digital era, it’s getting hard to follow technology development and implementation for various purposes. However, it is a well-known fact that influential brands utilize technology creatively.
As a small business owner, some cannot compete like that. But, keeping your customers happy with efficient services and keeping tabs on them is the minimum expected nowadays. That’s where custom software development can help. Either automate your customer relations or include additional value by letting your employees have a history of data on your returning customers.
Whichever way you use the software to enhance your relationship with customers, it will undoubtedly have an effect.
#4. Current business requires unique needs.
The majority of businesses have encountered problems in using off-the-shelf software because of the nature of their specific needs. Each organization works in a particular way, and the majority are constantly thinking of improvement.
Building custom software will provide your business with features and requirements explicitly tailored to your business needs. It will solve the problem and give the brand a unique identity in every aspect of its business.
#5. Your company is concerned about security.
Off-the-shelf software provides security as long as it is updated regularly. But what happens when the developer stops upgrading the software? In addition, hackers and online criminals often target small businesses as they are the easiest target.
You might be concerned about it, and with a good reason. Many hackers download software and try to find its weaknesses, and it’s a matter of time before yours will be on the list. For whichever reason you want more online security, custom software is a great way to protect your business and your client’s information.
Choose to Invest in Custom Software Solutions & Have More Time to Focus on Growing Your Business
According to the market, most companies are not investing in custom software solutions because of the cost. However, this might be a mistake, the price may be higher initially, but in the long run, it enhances your business. Custom software provides the flexibility and scalability needed for businesses of all sizes. In addition, it saves time using applications tailored to your business needs, and you will have time to focus on growing your business, which will help boost your revenue.
Custom software is an extension of your company, similar to a marketing strategy. When choosing software solutions for your business, it is essential to know what you need. If your in-house team does not have sufficient knowledge, consider outsourcing software development.
