If you’re going back and forth trying to decide if custom software will make a difference to your bottom line, you’re in good company. Many business owners and company leaders are grappling with decisions on technology and software investments to increase revenue and stay competitive. As with any other investment, software must be chosen carefully. This is especially true if you’re looking to benefit from positive performance both now and in the long run. Custom software in particular, represents a serious investment that is tied to an expected return on investment (ROI). But how can you be sure that custom software will live up to its promise for success?
Make your choices wisely
Ultimately, the important choices you make will set your business goals in motion—hopefully, in the right direction. They dictate the path and vehicle you’ll take to reach your objectives. And although your goals of profitability, productivity, and growth may seem obvious, knowing the best roadmap to reach them may be more challenging. The rapid advances in technology don’t make these decisions any easier. It’s like the proverbial “fork in the road.” But what is clear, is that whatever software path you do choose, the need for flexibility and adaptability are necessary ingredients to see you through both now and into the future. So, choose wisely.
Why is custom software such a big deal?
Custom software adjusts to the growth of your business while meeting objectives along the way. It is specifically designed to align to your unique business processes, which is what makes you stand out from the competition in the first place. So, if how you run your business is what makes you competitive, custom software is definitely a big deal.
Custom software delivers
The more you learn about custom software, the more you’ll wonder why you’ve waited so long to consider it. That’s because custom software is driven by your business’ specific needs. It is developed to deliver results by doing exactly what you want it to do and by solving problems inherent in your business model.
In some cases, not implementing custom software can cause additional problems for your business. For example, the issues and workflows are unique within clinical research industries. According to Clinical Research Information Systems, “despite the proliferation of commercial software, special problems still arise that only custom software development can solve …”
Understanding the benefits of customized solutions can help you decide if it’s right for you. If you’re still on the fence about how custom software will benefit your business. Here are some strong arguments in favor of choosing this option to help you hit your business targets:
Meets your business challenges
Customized software is built specifically for your business and is industry-specific. This means you won’t find yourself settling for something that’s not quite what you’re looking for. And because many businesses are bound by regulations, custom software addresses these needs without sacrificing performance or productivity.
Works with you
Custom software works with your business processes and existing systems, no matter how unique they may be. That’s because from the onset of its design, every detail of how you do business and how you want to do business is factored in.
Just what you need (without things you don’t need)
With custom software, you won’t be forced to take on added features/functions that you have no use for, making it user-friendly for your employees and customers. Software shouldn’t be about bells and whistles. Instead it should be an intuitive, simple, and seamless way of getting things done.
No complicated configuration
Because it’s built for your business, you will save time and money not having to deal with a complicated configuration. Think of trying to fit a man’s size 13 foot into a size 10 off-the-shelf shoe. To make that happen, the shoe will need to be modified and extended to accommodate the larger foot. Custom software allows for the right size from the start without any complex steps to make it work.
No unnecessary updates
You won’t have to pay for frequent updates that don’t add anything of value and can’t be used on your platform. Updates that don’t apply to you can be frustrating and possibly disturb your normal flow of business. That won’t happen with custom software since the updates are relative to your specific needs.
Bridge to other systems
You likely have something already in place. Designed to automate some processes and make others more efficient, custom software ensures successful results. It has the power to integrate existing systems and processes into a sleek system that makes once tedious procedures into seamless steps.
Secure
System security is priority one for every business. Custom software realizes the importance of keeping data and systems safe. Necessary security measures are built-in from the onset of your project for the protection and safety of your systems, data, and content.
Scalable
Odds are that you plan to grow your business. Why would any company choose to remain at the same level year in and year out? Custom software can be expanded and modified so it has the ability to grow with your business.
Long lifespan
Custom software that is scalable tends to have a longer lifespan than off-the-shelf counterparts. As a result, it yields towards cost savings in the long run. The longer it you employ custom software, the more you save.
Business software and the big picture
Understanding how custom software works within the ‘big picture’ of your organization can help you determine its true value. Step back and look at your business from an aerial prospective. Doing so will give you a better idea of what’s working and what’s not. You’ll see how things connect with each other and which seem out of place or inefficient. That overview can be very telling and part of what custom software solves for.
Enhance current processes
One of the biggest issues with any software is how it will work with your current system. Changing how you currently do business to suit a ready-made software product may not yield the best results. You may even be faced with more issues to solve. With custom software, you won’t have to revamp what you do to suit a ready-made software solution. Instead, you’ll improve your existing processes and enhance productivity. Off-the-shelf software products can limit your preferred features, reduce flexibility, and make integration with other systems difficult. Custom software will accommodate your processes regardless of any uniqueness or complex logic that a business may pose.
Integrate with confidence
Integrating with your current systems and processes is a major plus in the custom software solutions column. There is no limit to the ability of custom solutions to work with existing systems due to its flexibility of design and potential for easy modifications. In fact, many times custom solutions will intentionally connect and integrate with other ready-made solutions to fully realize their potential and personalize their features and functions.
Work well with partners
Working with other vendors to increase productivity is a healthy business practice. Most companies find it necessary to work alongside or within the systems of suppliers, vendors, or partner businesses. If, for example, you provide shipping options for your customers, the integration of preferred shippers’ platforms to instantly estimate costs will help boost productivity, increase inside sales, and improve conversions on your online website.
Future growth of your business
Successful businesses are on a trajectory for growth, but so are their challenges. As companies grow, problems can surface to complicate current systems that are not flexible or easily modified. This can cause slowdowns in productivity causing ill will with employees and customers. Unfortunately, patching current processes to accommodate the growth may prove to be more troublesome and costly than its worth.
For example, Customer Relationship Management (CRM) products may not easily grow with a company’s needs. A Software Advice survey of 304 CRM software users points to the problems experienced by growing companies using such products. Their issues came to light when product “options such as custom fields and modules are not enough to satisfy the needs of their specific business or industry.” Custom software addresses these needs by design.
Planning for growth is not always in the forefront when day-to-day operations are already a handful, especially when it comes to software needs. Many times, it’s more about just taking care of the daily grind. Other times, it’s thinking that something better will come along someday to solve all your problems. The multiple benefits that custom software offers combine to ensure your solution grows with you. This is because it was designed with your future in mind.
Set your plan in motion
No business opens its doors with a predetermined cap or limit for how much business they want to accomplish. So, ask yourself how much business you are capable of doing. Dreaming for better results won’t make it happen. But just as you plan for each successful quarter, plan for what vehicles (including software) will get you there. And because every company leader looks forward to profitability and growth, implementing custom software makes sense on all fronts.
Contact Bitbean today to get started on your custom software that is designed for your company’s success both now and in the future.
