As it pertains to applying a company option, a typical issue regularly appears: Should we buy or build? As InfoWorld puts it “It’s a question of Shakespearean proportions. Should you license a commercial enterprise application that will meet 75 percent of your needs, or would it be nobler to build your own application, one that will track as closely as possible to the task at hand?” I believe this statement definitely sets the level for any examination an organization must consider when it comes to a custom software solution or even a professional, off-the-display (COTS) solution.
Most people stick to the guideline- buy when you need to automate item business processes; Develop when you need to automate the core processes that make you unique. If only it were easy!
I have assembled some findings based on experience. This really is generic to any build vs. buy software choice but provides a lot of insight into what goes on while making the choice.
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Custom software |
Shelf-top software |
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Fits like a glove |
Meets around 70% of the requirements |
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Unique and hence give a competitive advantage |
Can be used by anybody, even your competition |
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Takes time to develop, deploy and use |
Ready-to use |
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It is a larger investment to develop a customized software |
It is relatively cheaper than customized software |
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Requires training to learn to use the software |
Is fairly simple and online tutorials are usually available |
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Can be designed to support various Legacy systems |
May have limited compatibility |
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Local development makes immediate fixes & enhancements possible |
Enhancements and upgrades are available only when released by the company |
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Only relevant enhancements are developed and installed |
All upgrades may not be relevant to your business |
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No demo of application is available |
Demos are usually available |
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Support is limited to the developer |
There are more options for support for the application |
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Can be modified/ upgraded easily as per change in requirements or functions |
Rigid functionality and may require replacement to accommodate changes. |
It’s all a matter of comprise. How much are you willing to give to get what you really want?
If time is not of utmost importance, then a custom software is definitely an investment that will grow with you and work specifically on your processes and requirements.
At Redefine, we develop Custom software solutions that are scalable and flexible and personalized to your business. With experience in developing software for a variety of industries, we first completely understand your requirements and then develop a software solution does everything you want it to do.
Give us a call to get your own personal business software.
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