Companies have two options when it comes to building apps. They can either choose the COTs (Commercial off the shelf packaged solutions) or hire a software development company to build custom applications.
For an average business owner, it’s a daunting decision to build an app from scratch. If you do everything right, the sky is the limit when it comes to success with a COT software. A lot of businesses are going for it because it opens opportunities for success. However, if the product is not the right fit for the company, the hidden cost can creep. To make the right choice, it’s recommended to consider the requirements of your business from a business process perspective, not just features.
To make sure the COTS solution meets the need of your business, consider the following:
- Are you paying for features that are not necessary for operations?
- What is going to be the cost of training, implementation, and maintenance?
- Have you documented all the features you want in the app to make the right choice?
Custom app development isn’t as daunting and expensive as it seems. If you are stuck and can’t decide what to choose, these advantages might give you more clarity:
1. Tailored to Your Brand Needs
The very obvious benefit of a custom app is that it’s developed to meet the exact needs of your band. Of course, ready-made software can also help your brand but a customized one can serve a variety of business needs. It will offer you all the functionalities needed to reach productivity peak. Since custom software development is done with solely your business in mind, you can always add every requirement needed to succeed.
2. Greater Personalization and Lower Cost
Ready-made apps seem cheaper initially but if you have been in business for a while, you would agree that services with low initial fees often require a recurring cost. This is either monthly or yearly. Therefore, if you are searching for a long-term solution, going for custom app development might be the right decision.
Customized software has a higher upfront cost of development as well as execution, they don’t have long-term recurring fees. This makes them less expensive in the long run.
3. The Custom Solution Belongs You
Another great advantage of building custom applications is the fact that they belong to your business solely since they are designed for you.
When you are using a ready-made solution, it’s someone else’s product and you are only paying a fee for using it. At any time, if you decide to stop using the software, you don’t retain anything. But having your own custom-built software allows you to make use of it the way you want. You are in control of it entirely. There won’t be any surprises on the part of software development. It’s like buying your own house. Yes, buying a house is expensive but you are the owner of the property and you can customize it whatever way you want.
In case the product or software requires one-time sue, it makes sense to rent it for a month or so but if it’s something your business is likely to use continuously, it’s best to invest in custom software.
4. Enhanced Security
Businesses love that with custom software, they can boost security. Commercial off the shelf software are an easy target for hackers because they are not as secure. Hackers can quickly at finding vulnerable portions to penetrate into the system.
If security is your concern, design custom software that’s highly secure to reduce the chances of data theft and other security compromises that are likely to damage the reputation of your business.
5. Flexibility
Custom apps are easy to scale. The software is capable of addressing the changing needs of your business. You can add more features or reduce features whenever a need arises. The software development team working at the backend is capable of enhancing features at request.
If you are outsourcing a company to build custom applications, make sure to include maintenance services in the contract so that whenever the need arises at a point of time, you can contact the company for changes.
6. Compatibility
Each organization has a number of tools they might be using to run the daily operations. Since you are building a custom app, you would want all apps to integrate and communicate with each other. Making a custom app compatible with other software and solutions is easy. This liberty is not available in ready-to-use apps, which makes it harder to use all apps seamlessly.
7. Improved Software Support
It is obvious you will get better support from teams working on the custom software than ready-to-use apps. Usually, the contract includes continuous support from outsourcing partners. This means you will have a dedicated team to maintain the software and offer support services as and when needed.
A dedicated team will be able to identify errors and offer the support necessary. The response time and resolution time is going to be faster as well. This can be used by including SLA in your service contract.
8. Competitive Advantage
One of the best things about building a custom software is enjoying a competitive edge. You get the liberty to add all the unique features into the software that even your competitors aren’t using yet.
A unique solution like this gives your business a Unique Selling Proposition and possibly even a competitive advantage over your competitors. As a result, you can satisfy customers and grow your business.
A ready-made software, on the other hand, has to be aligned with your business processes. The customization doesn’t exist at all.
Summing Up
In light of all the advantages discussed above, if you are ready to build custom applications, you are making the best decision in terms of smooth business operations and growth. Do not just ignore this option by taking the expense into account. Contact a software development company right now to discuss your requirements, chalk out possible features, and get started with the custom app development.
