Custom software - a piece of software that has been developed for a specific client to meet his needs and demands and is not available for the general public.

Custom software is better understood in contrast to commercial off-the-shelf (or turnkey) software - your Adobe Photoshops, Google Chromes, Microsoft Excels, and Accesses. Off-the-shelf software targets the broadest set of requirements, allowing it to be packaged and commercially marketed and distributed. On the other hand, custom software development aims to satisfy a precise, even niche, set of requirements. Imagine a bespoke three-piece suit versus clothes from Tesco.

Custom vs Off-the-Shelf?

“Turnkey”, “boxed”, “off-the-shelf”- there are a lot of names for ready-made, mass-produced software for the general public’s consumption. It is tempting to see it as a quick solution for short-term issues on a limited budget. Yet, all the pros of turnkey software solutions have their own hidden caveats, for example – ready-made means lack of flexibility and adjustment to your particular business and the way you handle clients, processes, accounts, etc. Mass-produced means everyone else in your industry who uses it has the same set of tools and you’re not getting any advantage over them. 

Worst of all, low up-front costs usually entail the price of maintenance and upgrades in the future that can rack up to a significant bill. If that doesn’t sound bad for the short-term, you need to keep in mind that with turnkey solutions, future software updates will often be targeted at a broader base and may come at a slower pace than your business evolves.

Not to be vague, let’s look at real-life industries. There are companies in the healthcare industry, for example – where constant changes driven by regulation and mandatory compliance make custom application development a must.

Let’s imagine a workflow situation in which a healthcare company is still exchanging papers, faxes, and e-mails. A secure electronic custom portal is a much better option that will allow them to meet HIPAA compliance, reduce paper, exchange information quickly and securely, and give them the ability to analyze the data through reports and dashboards.

Bespoke software, on the other hand, is exactly what it sounds like – it has been made for you. From planning, to design, development, testing, maintenance, and future upgrades are made with the understanding of the way your company does its business.

Here are the top ten features that bespoke software has got to offer:

1. It’s an investment…
It’s tempting to go for cheaper, short-term solutions. They are cheaper, ready-made and your bottom-line won’t get that much of blow when compared with custom solutions. But the long-term ROI is incomparable – the IP value of the business, the prestige, and comfort return impressive numbers.

2. …A cost-effective one
The license for the bespoke software can stay with you and thus your investment and all the returns it generates – stay with you and not a Silicon Valley giant.

3. Optimization of the business process
Yes, Microsoft, Oracle, and other giants are viable solutions. They may even be customizable, to some extent. But it would be ridiculous to assume that they would caringly develop a piece of corporate software with your employees in mind. Be it a simple database for a small company or a complex solution for a large corporation, “tailor-made” presupposes that the app will solve your issues, not everyone’s issues.

4. Exclusiveness
What is good for your competitor won’t work for you in the same way. So, you get the necessary features developed exclusively for you and gain an edge over your competitors.

5. Adaptability
With this type of software, you can have exactly what you want, not what market forces you to buy. Adapt tools and means to your company’s aims and ambitions, not vice versa.

6. Scalability
Comes right out of the previous feature. Bespoke software grows with you and in the direction that you choose. No sudden changes of vision, unexpected vectors of development.

7. Integration
One of the major bespoke software benefits is integrating and connecting all the other programs you are using into one place.

8. Security
If you cannot fully rely on the opinion of your software development partner or just like to manage everything on your own, custom solutions will fit your requirements. With the rising issue of cybersecurity, privacy, data integrity and the ethical dilemmas attached to them, you can order and form the level of security you need.

9. Status
That is the least tangible but nonetheless important point. Having branded software shows your partners that you mean business, that you’re trustworthy and you understand your own needs and goals.

10. Developer Support
Problems arise from time to time, even when using the ideal software. While off-the-shelf solutions may fit your business more or less ok, problems and questions are unavoidable, with manufacturer ‘improvements’ and ‘upgrades’ being notorious pinch points. Most of Tentacle’s clients opt-in for ongoing support. The comfort of knowing that you’re in good hands if any trouble comes up or you decide to grow further is priceless.

Custom software - a piece of software that has been developed for a specific client to meet his needs and demands and is not available for the general public.

Embrace the niche

And don’t forget that unlike the off-the-shelf options, custom software means building a close relationship with the development house that works for you - after all, they need to know how you think and how you work to deliver the best possible product. When a company like Tentacle Solutions takes on a custom software project, they bring on a team of designers, programmers, quality control professionals to do it. 

It allows unprecedented flexibility, scalability, and control. In this case, your software will adapt to your business and not vice versa. Yet the biggest advantage of custom-built software is its biggest flaw (for some) – it is custom-built and naturally requires more time and money up-front to design and develop.

In the next part, we will cover how and why the custom corporate software is developed, and answer the question you’ve been thinking about - is this “three-piece suit” of corporate technology even worth the wait and expenses?

Continue to Part 2: Custom software development cycle