Selecting the right software acts as an important building block for constructing a successful company. You have many amazing options to choose from when you start looking for software and invest in software development. These are mainly categorized into two options: off-the-shelf software or customized software. So, you can either go for the trend and pick up the same software options as other people, or you can step out of your safe zone and choose the identity for your business. This is your decision to make. Both options have their pros and cons. As the name suggests, the custom software idea revolves around the requirement of the client, while the off-the-shelf software doesn’t have those features. But before jumping into the details, we have some simple questions for you that can help make decisions easier for you.

Custom Software Development as a Startup

Do you want to build and run a company that will have a unique identity and place in the market, or do you want an average company that won’t be known by many? Well, we assume that you would go for the first option. So, here is everything you need to know before you invest in custom software development.

What Does a Custom or Bespoke Software Development Stand For?

The process of designing, making, implementing, and maintaining software for a selected set of users, functions, or organizations is referred to as custom software development. In comparison to COTS or commercial off-the-shelf software, the custom software development focuses on a narrow yet defined set of needs. Commercial off-the-shelf software targets a wider set of user requirements. It allows it to be packaged and marketed as commercial software like Microsoft Office and Sitebuilder.com are packaged commercial softwares which provides different products and services. They meet the generalized requirement criteria of website creation and productivity in the offices.

On the other hand, custom softwares are designed to fulfill the specific needs of the client. The development of custom software is also referred to as bespoke software. The development of custom or bespoke software is done by in-house software development teams or is outsourced to a third party for development. Like other softwares, the processes and applied methods are the same for the custom software development. A custom project has familiar steps of gathering requirements, constructing code, testing, implementing, and applying the same methods such as Agile, Rapid Application Development, or DevOps, like any other project of software development.

Bespoke Software Development

There are many efforts linked with the development of custom software, including customization, modernization of applications, and application management. Customizing an application is basically making changes in the COTS application so it can work according to the requirements of an individual. Making changes in the application plays a vital role here in maintaining the possibility that the custom software will meet the changing user and market demands. Application management by supporting the functions like installation, updation, performance, and optimization, makes the custom software effective.

Are Startups Actually Interested to Invest in Bespoke Software Development?

For a startup, there are various calculations and factors that come along while taking any vital decision. i.e. How much investment will be spent on it? How much time will be spent on it? Will it save our future efforts and bring in more revenue? The custom software idea fits perfectly as a reply to all these questions. And this is the exact point where most of the startups fail to make the right decision. Considering it as an expensive and unnecessary investment at an initial stage, many startups don’t go for it. Still, in reality, this is a one-time investment that is rational and can generate long-run profit if you see it from a financial perspective.

Startup

If you are thinking that as a startup owner, it is a big, costly step for you and it is safer for only grownup companies, then you are wrong here. Software vendors know that the startups need a base to step foot in the market, and hence they introduce the businesses to good, less expensive customized solutions. So, we would recommend you to go to bespoke softwares as many businesses and startups are choosing this lane for software development for unique solutions.

Why are Startups Love to Invest in Custom Software Development?

Many companies stay reluctant or find it hard to decide and invest in a custom software development. One of the key reasons is that they don’t see it from the perspective and issues of ROI and the solutions it can offer. So, we have listed down some of the benefits of custom software development. You can see for yourself, compare, and then decide if you want to invest in custom software development. Every startup solves a unique problem.

Why are Startups Love to Invest in Custom Software Development?

Bespoke software gives you customized solutions, which means that your competitors will never have the same solutions. Your clients will have a unique interface. They will work well with a custom software instead of working along with a market offered solution. The processes in bespoke software are streamlined as they automate all the repetitive tasks. The workflow of employees becomes fast. Custom software makes sure that your competitors won’t have the same solutions and you stand out uniquely.

Gives Complete Ownership

Having a custom software for your business differentiates it from other businesses and gives you the control over your bespoke solutions. The software belongs to you, and only you can decide where it should be implemented and when. You get the full rights over it. You have access to every feature, and you can use it for as many employees as you want, and you won’t even have to worry about upgrading or additional charges. And the best part is only you can decide if you need any other features or customizations in the app.

Bespoke Software is One of Its Kind

Bespoke software development allows you to keep your software design and user experience consistent. It means that you can customize the software according to the logo of your brand and give your business and brand a unique identity.

By developing a bespoke software which is best for your business according to its needs and requirements, you have an advantage over your competitors as you will be the only one having customized solutions. It will easily differentiate you from your competitors and give you a unique and better product marketing that will help your business to grow.

Grows Better With Your Business

If your company is expanding and going to a new level, then it is better to invest in a bespoke software right now and make sure that your employees stay productive. Custom software has more scalability and flexibility, which can be accommodated according to the requirements of a business and changing technologies.

The flexibility of the bespoke software will help you to take quick action on the changing requirements of your business. You will be able to manage the business efficiency and productivity while adapting to the new changes and emerging needs effortlessly. Deciding to develop a custom software which is according to your business requirements allows you to do all important integrations in the beginning according to the existing system and hardware which is used in your company. The software doesn’t limit your functions as to what you can do and what you can’t.

Better Security Offered

Lack of security can affect your startup drastically and will make a huge impact on the business’s reputation. All ready to use softwares are designed for a much wider field and not for an individual, so they are prone to hacking and cyber-attacks. There are many businesses that never recover from those cyber-attacks, and startups are more at risk. Custom software development is less likely to get hacked or be the target of cyber-attacks and comes with extra security measures in place.

security

As the software is not available publicly, it comes with special security codes and implemented encryption, and gives better cyber assessments. The features of a custom software will not only make the structure of your data safety stronger but will reinforce the startup’s integrity of security management.

A Big Pool of Developers to Choose From

When you go to purchase a commercial off-the-shelf software, the prices of the software depend upon the manufacturing company along with the terms and conditions and the future of business. What if the manufacturer suddenly files for bankruptcy or they stop updating their software? You might have to face a huge drawback and will have to change the provider at a short notice which will cause you more money.

A Big Pool of Developers

But with custom softwares, that’s not the case. You can use the software for as long as you want and make any changes according to your business requirements. Of Course, the maintenance of the software sometimes costs more. Still, it provides more benefits, and you have different vendors who can customize a software for you according to your needs, and you won’t have to pay them too much as you can compare the services and pricing offered by each vendor.

Better and Cheaper Integration

In the initial evaluation, you might think that different tools provided by different vendors can work for different operations. But in reality, working with a single vendor will help you in succeeding. Imagine that you get into various contracts with multiple vendors. Still, then you find out that the services each of them offer don’t complement the architecture of business, unique techniques of development, and varies at different implementation support degrees.

Integration

By doing this, you are putting your business at the risk of losing thousands of money. Custom software leverages integration with different applications of your business and saves you the cost and workload for the team. This feature is not offered in the commercial off-the-shelf softwares.
Your technological ecosystem should function as one streamlined unit that should be capable of delivering value to your customers all the time. Custom softwares are designed to accommodate all the business functions and eliminate the need for duplicate data.

Adjusting and integrating custom software with all your existing apps and systems require minimal time and effort. Also, the custom software follows the common standard of development and implementation, which allows the businesses to develop flexible and efficient tech stacks.

Customized User Experience

The customer experience has become more necessary in recent years. International service providers like Google and Netflix have invested more in making their customer experience better. If you want to give exceptional services to your customers or to retain them, then you should be investing more in customer experience. With a custom software for your business, you will be able to provide a personalized customer experience.

CX is becoming more and more popular, and it is important to provide a personalized experience to your customers. Custom softwares can help to fill in that void and address the needs and requirements of your business. You can take advantage of the CRM or customized customer relationship management platforms like Salesforce. In that scenario, the key element will be to see what features or changes will complement the needs of your business.

Proven Long Term Returns

Problem-solving, innovation, and continuous improvement are the key elements of a business’s success. When you start a new company, you want to position yourself as the face of the brand that can do all three tasks. It sends the impression that you can cope with the various needs of the clients and their unique interests. So, what happens when you purchase off-the-shelf software from a well-known dealer? It limits your capability of thinking outside the box, reduces your abilities, and you are put at the risk of losing your customers to your competitors. You ask your software provider to make some changes and retool it, but by that time, it’s already too late.

You fail to bring out the innovative efforts to fruition without employees. This is why investing in custom software is a better and more practical option for startups that look for automated operations and try to enhance their efficiency and productivity.

Let’s assume that you paid for ready-to-deploy software and trained your staff too. It works well for a short time, but then your business evolves into an enterprise or SMB, and the issue arises. You will hire experienced staff and teach them about the same solution. It will result in a lack of growth, and the ready-made software can become unnecessary at any moment.

Commercial off-the-shelf software can hinder the progress of your employees if the features they require are unavailable. Building and retaining experienced and skilled individuals in teams means giving them the equipment which can help them to do their jobs well.

If you go for software that is not designed for your company, then your employees will struggle with the off-the-shelf software sooner or later. This, in return, will result in less creative employees, reduced innovations, and you might end up losing all your resources.

Are You Developing Bespoke Software Today?

Customizing a software with minimum requirements is a smart idea as it will require easy scaling and will save you extra money, which can be invested in the installation of other useful features in the startup or to level up the strategies of the business. Moreover, the time needed for developing the software will be less as compared to implementing off-the-shelf softwares, and it can help you to start your business sooner without any technical delay.

Bespoke software

Companies, regardless of their size, require custom software for their internal functions and to provide the users with the best possible experience when they interact with the business. Don’t wait to become an enterprise for developing custom software. You can start to invest in the custom software development right now, and it will save you time, money, resources, and energy as a fast-paced, growing business. Your startup will grow efficiently if it will have everything it needs today, and with custom software, you can gain more audience without putting your business at any risk.

Conclusion

A business has to keep up with the market trends in order to be competent and meet the standards and be future-proof. You can look for a reputed custom software development company to understand more about the benefits and techniques to develop a custom software and stay ahead of your competitors. We know to survive the competitive market trends and conditions, one thing that needs to be fulfilled is online presence and promoting a business on a large scale digitally to stay ahead of others.

We at Origami understand all the needs and requirements of our clients and evaluate their business critically and draft a software that can help their business to grow digitally. We have a team of experienced and skilled software developers that work hard to deliver you the best services and fulfill all the requirements of your business. We focus on making every software unique with more scalability and flexibility so that you can make changes in your software as you grow. You can invest in custom software development today to get a huge return on it in the future.