PUBLISHED 19 AUGUST 2022

Summary

Now that we have looked closely at the Pros and Cons of each option, it would appear that the perceived costs, along with specific business functionality, are likely to be the key factors in deciding to go with a bespoke development.

In reality, however, the costs very quickly mount up, resulting in a far larger investment than originally thought. A previous example we gave illustrated a low-end cost of a single developer, and this would obviously increase if more people are employed to complete the project in a timely fashion.

We highlighted the scenario of working to a specific business brief that ultimately leads your company down a dead-end. The worst-case scenario may be that business objectives and working practices change before the bespoke development is even complete, or as it is completed; where would that leave the business?

The truth of the matter is that a software company offers off-the-shelf packages for a reason. The product rarely becomes defunct, as the life-blood of the software house is the production of new technologies, and internally they will invest in research and development to ensure that their product(s) remains useful for clients.

A good software vendor will thoroughly analyse your current practice, and make modifications to their existing package where applicable, giving you a solution that truly fits in with your business. Added to this is the safety in the knowledge that the software system has the flexibility to adapt as your business does; again, these developments are standard for the software provider and will cause minimum trouble for you and your staff.

Of course there should be an emphasis that you must choose your vendor well, but with the right software company providing your solution you should be able to rest easy that you will ultimately get a successful result.