Custom software development – key benefits.

Whether you are looking to scale your business, streamline your operations or differentiate yourself from competitors, custom software development is something to consider. Not all specific needs of a business can be met by off the shelf products. More often than not, a custom application is the only real solution.  

There are a number of significant benefits that you can realise from using custom software.

Key reasons to invest in custom software:

1. Increased return on investment (ROI)

At first glance, the cost of custom software development can seem high but remember, the cost is front-loaded.  

While the upfront investment may be higher than for off-the-shelf solutions, custom software avoids recurring licensing fees, unnecessary features and costly workarounds — leading to lower total cost of ownership over time.

Any tailored automation, streamlined workflows and competitive advantages brought by your custom solution will also contribute to long-term cost efficiencies and improved ROI.

2. Scalability and Flexibility

As your business grows or changes, your processes can get more complicated and intensify over time.

By having an operation that is streamlined and systematic, the touch points and opportunities for errors can be reduced or eliminated.

If you have a business that is seasonal, having the option to scale up and down, as required, can also be extremely helpful and cost-efficient.   

Custom software is, by design, adaptable. Should your processes change, you have the flexibility to update your software, avoiding the sunken cost of purchasing new off the shelf solutions again and again. 

In short, custom software can evolve with you — adding new features, users, or functionality without needing to overhaul everything.

3. Better system integration

Custom solutions can be built to seamlessly integrate with your current tech stack, avoiding the data silos or compatibility issues often seen with off-the-shelf software.

In today’s digital world, organisations rely on a large number of applications and services.  Users want to be able to work with them seamlessly, with the convenience of single sign-on (SSO) and access to up to the minute information from across the business. IT Managers  and System Administrators want to spend less time responding to help requests associated with forgotten passwords and being locked out of one system or another. All of this relies on system integration.

Custom software can be developed to support the processes and infrastructure that span your business. System integration should be a consideration for every software development project. 

4. User experience (UX)

If your staff are following processes that are onerous and mundane, engagement levels will deteriorate.  Investing in software that does just what you need it to do, will improve UX and increase staff confidence.  It will also free up time to focus on value added tasks that support the retention, development and growth of your business and your people.  

5. Competitive advantage 

Creating an innovative new way of doing things can give your business a real competitive advantage. In addition, and especially for mature, enterprise organisations, if you can increase productivity and efficiency, your business will become more profitable.

6. Technical support

When you commission a custom software development company for your project, you start a collaborative support network that understands your operations, your infrastructure and your goals.  Compared to off the shelf alternatives, where you may get some online FAQs, you have the assurance that support is at hand.  

Managed services packages that provide an agreed number of support hours per month can help your staff in the initial stages of production, as well as provide an efficient way to maintain applications and handle challenges. By having trusted technical support on hand, you will enable your business continuity. 

7. Compliance and Accreditation support

For some organisations, compliance and accreditation support is another important benefit of custom software solutions. Custom software can automate and support compliance with government, industries and accreditation bodies by automating certain workflows and certifications.

8. Better data and decision making

For some organisations, custom analytics and reporting tools allow you to track just what you need, providing better data for evidence-based decision making. It’s a great way to stay on top of any issues and deal with them before they escalate.

Catalyst IT have helped numerous clients in Education, Government, Health, Commercial and Not-for-profit sectors with their custom software development needs. If you are looking for a custom solution, reach out to our team.