With the proliferation of packaged, off-the-shelfware, conventional wisdom holds that whatever your business model, you can find a program that meets your needs. But when it comes to business software, conventional wisdom is often wrong.

Most companies find that their software needs are unique and dynamic. So even if you find a software package that works for your business, you may soon discover that it can’t keep up as your business needs evolve. Fortunately, there is an alternative.

Buck Conventional Wisdom with Custom software development

Increasingly, organizations are opting out of the proprietary software game and choosing custom software development to meet their particular business requirements. Partnering with an expert custom software shop enables you to create applications that fit your current needs exactly and adapt them if needed. 

So then, what are the top five benefits of custom software development?

1. Custom software is tailored to your business needs

The design goal of proprietary software is to meet the requirements of a diverse set of businesses – the objective of custom applications is to meet yours. So you won’t ever have to distort your processes to fit the software. You get what you need initially, plus the ability to reconfigure your software to resolve a problem or take advantage of a new opportunity.

You can precisely tailor custom applications to meet your requirements and budget. On the other hand, packaged applications tend to expand into bloatware, weighted down with features needed by only a handful of customers. Useless features proliferate and may get in the way of your operations. And the cost of developing extraneous features gets passed on to you with no added value. With custom apps, you never have to pay for functionality you don’t need.

2. Custom applications restore control of your business-critical technology

You’ve undoubtedly invested in multiple applications and accrued data with enduring value. But as a result, you’ve ceded control over your vital technology and data. Custom apps give you back that control.

You set the schedule for development, product releases, new features, and customization. Everything happens within your timeframe instead of your vendor’s. Your business will never again be held hostage by the whims of a proprietary software company.

3. Custom Apps Restore Ownership of Your IP

You don’t own proprietary applications; you merely license them from the vendor that actually owns the intellectual property (IP). With custom applications, you can again take ownership of your IP.

The benefits of ownership are many, not the least of which is the elimination of unwelcome surprises. Proprietary vendors dictate the scheduling of releases, updates, and integrations and are not obliged to keep you in the loop. When you rely on custom applications, there’s no waiting to get what you need, because you set priorities and timeframes. 

You also don’t have to worry about whether your vendor will be acquired or will sunset your applications. You’ll never have to migrate to a new application due to the fallout of an M&A deal.

You can also say goodbye to sudden price jumps in maintenance charges or SaaS subscription fees. As the owner of your IP, you are immune to proprietary fee extortion.

4. Data Ownership and Access

Technically, you may “own” the data in your legacy applications, but that doesn’t mean it’s easy or cheap to access or migrate.  Proprietary applications, databases, and architectures can make it challenging to take full advantage of your data. In extreme cases, your vendor may allow access but charge you for the privilege.

Custom development eliminates data access headaches. It’s clear you own the data from day one, so there’s no need to negotiate with or pay fees to a vendor. It’s your data. So access, extract, move, and use it any way you want.

5. Lower costs over time

The optics of custom vs. proprietary software pricing can be deceiving, especially at the onset of an application implementation or development project. And while it’s true that buying software off the shelf instead of developing an application from scratch may appear to be less expensive, that’s far from the whole story.

Proprietary software vendors understand that the initial licensing costs are just the beginning. Once committed, vendors can extract exorbitant maintenance agreements, upgrade fees, and customization charges. Over time, proprietary software costs tend to spiral.

Conversely, custom applications may initially cost more but are almost always less expensive over time while providing more value. After all, you’re paying only for what you need, and ongoing fees are largely eliminated.

The business benefits of custom software development are all about seizing control. Custom software gives you control over the technology that drives your business — not some third-party vendor.

Pell Software builds custom applications to help your business thrive.

Pell Software is the leading expert in designing, developing, and supporting custom business management solutions, systems integrations, data automation routines, and more. Our experts have decades of experience in system analysis and design. We specialize in working with clients like you to understand your business and design custom-tailored solutions to help you run more efficiently, reduce costs and seize new opportunities.

We would love to learn more about your business! We’re confident we can help you improve your daily operations and increase your margins through innovative custom software development.