How Your Organization Can Benefit From Bespoke Applications
Sep 9, 2021 · 8 min read
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Bespoke applications (or custom software) are products designed, developed, deployed, and maintained only for a small set of users. Compared to commercial off-the-shelf applications made for the mass market, bespoke software solutions only target a narrow set of unique requirements.
This tailor-made approach creates an opportunity for organizations to have a solution perfectly made for them. Follow the below considerations to see how your business can benefit from bespoke software development and whether it's a good choice for you.
Why We Choose Bespoke Software
Flexibility
Flexibility or lack thereof is a common issue with off-the-shelf software that is designed for a wide range of customers. This limitation can lead to a loss of functionality, productivity, and ultimately, your business's revenue. It's not easy to accommodate your company’s unique advantages and business model with those ready-made solutions.
On the other hand, customized approaches like bespoke applications can offer an option that can adapt to your operation and business growth more seamlessly.
Developers at BigIn can assess your business models and customer needs and design a bespoke software solution with everything you need in one place while being open to any necessary adjustments in the future.
Simplicity
Bespoke software can be tailored to your business’s every need and demand - nothing less, nothing more. This final product quality puts custom software development in stark contrast with commercial products, which tend to be bloated with features you may never use.
Your team may need a longer time to get used to off-the-shelf software as they navigate through the interface and functionality. Meanwhile, bespoke software allows you to come up with the optimal workflow for your business and eases the learning curve for your team.
You also have the chance to work closely with our Business Analysts right from the beginning of the project. This way, we can spot problems early, and you will get precisely what you need in the end.
Security
As the most flexible and simple solution your business can ask for, well-designed bespoke software has another big competitive advantage - security. It allows you to have complete control over and know how your system works from beginning to end.
Malicious actors usually have popular commercial software as their top targets. Tailor-made bespoke web development hardened with proper security measures can save you trouble by limiting access to your system and reducing the incentive to breach it.
Support
Regardless of how well-made your digital solutions are, there will come a time when you need to add a feature, fix a bug, or other assistance. A long delay between your request and the support can be costly for your business with possible loss of customers and sales.
Unfortunately, poor support happens with off-the-shelf software more than one can count, if there is any support at all. By contrast, bespoke software solutions guarantee continuous and timely technical support from dedicated professionals. This ongoing support makes sure your business suffers the least from downtime and helps it run more efficiently.
Control
In bespoke software development, if you pay for it, you own it. Throughout the whole process, from design to deployment, you always have the final say on how the custom software works and how it'll be integrated into your organization.
You have complete control over the product, from how many features it should have to how often it should get an update. Our software development services always consider your business requirements and conditions the top priority and adapt to any adjustments from your feedback.
Branding
Needless to say, the best way to cement the relationship between you and your customers is through attention to detail.
Bespoke solutions will help by putting your company brand at the center and building unique features for your business. It will help you gain new customers, maintain regular ones, and show them how much effort you've put into your professional identity.
Ownership
Modern commercial software usually works in subscription and license models, meaning you only obtain the right to use it, not own it.
With custom software from BigIn, you're the only legal owner of the product - a right that guarantees the software can continue as long as you wish and can be maintained and developed further by anyone you choose.
Cost
When it comes to integration and hardware costs, bespoke development’s pricing model delivers on both counts.
You don't have to worry about compatibility or inadequate hardware as everything has been considered. Additionally, your business will enjoy a greater return on investment due to increased productivity.
Interested in having outsourced software projects that perform powerfully? Find out in detail about the steps & progresses here:
How To Outsource Software Development Projects: A Step-By-Step Guide
What We Don’t Like Bespoke Software
Evaluation
Bespoke software solutions demand more planning from your side.
You will need to go through all the ins and outs of your system (including key business processes, strategic assets, and existing infrastructure), understand the pain points of your team and your customers (like repetitive tasks), and determine which important issues you want to solve.
It's easier said than done, and there is a chance that a ready-made solution is already available for your exact needs.
Delivery Time
As the bespoke software development company needs to consider your business needs and design the bespoke solution from scratch, this process takes time. It's a major downside of bespoke software as you can't just research existing offers and choose one like with off-the-shelf solutions.
Initial Cost
While the long-term benefits make the investment worthwhile, the up-front cost of developing bespoke software solutions can put off a lot of organizations. The reasons for the price difference are obvious: customization always needs more time and effort to achieve.
Maintenance
The maintenance of custom software can get tricky when your contract with its developers ends. It's also harder to acquire the same level of documentation and training resources as with popular commercial software.
Examples Of Bespoke Software
Tailored software has a presence spanning multiple industries.
In the e-commerce business, developers are used to building bespoke solutions for customer relationship management, product procurement, or shipping.
With bespoke software services, educational institutions can improve class signup and attendee registration processes, while healthcare providers can benefit from customized handling of patient appointments and medical records.
Example #1: Salesforce Lightning Platform - Customer Relationship Management
Effective customer relationship management (CRM) is key to every business success. The bespoke nature of the Salesforce Lightning Platform allows for the automation of repetitive, time-consuming tasks.
Businesses can use the platform to quickly make powerful add-on applications for retrieving, storing, and analyzing customer information through various channels.
Example #2: Scoop - Newsroom Content Management System
The New York Times uses Scoop as its in-house digital and print content management system (CMS). Compared to commercial systems, Scoop is equipped with many custom features used extensively by The Times's newsroom, including content APIs, editing and authoring tools, video management, photo manipulation, and budgeting.
Example #3: TraceTogether - Digital Contact Tracing
It uses a custom protocol (BlueTrace) to quickly identify those who have come into close contact with a person infected with Covid-19. As of May 2021, about 92% of Singaporean residents aged six years old or above were on board with the system – one of the highest adoption rates in the world.
Wrapping Up
Bespoke applications are designed specifically for a specific kind of organization with unique requirements. It can be your best way to keep up with the evolving market and user demands.
If you find bespoke software development intriguing and potentially valuable for your business, don’t hesitate to contact us. Our development teams at BigIn have created numerous high-quality bespoke products for clients in many industries and will promptly get back with a customized solution for anything you ask for. Let your business be the next organization to enjoy all the benefits of custom software.
Through the efforts and achievements in the technology field, BigIn has been recognized as one of the Top Texas Outsourcing Software Development Companies by DesignRush.
Check out the full list here:
Best Outsourcing Software Developers In Texas