The software development market witnesses a rat race like no other. Every business thrives on innovation and uniqueness and custom software development is the way to go. It is the development of software based on the specific requirements of a business by designing, creating and maintaining software along those lines. Customized solutions resolve the complicated and ever-growing customer needs instantly.
Custom vs off-the-shelf software
Custom software is pitted against commercial off-the-shelf software and businesses are usually confused on which one to choose. There is no right answer to this, as the choice completely depends on the nature of business and the cost and time constraints.
While custom software costs more and takes time to be built, it is a one-time investment as it is built to cover future requirements as well. For smaller businesses with both cost and time constraints, available software can be the starting point. However, one should also consider the maintenance cost and further investments to build additional facilities.
Two important aspects where custom software holds an upper hand are compatibility and uniqueness. A tailor-made software is built for specific products and can stand out in the market with its unique offerings apart from fitting into the business and product like a glove. Readily available software can be bought by multiple firms and may look like a template found everywhere.
Custom software development: Pros
Although the upfront investment is high, custom software development holds good for any business for various reasons.
- Customization is unlimited, giving room for endless innovation opportunities. This expands the potential of a business and a product.
- Integration of existing software with a new software is important. Custom software is built in accordance with the existing one, making the integration process quicker and easier.
- Data access in a custom software can be managed from the beginning of development, making it more transparent than a readily available software.
- Scalability is an integral part of any business as it grows. As a product gets upgraded, custom software can support them in the longer run.
- Independence offers flexibility. A company owns all the rights to its custom software, thus reusing it and modifying it as they please. It can also be sold to different companies in part or whole.
Outsourcing a custom software development project
The number of developers available for software development is endless. A custom software vendor is the best option to go to, adding expertise to the platform.
The reasons to choose a vendor are aplenty. The foremost reason is immediate access to the latest technology. They are updated with the market trends and demands then and there, and are equipped to implement them immediately. If a business looks to invest in these technologies, it requires hefty infrastructural costs and regular upgradation eating up more money.
Another concern is managing talents. Focusing on both product development and software development requires proper talent management or expanding the teams to focus on both. This not only burdens the firm but also digresses from the core business.
Leaving the job to the experts ensures flawless software development with less investment and quicker results. It also provides with the experts’ perspective, which would clearly present the possibilities and limitations of the software and the product.
How to choose a custom software development partner?
There were 23.9 million software developers by the end of 2019 moving towards 29 million by 2024. While choosing one of them as a partner, there are multiple aspects to be considered.
- Experience plays a crucial role in extracting the desired outcome from a development partner. While one may have to shell out more money, quality of the outcome cannot be compromised.
- Agile methodology over waterfall should be the preferred method. This is because Agile gives space for employees and leaders working in a collective environment. This also allows more flexibility.
80% of federal IT companies in the US follow Agile and the failure rate is only 8%.
- Transparency in communication, pricing and working methodology is important. A developer should consider the customer as part of the team and operate in accordance with their needs.
Freelancers vs software development company
Freelancers can be hired at lesser cost and their work timings can be flexible. Several new start-ups with budget constraints hire them to stay within their available resources. However, software development requires multiple skillsets like front-end development, back-end development, database management, testing, DevOps engineering, etc. One person filling all these roles can be risky and sometimes may not be successful. A company offers all these under one roof with a team of resources to help the customers achieve their dreams.
Software development agreement
When a firm seeks the services of a software development company, the two firms are bound to sign a legal contract to save trouble in case any problem or dispute occurs. This also protects from illegal usage of the software. The legal contract should cover two main premises:
- Project agreement
2. Non-disclosure agreement
Project agreement covers the scope of the project, intellectual property rights, payment terms, confidentiality, data protection, law and arbitration, limitation of liabilities, what happens in case of disputes, etc.,
Non-disclosure includes aspects that should be confidential and what should not, term limit of the agreement, inclusions and exclusions, and the business background information of both the parties involved.
It is also ideal to discuss the terms of maintenance and support post the development process.
The digital market has been revolutionized by custom software development and it is here to stay. It will see only growth from here on. It builds an ecosystem in the business and ensures collective growth. As businesses continue to thrive on innovation and uniqueness among the toughest competition in the market, custom software development is their path.
Read our blog, Top 5 Reasons Why You Should Choose Custom Software for Your Business .