If you are thinking of investing in bespoke business software, it’s important that you do your research and factor in the advantages and disadvantages. This blog explores the risks of developing custom business systems to help you make the right decision for your organisation.
Companies may consider implementing a bespoke software solution because they want a system that works how they want/need it to and to solve unique problems that a generic off the shelf software platform won’t. But before making a decision, it’s important to do your research to determine if it’s the right choice for your company.
Significant Investment
Creating a bespoke business system takes a lot of time and effort, so it inevitably carries a higher initial price tag compared to ready-made software solutions. However, this doesn’t mean that over the years you don’t end up paying the same if not more for an off the shelf package, but the large upfront cost can sometimes be an issue for some businesses and it’s something you will need to factor into your decision process.
Lengthy Development Time
Writing bespoke code to build business systems can take a long time, months and years can be expected depending on the complexity of the system, and it’s inevitable that there will be numerous bugs and issues that will slow down the process and prolong the overall development time. If you’re looking for a solution to solve your current business problems quickly, then a bespoke system is probably not suitable.
Future Support
One of the main concerns companies tend to have when it comes to investing in bespoke software is the continued support of the system after it has been developed. Businesses that don’t have the source code are entirely reliant on the developer’s continuous support, and this can be risky for some people because it’s not uncommon for developers to change career paths and no longer support a system they built years before.
Relationships
If you decide to develop bespoke business software the relationship between your company and the developers is crucial to the success of the system. If communication breaks down during the development stage, it can cause prolonged development times and requirements not being fulfilled, so it’s important that if you choose to invest in a custom-built solution that the appropriate people in your organisation maintain regular communication with the vendor.
Conclusion
Bespoke business systems can provide a broad range of benefits which we explored in our blog, ‘The Pros And Cons Of Bespoke Software‘. However, it’s important to factor in the risks associated and take them into account when contemplating whether to invest in developing a unique system.
