Think about custom software like purchasing a tailored suit. Yes, you can buy an off-the-shelf suit, but imagine having one specifically made for you with every single aspect of it tailored to fit YOU, to highlight YOUR best features. Custom software solutions elevate efficiency and enhance competitive advantage by leveraging specific solutions and providing a level of precision unmatched by generic software. This targeted approach leads your business to even greater success, making custom software the preferred choice for many.

What is Custom Software?

Custom software is synonymous with the word ‘Specific’. Specific software for specific businesses to perform tasks for their specific needs. Developing it is the process of designing, building, implementing, and managing software products and services.

Of course you can buy a general off-the-shelf product, but it won’t necessarily make your best features stand out. Plus, are we willing to have our software exactly the same as the next person’s? (Erhm.. we think not… are we ever going to stand out and get that competitive advantage?!)

How does Custom Software work?

1. Define Your Goals and Objectives: Before investing in custom software development, define your objectives by determining your target users, addressing problems and opportunities, envisioning desired outcomes, and setting SMART goals.
   
   
2. Find the Right Engineering Team: To successfully bring your software vision to life, it's essential to choose the right solution partner by clearly defining your needs, evaluating their expertise and experience, and ensuring effective communication. This systematic approach includes assessing their technical proficiency, post-deployment support, and mutual understanding of project goals and expectations. We’ve outlined 6 Questions to Ask before Choosing your Business Automation Software provider right over here.
   
   
3. Planning Makes Perfect - The Discovery Phase: The discovery phase of custom software development involves collaboration with your chosen provider to refine requirements, identify challenges, and define project scope, ensuring both parties understand each other and maximise feedback opportunities to create a detailed roadmap for the project. Here’s a helpful piece that includes Communication Tips for Software Project Success.
   
   
4. Building Your Dream - The Development Stage: The software development process focuses on building the core functionalities of the software while ensuring integration and thorough testing.
   
   
5. Testing: Quality Assurance Testing (QAT) and User Acceptance Testing (UAT) are essential steps in software development to ensure the final product is high quality, functions as expected, and meets user needs. These tests progressively evaluate the software in specific contexts to ensure a successful outcome.
   
   
6. Liftoff! A Smooth Transition to Your New Software: Launching custom software successfully involves a phased rollout, comprehensive user training, continuous feedback, and iterative improvements to ensure a smooth transition and long-term value.
   
   
7. Ongoing Improvement & Support: Custom software is like a high-performance machine that evolves with your business to constantly improve performance, addressing emerging needs, and adapting to your business's growth through an ongoing partnership with your software provider is vital to getting the most out of your investment.

Why choose custom software for your business? 

There’s a bunch of really good reasons why using custom software can be an absolute game changer. Here’s our top reasons for it:

#1: Streamlined processes

Custom software can make your business processes more efficient by meeting your business’s specific organisational needs. It automates repetitive tasks, eliminates redundant steps, and improves communication and collaboration among team members. Additionally, it seamlessly integrates with existing systems, streamlining your efficiency as you do not have to spend time adjusting your processes to match off the shelf software. Using custom software, empowers you to operate more efficiently, productively, and profitably.

#2: Enhanced Efficiency and Productivity

Custom software elevates efficiency and productivity by delivering bespoke solutions tailored to your unique business needs. By optimising workflows, automating repetitive tasks, and aligning with your specific goals, custom software empowers your team to work smarter, not harder. This targeted approach reduces manual intervention, minimises errors, and frees up valuable resources, allowing you to focus on strategic initiatives and achieve higher levels of operational excellence. With custom software, your business operates more efficiently, saving you both time and money, while empowering your team to maximise their output and reach new heights of productivity.

#3: Businesses adapt and evolve

Businesses thrive by adapting - As your company evolves with industry trends and shifting goals, your software should evolve alongside it. Unlike off-the-shelf solutions that can become outdated and restrictive, custom software is flexible and adaptable. It grows with your business, ensuring your technology always supports your unique needs and goals.

MWEB is a very good example of a business that evolved, and luckily they had custom software to be adapted very (like, VERY) quickly. When Internet Solutions launched the new Rain LTE platform to the South African ISP market, the race was on for ISPs to be able to offer this exciting new service to their customers “yesterday” (as they say).

SOLIDitech customer, MWEB, was one of the first ISPs to begin selling the LTE-A service. In just 10 days, MWEB was able to develop their new product offering and launch LTE-Advanced services to their customers via their self-admin online sales portal, driven by the SOLID Business Automation Platform. Read more about this story over here.

#4: Cost effective

Even though custom software creation may cost more up front, it saves you money in the long term by removing recurring licence payments, offering cost predictability, and lowering reliance on third party providers. There’s always a misconception that custom software is more expensive than off-the-shelf solutions, but it is a long term investment especially when considering the potential for increased efficiency and productivity.

#5: Increased reliability and Support

When developing a custom solution for your problem, the development team focuses on quality from the start. The team includes extensive testing and quality assurance processes tailored to the specific software's context and use cases. This leads to a higher level of quality and reliability, as well as support based on your processes. Read more about Software Testing: Quality Assurance Testing (QAT) and User Acceptance Testing (UAT).

#6: Enhanced security

Commercial off-the-shelf software is generic, making them more vulnerable to malicious attacks and thus making them much easier to exploit. In contrast, custom software is designed specifically for your business, so the vulnerabilities are limited and security updates are handled in real time to reduce risk. Read more about the importance of Data security.

#7: Competitive advantage

Having software designed according to your needs and preferences makes sure your business stands out causing your business to be more than mediocre. It provides a unique user experience that sets you apart from competitors using generic solutions.

Custom software is designed specifically to meet your unique needs and requirements, providing a tailored solution that off-the-shelf software cannot offer.  It’s not just about getting the job done, it's about performing at your peak, elevating efficiency and unlocking your full potential.