What is custom software development: Everything you need to know

In this day and age, every company needs some type of software to run its day-to-day business. Most companies use the usual software such as MS Excel, MS Word, etc to run their operations.

But sometimes the usual, off-the-shelf software can’t really do its job properly. This is why you should invest in custom software development.

So, what is custom software development? Custom software development is developing software that caters to the specific needs of a specific business, that off-the-shelf software can’t meet.

While both usual software and custom software are built based on the same methodology, custom software has more specific uses than regular ones.

Let’s take a deeper look at everything you need to know about custom software development.

What is custom-developed software? 

Software plays a vital role in running businesses nowadays, whether they do a general job like MS Excel, or they are used in a more specialized manner. While most businesses use Off-the-shelf software to run their daily operations, some businesses need software that is specifically designed for them and their operations.

These specifically designed software are called custom-developed software. These software don’t handle everything the business does, rather they are designed to handle a specific set of challenges. For example, you might need software to run research that only your business does. You will need custom-developed software for that, instead of off-the-shelf ones.

Some custom-built software examples are:

• Aviation Software
• Custom e-commerce websites
• CRM: Custom Relationship Management
• ERP: Enterprise Resource Planning
• Business management
• Streaming services, etc. 
• Why custom software development is important?

Why should you invest in developing your own software instead of buying an off-the shelf-one? 

You do this because there are certain benefits of custom software.

The advantages of custom-developed software are:

They are efficient

Since custom-developed software is built for a specific purpose, they don’t have to deal with other stuff as well as adjusting with other applications. This makes them work faster, and become more efficient. 

The integration costs are low

When a business buys software, it has to consider the costs it has to bear to integrate the software with its current as well as legacy software. Most Commercial off-the-shelf software (COTS) is not able to fully integrate with the current software, which makes the business spend more to make them do so.

Custom software, on the other hand, is designed in such a way that it will be easily integrated with all the current and legacy applications. This ensures that there will be little to no integration costs.

Enables the company to act independently

When a business buys a COTS, it will have to incur some costs while also having to adhere to the licenses and other rules and regulations of that software. This makes the company dependent on the parent company of that COTS.

On the other hand, developing their own software ensures the business can act accordingly, and tinker with the software as the business and its needs grow.

Increases profitability

While custom software is built to handle specific jobs of a certain business, it might help you to make money in the future, Suppose another business has followed your business model and opened up a business similar to yours.

They will need similar software that you have designed. You can license and sell it to that business, along with any other business that might need your software.

Offers adaptability

While COTS will serve you well in your current business size, it might not do so when you grow your business. Some of this software will be rendered useless once it grows beyond a certain threshold.

Custom software, on the other hand, can grow as your business grows. All you need to do is to think ahead and incorporate features that will allow it to grow with your business, keeping up with the scale.

Who needs custom-developed software?

Not all businesses need custom-built software. A lot of businesses can get by using COTS. But if you are one of the following, you will need custom-developed software for your business.

• If your business is unique
• If your business is facing unique situations
• If you have a growing business
• If you have an older business and are willing to modernize it
• If you want to automate business operations. 
• If you can afford the cost of custom software development. 

Final Words

One of our most popular services is custom software development. So, one of the questions we face the most from potential customers is “What is custom software development?”.

Our services include providing top-quality custom-developed software for businesses worldwide. So if you want state-of-the-art custom software for your business, contact us.

FAQ

How much does custom software development cost?

The answer to “How much does it cost to develop custom software?” depends on the size, design, complexity of the software, etc. It costs around $75000 to $350000 to design custom software depending on these factors. You can also use our app cost tool.

How to sell custom software development services?

There are some steps to selling custom software development services. These are:

• Knowing how to find customers for software development. 
• Responding quickly to potential customers
• Conducting the communication with the help of a skilled professional. 
• Making an excellent offer
• Performing a quick test on the client’s projects to remove any doubts. 

What is the disadvantage of custom software?

Custom-developed software has a few cons as well, which you should know about before going through with developing one for your business. First of all, this software cost a lot more upfront than COTS. Second, you might also lose a lot of time gathering the required resources. Finally, you might end up hiring an unprofessional and, low-quality vendor.