We believe in developing software specifically tailored to your business needs. developing costs money, it is time consuming to implement; and requires a lot of ongoing maintenance. In the face of these objections and perceived obstacles, many organizations end up choosing “off-the-shelf” software solutions that address some, but not all, of their business needs like custom solutions. We often underestimate the effort and expense required to customize a pre-packaged solution to our unique needs. We’ve been in the software field for over 10 years and have come across many misconceptions about custom software. Here are our top 4.

Custom Software is too expensive

In practice, custom software applications designed specifically for business needs are more predictable and more economical in the long run. When you buy off-the-shelf software, you are investing in a product that you don’t own and that you have very limited control over. Upgrading your solution can lead to compatibility or integration issues, unpredictable performance, and increased costs. With custom software, you know your development and maintenance costs up front and know that each update addresses your unique environment (and integration needs).

Getting a custom software solution is expensive

Good planning and good design are the foundation of all successful project. Without oversimplifying our approach, an effective custom software development process should include the following key stages:

Requirements Analysis and Technical Design: at Magilatech, we clearly articulated functional requirements and the proposed architecture of the application.

UX Design: Focuses on user experience (UX), information architecture, interface design, and other visual elements.

Development: Build applications and make sure they integrate seamlessly.

Testing and Deployment: Usability testing is usually required before deploying the solution in addition to quality assurance testing.

More detailed task assignments and timelines are created to keep each project on track once these high-level phases are defined.

There is a lot of software app builders out there for you to build one on your own

While there’s no doubt that there are many tools and products available for creating custom applications, this seems like a viable option. There are a few important things to consider before embarking on this journey. Technical Complexity – Whether you’re building a cloud-based solution, a mobile app, or a website, it can be complex to put together all the pieces your business needs to work together seamlessly.

Your Time – Yes, tools are available, but it takes time to learn how these tools work and how to customize them to meet your specific needs.

Security – Vulnerabilities abound. Security comes first and assures that the platform or solution used does not create vulnerabilities that can be exploited.

Getting a custom software solution means you must depend on the developer for every minor change

Working with software developers gives you access to experts who can help you at every stage of development. However, it is a misconception that working with developers to improve or change solutions is expensive. Major upgrades and changes require expert development time. Many software development companies offer options to let customers customize their own, which can be complicated.

However, it is very important to ensure that the developer you are working builds the application using industry standard and not proprietary technology owned by them. That way, if for some reason you decide to part ways, you can find another company that is familiar with the said technology platform.

You should not lightly take important considerations when deciding which software or applications to power your business. Of course, there are plenty of pre-built apps out of the box, but you may want to consider specially built apps to get exactly what you’re looking for.

We’d love to help you better understand your options and show you how others have tackled similar challenges.  Let’s get started!