Hello! If you are reading this it is because you are looking for how to solve a need of your business by using the software.
Today we want to help you identify the key points that will allow you to identify if you should think about buying custom software. See:
There is no solution already in place that allows you to solve your problem
If you have already explored all the options available in the market and definitely did not find one that suits your problem then you can think of a custom software.
Let’s be clear on this, “I don’t develop custom software when mass-produced software meets your needs.”
We recommend you visit G2 (https://www.g2.com/) so you can search through all the available software options and effectively determine that there is no one that solves your problem.
Your corner cases are very important to you
Corner cases are situations that occur infrequently under atypical conditions.
If these types of events have a relevant value within your organization it is important then consider customizing your software to suit these cases.
For example: if your software on the production line works through a network connection and must adapt to power flow losses to continue operating in offline mode, it is important to ensure that the purchased software adapts to this need, even if the probability of an event like these happening is low.
We recommend listing all the possible scenarios that the solution sought must solve in order to verify the suitability of the software to be acquired.
The cost of customizing an existing solution exceeds the budget of implementing a custom solution to a large extent.
For the benefit of the client, many software solutions allow you to customize your services to meet the expectations of your customers.
Sometimes the customization of these services depends on the client, and at other times it is the developer that offers a customization package.
For both cases, estimate or request the cost of this customization, and in turn request a quote for custom software to corroborate that the customization of the software to be hired has a cost that makes sense for your organization.
Usability and user experience
Among the main reasons why the adoption of a new system fails is because users fail to adapt quickly to it.
To achieve better adoption it is necessary that the software to be acquired has been developed following usability guidelines.
I evaluated the different options found and verified that they comply with the usability and user experience guidelines.
A good option to evaluate the software is to use Nielsen’s 10 usability heuristics.
If after the evaluation the software has shortcomings, then we recommend considering a customized solution.
You want software that grows with and for your organization
From the first entry your organization could require a simple solution or want to start little by little with the digitalization of processes
If this is your answer, consider looking for a software vendor that allows you to adapt to your need and ensures to grow with your organization.
This decision will bring multiple benefits such as: relatively low costs in development, that the solution provider is aware of the organization and its operation, a gradual adaptation to the new software solution so that users do not suffer from the change of system.
Conclusion
Give massive software solutions the opportunity, but be critical and evaluate them thoroughly in order to find what you need.
If at the end of the evaluation you do not feel 100% satisfied then consider opting for a customized software solution.
