Should you consider bespoke application or product off-the-shelf?

As an organisation in the modern data-driven world, your choice of software can augment your company’s performance. And when it comes down to selecting the “right” software for your organisation, the choice, at the very core, is between two types of softwares — bespoke and off the shelf. There is a wide array of characteristics that define the extent of how useful software can be to a particular organisation, but the ultimate decision is subject to the individual business needs.

Another aspect that is imperative to consider apart from the usefulness of a software is its dependency on the core business. Just a quick examination of your organisation’s dependency on software can help you understand the need for making an informed decision. For instance, if you want to be an eCommerce giant, you need your own platform(Bespoke software) to facilitate the requirements of your customers and partners. You can use an Off-the-Shelf solution but it will not fulfilled your goals.

Just like honey, an Off-the-shelf software may lose its aroma over time and just like cheese, a bespoke software may get better with age but needs proper maintenance. Too many food analogies? Let’s look at some familiar terms that can help you make an informed decision to choose the right software for your organisation.

I. Bespoke software

When it comes to getting a new suit, you would probably prefer a tailor-made suit rather than getting a ready-made suit. Why? Simply because a tailor-made suit fits better, feels better, suits better, and above all, it is made according to your own unique requirements.

Bespoke software’s are the same except their usefulness is available to the whole organisation rather than an individual. Every organisation has its own unique requirements and bespoke software, also known as a custom or tailor-made software, helps fulfilling those requirements.

An experienced team of software developers gets acquainted with your organisation’s needs and on the basis of this, various features are developed from scratch. As a result, the software fits perfectly into the organisation leading to a plethora of benefits.

Let’s look at the various benefits an organisation can experience with the inclusion of bespoke software.

1. Customized

Possessing complete control over the software and its features makes your life easier. Customization is useful not just to fulfill your unique requirements but also to help you meet the ever-changing trends of the society without any hassle.

New technology is becoming popular? Get it incorporated into your bespoke software in no time.

A new design has become prevalent in your industry? Get your bespoke software redesigned whenever you want.

No matter what the changes are, a bespoke software will always give you the liberty to stay at the top of your game and meet the demands of the society.

Moreover, bespoke software is also capable of meeting the demands of the organisation. With the growth of an organisation, the software is also capable of growing into a more enhanced version of itself which allows you to harness the full potential of your organisation.

2. Competitive edge

It’s no revelation that there is tremendous competition in the market. What can set your organisation apart from the crowd is a bespoke software.

Giving your organisation a competitive edge, bespoke software reflects the look and feel of your organisation, resulting in optimized user experience.

3. Flexibility

One of the best things about bespoke software is the flexibility. You get to choose your own requirements, engage in the development process, and make changes as per your demands.

This type of flexibility ensures that the software meets your and your organisation’s expectations.

II. Off-the-shelf software

Not everyone needs a tailor-made suit. Sometimes, you get a sudden invitation and need something in just a few hours or maybe you don’t want to spend your time and money to get it tailor-made. This is the reason why organisations choose Off-the-Shelf software.

An Off-the-Shelf software is a product that is developed to facilitate the demands of the mass-market. It is developed in such a way that it can accommodate the needs of as many users as possible. Therefore, such applications usually facilitate general tasks.

When compared to the bespoke software, an Off-the-Shelf software may not give you the flexibility or customization, but it offers other considerable benefits mentioned below;

1. Cheaper

As it is built for a mass-market, an Off-the-Shelf software offers comparatively low pricing structure. It gives a precise estimate of how much cost will your organisation incur if it buys Off-the-Shelf software.

However, the costing of such softwares depends on the number of users. It usually allows only a fixed number of users under its license and you have to pay additional charges for more users.

2. No time constraint

The only time constraint in using an Off-the-Shelf software is the time spent in choosing the software, making the payment, and installing the software.

As soon as you complete that, you can start using it right away. Moreover, there are a lot of resources in the market who are adept in working on such software which is why your development time is also reduced.

3. Community support

The mass-market develops, the mass-market solves. Being used by a large number of people, Off-the-Shelf software offer great community support.

Chances are that the challenge you face has already been solved by some other organisation. In case you have a unique challenge, just ask your question on the community forum and you will get a solution sooner rather than later.

While both of these softwares seem equally beneficial in their own way, you have to choose one out of the two that suits the requirements of your organisation. Mentioned below are some considerations that can help you make an informed decision:

Training

Using a popular Off-the-Shelf software gives you the liberty to enjoy the availability of skilled employees who possess complete knowledge regarding the software. On the other hand, customized software requires special training of your employees to help them understand the features and working of your unique software.

Another consideration here is that some Off-the-Shelf software are highly complex and the employees skilled in those software’s can be hard to find such as a salesforce developer. Even if you find them, it will take a great toll on your organisation’s finances to employ such skilled personnel. Alternatively, you can create your own skilled employees by providing world-class training to your employees with respect to your bespoke software.

Number of users

If your organisation requires accommodation for a large number of users, bespoke software may be the best option for you. An Off-the-Shelf software will charge on the basis of the number of users which might end up costing more than developing bespoke software. Also, if you need a certain type of software for decades, you should consider a bespoke software that can be upgraded and customized as per your own will.

Integration

If yours is like most organisations, you already have a substantial set of tools and technologies incorporated in your daily processes. In such cases, new software is expected to integrate into the existing process to facilitate a seamless working.

The bespoke software prevails in such requirements. Without any negative impacts or major delays, you can easily integrate your bespoke software in your business process.

On the other hand, Off-the-Shelf software requires you to adjust a few things in order to achieve seamless integration. Considering future possibilities such as the growth of the organisation and the change in market trends, this integration will require even more adjustment.

Support

Support works in two ways. If it is the community support that you are looking for, Off-the-Shelf software is your best bet and if it is the support in terms of application’s working or upgrading, bespoke applications are what you are looking for.

The large community of the Off-the-Shelf software helps you overcome any challenge that you might face.

The development team of your bespoke software gives you the freedom to enhance the performance of your software as per your requirements, any time.

Conclusion

The importance of choosing the best software for your organisation cannot be stressed enough. The points mentioned above comprise just the initial information required to make the right decision. But making the decision is the least of your concerns. The real work starts afterwards.

If you go for Off-the-Shelf software, there are numerous factors that you need to consider. And if you go for Bespoke software, you need to analyse your organisation’s requirements and outline the factors you need in your software. Then you need the perfect team to carry out your development process.

Seems like a difficult and laborious task, right? That’s why Ekino is here. Backed by extensive expertise, Ekino offers a one-stop solution for all your software requirements. Our agile project management ensures that you are constantly involved and informed about the progress of the software and the various features it needs.

All you need to do is reach out to our experts and let us assist you in your journey towards optimization, productivity, and success by facilitating your organisation with the perfect software.