You’ve identified the need for a software solution to help improve your processes and grow your business – great! Now comes the question, do you buy an ‘off-the-shelf’ option or have it crafted bespoke for your company?

In this post we explore both paths, allowing you to make an informed decision . . .

Off-the-shelf software

There will be lots of solutions out there that offer aspects of what you are looking for. The key here is to invest some time and carefully research the options available to you.

Start by forming a list of everything you want the solution to provide and rate what the most important aspects are to you. You’ll then have a solid comparison list and an overall rating for each option to allow you to make your decision. Be sure to back this up by reading reviews, watching videos, and asking your peers and contacts about their experiences.

Once you’ve narrowed it down to a handful of options, request a trial of the software. Is it intuitive, does it actually do what you need it to do, what is the support like?

So that’s the approach, but what are the benefits of an off-the-shelf solution?

• Cost – this is certainly the cheaper option in the short-term
• Plug and play – as the solution already exists, you can start using it straight away (following any initial set up and training)
• Improvement on what you have – designed to provide a general solution, these off-the-shelf options will be a positive step forward from your manual processes.

Bespoke solution

You’re interested in exploring a bespoke solution, but where do you start? Well, as per the off-the-shelf option, the key is research. Run a google search, ask your peers, reach out for recommendations via social media, and read some reviews.

Make a shortlist of software consultancies you think could offer you what you’re looking for and then make contact. Invite them in for a chat, show them what you currently have and the challenges you are facing, tell them what you are trying to achieve.

Don’t forget to ask about previous projects they have worked on, take a good look through their case studies and hey, why not contact some of their current clients for a recommendation too?!

Ask to meet the team to get a feel of how they work and their culture and values. This will give you a good idea on how the relationship will work and if it will be a respectful and long-standing one.

Ok, so what are the benefits of a bespoke solution?

• You don’t need to have the answers – your software consultancy is there to help you develop the solution, working with you to understand problems and how they can be addressed. They will have lots of experience, ideas, and technical knowledge to create exactly what you need.
• Cheaper longer-term – off-the-shelf options may not be adaptable to changes in your business and could become an expensive burden. Although bespoke may cost more initially, extensions or changes will be manageable and it will be able to adapt as your business processes change over time.
• Exactly what you need – it’s in the title but with bespoke software being developed solely for your business it will meet your individual requirements. It will be based on you, you can get it how you want it, and if you want a change – you can get it!

So the decision is yours, but our summary would be that in the short-term an off-the-shelf solution is the clear winner, but if you want to invest in your future and allow your business to grow – bespoke is the way to go.

If you would like to discuss with us how we can help with your software solution, get in touch!