How custom software puts you in the driver’s seat
Whether you’re a business owner, operations manager, or team lead, you probably didn’t go into your role simply to follow someone else’s roadmap. You have a vision for how to achieve success, and you’ve built a team and made a plan to fulfill it. Doing so means maintaining a certain level of control over how you accomplish that task.
If that’s the case, why would you settle for software that limits your choices?
Before we go further, this will not be a diatribe about “Why SaaS is bad” or “Why all of your software should be custom.” Many off-the-shelf and software-as-a-service (SaaS) solutions are ideal for business and don’t need to be reinvented: spreadsheets, email clients, CRM platforms, and standard accounting software, just to name a few. Typically, those solutions excel at specific functions, have been widely adopted, and can be easily integrated with other tools and platforms.
But what do you do when standard tools no longer solve the problems you’re facing? What about missing features or functionality, or inadequate support? Are you spending significant time making ill-fitting software do what you need it to do — or changing how you want to work to fit its limitations?
When the software that powers your organization starts to become a constraint, it’s time to ask yourself whether it’s better to be a driver or a passenger going forward. That is, do you need to be in full control of your software to achieve your vision of success?
There are pros and cons to each approach, and what serves you well now may not be the best fit for your future.
The limitations of ‘One size fits most’
When you choose off-the-shelf software or a SaaS platform, you’re handing a certain amount of control over your business to the team that owns that solution. They determine the features, functions, and capabilities and decide what gets prioritized in the roadmap.
You may get to express your opinion in surveys or a user community. If your organization is large enough, you might even earn a place on their customer advisory board. But you’ll never control the roadmap or the timeline, or how features get implemented.
Suppose you’re a manufacturer who wants to improve customer experience by sending updated delivery dates as orders pass through each manufacturing stage. If your off-the-shelf software doesn’t have that feature and can’t integrate with a tool that sends notifications, your options are limited. Either you spend time (and money) assigning people to send those updates manually, or you forego something that could add value for your customers.
That’s the difference between being in the driver’s seat and being a passenger. If you want the ability to add new features, solve problems in a way off-the-shelf software can’t, or address unique business challenges, you may benefit from custom software.
In our manufacturing example, those messaging capabilities could either be designed into your solution from the start or added when the value becomes clear, and they can be automated to save time and effort. Instead of creating manual workarounds or giving up on something that could be valuable, you’ve built a solution that works the way you know is best.
The benefits of custom software
Here are the business benefits that custom software can deliver when off-the-shelf applications or SaaS platforms cannot:
You determine the roadmap
Custom software gives your organization the ability to update features on your timeline and add new ones that support your long-term goals. Whenever you recognize a new need in your business that software can fulfill — for instance, a feature that could improve customer experience, streamline operations, or support regulatory compliance — you can implement it on your schedule. That feature can then evolve as your requirements change.
In addition, you can control your ability to migrate and retain your data as your technology landscape changes by adding API support and other features. You can scale your platform to support more users, additional locations, new business units, and new processes. Finally, you can determine how best to measure and evaluate how your software is being used, then use that data to improve workflows and work more efficiently. With off-the-shelf software or SaaS platforms, you only get to see the data that the owners choose to share.
Greater security and privacy
Off-the-shelf software is available to everyone, including your competitors. How comfortable are you putting your unique IP into a solution you don’t fully control versus a system you host and manage? Custom software lets you embed your unique intellectual property, workflow advantages, and customer engagement strategies directly into your operations.
We also know that some organizations are hesitant to share data with cloud providers. While the cloud is generally safe, we understand those concerns. We’re experienced in building custom software with on-premises hosting, and custom applications for organizations with unique privacy and security requirements. Book a call with us and we’ll share examples of how we’ve supported those needs for large and small organizations.
Only pay for features you need
We’ve seen organizations adopt platforms that offer hundreds of features, but only use the subset that are relevant. They’re paying for tools they don’t use, and their team members often waste time navigating menus and options that aren’t useful just to find the ones that they need. Confusion and inefficiency are the result when you choose a tool that’s not fit for purpose. Custom software eliminates those distractions.
We can help you plan your journey
Is custom software right for your enterprise? In decades of working with a broad range of organizations, from contractors and manufacturers to local governments and school systems, we’ve advised clients to use off-the-shelf software when it makes more sense. The utility applications I mentioned earlier, and others like basic accounting tools or simple CRMs, are ideal choices for teams with straightforward needs.
(In fact, we’ve made the same decision ourselves at Skeleton Key. At one point, we built a custom ticketing system that we later replaced with a leading solution — it was simply a better fit.)
The point is to choose the right tool for the job. And when your business has unique requirements, complex workflows, or a need to differentiate from the competition, building the right tool can be the best strategic move.
If limitations in your current software have you creating manual workarounds, sacrificing efficiency, or making compromises in how you work, ask yourself:
- How much better service could we deliver if our tools matched the way we know we should be working?
- Are we uncomfortable taking on new clients or expanding because of lack of efficiency?
- How much value would we gain if we eliminated those inefficient tools and processes with new solutions?
We’re skilled in helping teams answer these questions. Book a no-charge consultation today and we’ll help you create your roadmap to success.
