Imagine you are going out to eat. Let’s say it is a Chinese buffet. You can get a custom plate there: choose exactly what you want to eat and leave behind anything that you don’t like. Some software lets you choose your modules, but you are still picking from someone else’s menu. Mostly, you are controlling costs and choosing what you need most.
Fortunately, we don’t have a menu of components for you to choose from. We do know what other software looks like and how people generally do things, but you are not constrained by this. You have your way of doing things, and we want to build a tailor-made solution that works the way you want, not the way that is convenient for the developers.
To complete the analogy, this means you tell the chef what you want, and that is what gets made. You aren’t hoping to choose a unique combination to gain a competitive advantage.
Do You Need Tailor-Made Software?
It depends. Here are some criteria I use to help you understand whether this is suitable for your situation.
1. Does the software touch the core competency of your business?
In other words, does this affect what you are delivering?
- If this is a key part of your business, a tailor-made solution might be a good choice.
- If this is an ancillary or support operation, doing things the standard way can reduce training time and make it easier to adjust these functions as your business evolves.
2. Would tailor-made software support your competitive advantage?
- If your software can reinforce your unique selling proposition, having a system that conforms to that advantage can improve how you deliver value.
- If your industry is better served by operating much like your competition, and your advantage cannot really be reinforced through software, the expense and maintenance of a custom-tailored solution may not be worth it.
How We Help
At Open InfoTech Solutions, we specialize in converting your process and vision into systems that support the way you work. Get a free evaluation today to learn what it might take to custom-tailor software for your needs.
