3 Reasons Which Indicate that You Need Customized Software

Michal Ohrablo, Sales manager

Choosing between customized software and a standard software package is one of the eternal IT issues which every company will tackle sooner or later. Although at first sight it could seem that IT managers should be the ones addressing this issue, in fact it is rather a question for the business, financial and general managers. 

What are the 3 most frequent reasons for which companies decide for customized software?

1. You want to be different, you need unique software

Do you want to be different from your competitors? Do you need software to assist you in achieving your particular goals and is it quite probable that boxed software won’t help you? Boxed applications are usually suitable for supporting common processes such as accounting, where nobody expects that a different or unique feature will be introduced.  

It is hard to find a better example of a company that is hard to copy than Google. The differentness which that company constantly cultivates is one of the reasons why purchasing a standard boxed system is the last resort for Google. Developing customized software is always their first choice.

Cetelem, a provider of consumer credits, is an example of a company in our neck of the woods that is searching for differentness. It had a customized solution developed which enables clients to digitally sign contracts directly on a tablet when purchasing goods on installment.

2. The existing solution fails to cover the needs of your company

Sometimes it may seem to you that there is nothing new under the sun. Charles H. Duell, a commissioner of the United States Patent and Trademark Office had the same thing in mind when he proclaimed: “Everything that can be invented has been invented.“ This was in 1899.

Naturally not everything has been invented, even in the world of software.  Otherwise, thousands of new applications would not be added daily to Apple and Google stores. Despite this fact, there are gaps which have not been filled by any software. And these gaps are particularly found in the corporate environment.  

Of course, the inability to cover the needs of a company are not only due to a lack of software, but also the inability of a package solution to adapt to the ideas of a company, legislation or the business environment.  Although present day, ready-to-use software packages can be adapted more than in the past (up to the level of additional programming of new functions), there are still situations when a company must adapt to the software and not vice versa.

The chances that there is no suitable software out there that meets your needs are increasing if you do business in a non-standard or freshly established sector or you are a start-up with a non-traditional way of business.

3. You need to resolve an entrepreneurial problem to which you do not know the answer

No one claims that technology is the panacea for all business problems, and even more so that an IT company can resolve them. However, sometimes a clever technological supplier with abundant experience in various sectors can represent an unexpected benefit for your company.   A supplier that has consulting capacities, that is familiar with various technologies and experienced with their application in companies with various orientations can ingeniously resolve even complex business problems.

For example, Agrana, a sugar exporter, needed to improve the effectiveness of its operation in connection with the de-regulation of the market in the European Union. Managers saw some space in logistics and, together with an IT supplier, they found an answer for optimizing the supply system which prevented the useless unloading and loading of material and eliminated downtime.  

This solution combines mobile devices for drivers and loaders, applications for creating routes and the dispatch center, and synchronizes the supply of beats for sugar production precisely according to the requirements of the production line. As a result, the company is able to prevent the useless re-loading of thousands of tons of material and save up to thousands of downtime hours of trucks in front of the factory.