Any off-the-shelf software would have been designed and marketed to maximise the companies profits. Unfortunately not your company but theirs. It was not designed with your processes and workflows in mind. But it’s marketed so well you are convinced it’s the bee’s knees. And in a year’s time, after confirming all it’s good points, and discovering all it’s bad points. You can’t scrap it and start the process again because so much time, effort, training and money has been invested. At this point a brave soul would stand up and say ‘Perhaps a custom solution designed for us by an expert, which can be tweaked and adapted, might, just have been a better way.’
Off-the-shelf software will demand huge amounts of your time and resources.
- Researching the market. The choice is endless…
- Deciding what features you do need, might need, won’t need.
- Learning terminology.
- Writing a spec/discussion document
- Going round in circles
- Testing various software.
- Once purchased
- Fitting it in with your way of working.
- Adapting your way of working to fit in with the software.
- Training staff.
- Developing work-arounds.
And if you are a MD, in sales, or an office manager, why do you need to learn how to be an applications expert in the first place (IT knowledge of course being out of date within 6 months). Isn’t it more sensible to sub contract out that task to a database/software expert? One who has spent decades process mapping and developing and automating workflows. You didn’t build your own desk and chairs, did you? Or maybe you did!
Still think off-the-shelf software is cheaper? Wading through the instruction manuals might seem like chinese But once you are up and running (or should that be… limping?) the limitations of the software then kicks in. Hindsight will probably reveal that you started off on the wrong foot any way. Isn’t it easier to share what you do know (ie your requirements and working methods) with a database developer and let him devise a customised solution with you?
Obviously blue chip companies like Inland Revenue, BT or Barclays employ a number of full time people to maintain and develop their own bespoke systems. Any other solution would not be cost effective, efficient or robust enough to automate what is unique to only them. This is often true for SMEs too, who benefit from tailor made solutions for exactly the same reasons. Why buy a general all singing all dancing solution? When
- 90% of the features aren’t utilised,
- 30% of them complicate what you do want to do and
- 50% of the features you really wanted just aren’t available to start with.
You probably have to invest in 2 or more bits of software and try to integrate them. Off-the-shelf software, because of its complexities take staff much longer to learn. You have to learn things twice. First, the way they want you process your work, and second, their software. Ultimately you could end up with a woolly system compiled by the mish-mash of many users all using the non specific software (or multiple bits of software) slightly differently. And that’s before we mention where and how you, and the rest of your staff, store your valuable data
Don’t get me wrong, there are a number of ‘off-the-shelf’ solutions which provide admirable answers… web browsers, email software, address books, diaries, calendars, account packages etc. They all fall, though, into the same ‘off-the-shelf’ shortfalls – that if you want to do anything different, or develop it – tough.
Custom solutions
Our experience is that a bespoke system designed exclusively around the way you work, ultimately demands far less of your/your company’s time, resources and staff. It will certainly involve far less stress, hassles and costly problems. You only need a bespoke system done once, so do you really want to have to do it yourself?
A bespoke system often works out more cost effective. It will allow you to continue to work the way that you have always done (minimising disruption). It will come with full person to person staff training to get you up and running. It will be maintained by the person who wrote it, who, by now, will already know your needs and the way you work and think. And it will be easier and cheaper to update and extend.
And why risk us? A local small firm? Rather than a global one with the experience and proven reliability(!?) of the world’s leading software? Well, there’s only one phone number with no switchboard. You talk directly with the person who actually built your bespoke system. We’re always happy to help. And we’ll be on hand to train new staff, add new features and troubleshoot as and when your need arises.
