A lot of business owners ask us whether they need a custom system. We build custom systems, and still, in many cases our answer is that off-the-shelf software is enough for now. A system you don't need will cost you money and time, and it will leave you with a bad impression of software development as a whole.
These are the criteria we go through with every client before any quote.
Is the way you work standard, or is it what sets you apart?
General accounting, payroll and email work in roughly the same way at every company, and there is excellent off-the-shelf software for them. Things change when the way you follow up with clients or deliver your service is the reason people pick you. Forcing that way of working into a ready-made template means giving up part of it.
Special education centers are a clear example. Each child goes through an assessment, then a goals plan, then sessions and progress tracking, then a report for the family. We couldn't find an off-the-shelf product that follows that path the way specialists actually work, so we built Enable 360.
How many tools do you use, and do they talk to each other?
If someone on your team copies data from one program to another every morning, that is the first sign. One app for bookings, another for invoices, an Excel file for follow-up, and a WhatsApp group for coordination. Every manual copy is a chance for an error, and every program is one more monthly subscription.
Sometimes the answer is to connect these tools through their APIs and keep them as they are. Sometimes a single system that brings them together is simpler and cheaper over time. We went into this in detail in when your company has outgrown Excel.
How do you compare the cost fairly?
| Item | Off-the-shelf software | Custom system |
|---|---|---|
| Upfront | Low | Higher: analysis, design and development |
| Monthly | A subscription that grows with the number of users | Hosting, support and development |
| Tailoring it to you | As far as the vendor allows | As your needs require |
| Integration with other systems | As far as the vendor supports | Built when needed |
| Code ownership | The vendor's | Yours, if the contract says so |
Run the numbers over at least three years, and add a line that never appears on an invoice: the hours your team spends working around the software's limits.
How do you test off-the-shelf software before committing?
Try it on a real process from your business, with real data, and with the employees who will use it every day. The vendor's demo shows the product at its best, and your team is the one that will find its limits.
Take the hardest case you deal with in a typical month, such as a client on an unusual contract or a request that needs several approvals, and see whether the software handles it without workarounds. Ask about the things a trial won't show you. Is the Arabic interface complete, with proper right-to-left layout? Can the reports be customized? How much does the subscription rise as the team grows? Can it connect to your other software through an API?
Make the trial long enough to cover at least one month-end. Many limits only appear when you close the month and issue reports and recurring invoices, and that is when you find out whether the software saves your team time or adds to it.
Where is your data, and who owns it?
Ask the off-the-shelf vendor where the data is stored, whether you can export all of it, and what happens to it if you cancel your subscription. Some sectors require data to stay inside the country, so don't leave this question for the end. With a custom system, write into the contract that the code and the data belong to you, and get access to the servers.
Where will your company be in two years?
A new branch, a new country, or a portal where your clients follow their requests. If your current software doesn't support what you are planning, you'll be forced to switch in the middle of growing, which is the worst possible timing.
Can you combine custom and off-the-shelf software?
Many companies do well this way: reliable off-the-shelf accounting software for bookkeeping and taxes, and a custom system for the part that sets them apart, such as client management or operations, with an integration between the two so nobody enters data twice.
What are the risks of custom software, and how do you avoid them?
The biggest risks are an unclear scope that keeps growing during the work, and complete dependence on one developer or one company. You can avoid both with decisions made before signing.
A third risk is less obvious. A system gets built and then the team doesn't use it, because it was designed in the management office without anyone sitting down with the people who would work on it. Get one user from each department to review the screens from the first weeks.
- Write the requirements before asking for quotes, even if it's two pages. We explained how in how to write system requirements.
- Split the project into phases, and pay for each phase after it's delivered and tested.
- Require documentation, handover of the code and server access, so another team can take over if you need it.
- Agree on the cost of post-launch support before the project starts.
For the factors that drive the price of a custom system and how to compare quotes, read what determines the cost of custom management software.
If you decide to build, where do you start?
- Write down realityYour processes as they actually run today, warts and all
- Pick the most painfulOne process to start a small first version with
- Ask for a written quoteWith phases, scope and what the project excludes
- Require handoverThe code, the documentation and a post-launch support plan
If you'd like an opinion on your case, tell us how your team works today. If off-the-shelf software is enough for you, we'll say so. For details, read about our custom software and systems service.
Questions our partners ask
Is a custom system always more expensive?
The upfront cost is usually higher. A fairer comparison runs over three years: per-user subscriptions for off-the-shelf tools, the cost of connecting them to each other, and the time lost working around their limits.
Can we start with off-the-shelf software and move later?
Yes, and sometimes that's the sensible choice. Just make sure you can export all of your data from the off-the-shelf product on the day you decide to move.
How long does it take to build a management system?
It depends on the scope. We usually start with a first version that covers the most important process within weeks, then add modules in phases. The exact timeline comes after the analysis phase.
Written by the Visual Innovate team, the people who build, host and follow up systems, websites and apps for our clients in Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Oman and Egypt.
