As the landscape continues to evolve for businesses, and technology creates more possibilities, there’s one constant which continues to thrive: bespoke software. But why, with so much choice on offer, are more businesses choosing a tailored solution over something off-the-shelf?
If we were to compare our modern world with the one occupied by our parents, we would find some surprising differences. In a short amount of time – mere decades, in fact – the workplace has transformed, in large, thanks to the innovation of technology.
From email to the cloud, and now developments such as AI and VR, technology has had a huge influence in shrinking our world and empowering employees to do more within their job roles. Geographical borders have been overcome, and the 9-5 is all but dead.
With a shrinking world and growing plethora of technology to take advantage of, business needs naturally change as well. Employees need to be supported remotely; data must be kept safe in accordance with GDPR and in the face of commonplace cyberattacks; and teams have earned the privilege of accessing resources that help them to push the business further.
Working Outside the Limits
Naturally, many startups and their mass-produced, off-the-shelf offerings have cropped up over the last few years, all keen to make the most of the latest technological flavour of the month. As a result, there are a great deal of competing tools available on the market, each trying to snap up business with buzzwords and specific focus on a certain feature.
Unfortunately, these solutions are often limited and limiting. For a start, they often contain features which are redundant for their users – a common occurrence which effectively wastes money when several products must be acquired to make a patchwork solution that’s suitable for the business’ needs.
They also depend on external support, come with restrictions based on paying for more features, and rarely survive when the business decides to grow. In short, off-the-shelf solutions – though plentiful and ahead of the curve – aren’t doing much for businesses.
Moving Fast, Moving Together
It’s perhaps the pace at which these products are created and then discarded which turns business owners off investing in them, with more now recognising the benefits of bespoke. Chief among them is the flexibility with which bespoke software is created – and thrives.
In the early stages of development, a bespoke software development house (such as Kaleida) will discuss with clients the features they want, the challenges they’re facing, and their plans for growth. After gathering that information, there’s a chance to provide suggestions as well, ensuring that the first iteration is exactly what’s needed to succeed.
As time goes on, however, bespoke software increasingly stands out. The end product is developed exclusively with the client in mind: it’s tailored to their business’ individuality, culture and voice. It also remains supported, flexible, and capable of growing in line with the owner’s goals. Unlike off-the-shelf solutions, bespoke software can scale up and down with your business, indefinitely.
More, More, More
Aside from the tailored aspect and the ability to scale, a bespoke solution has another set of advantages over off-the-shelf solutions: they can simply do more.
They can save more money (rather than subscription fees, there’s just the fee for the work; tailored features mean businesses don’t need to pay for multiple products), they can improve efficiency more effectively (with workflows built specifically for industries/companies), and they’re more accessible (it is, after all, built with the client’s input).
With more competition appearing on the scene and an increasing number of tricky scenarios to navigate, it’s no surprise that businesses are choosing the option with more on offer. As time goes on, the off-the-shelf market saturating and businesses scrambling to develop a unique tool to help them overcome competitors, bespoke software will undoubtedly continue to rise in popularity.
The world we occupy now is very different to the one our parents existed in. We have the entirety of human history stored on a device that fits in our palm, and can still do our work and communicate with colleagues from a beach in Spain or the comfort of our favourite coffee shop.
Now, we can curate our lives on social media, tap into talent from afar, and even customise how we do business. The world really has changed, and businesses’ sensibilities have changed too. The future, it turns out, is bespoke.
Who would’ve thought?
Kaleida is a bespoke software development house, specialising in tailored business solutions. To find out more about the services on offer, feel free to explore our website. For a free software review, get in touch.
