Custom Software Benefits with Andersen’s Tech Team

Forbes puts it unequivocally: digitization of individual areas and digital transformation of entire business structures are both growing at a surprising speed. Here are a couple of figures to illustrate this expansion and the custom software benefits involved with this rapid increase: Per Forbes, a reputable source, this year, in 2024, the projected global expenditure on digital transformation is anticipated to hit $2.5+ trillion. Expectations soar to an astonishing predicted $3.4 trillion by 2026. More than that, according to their article, as of now, a whopping 91% of entities are experimenting with various digital initiatives. In the capacity of a custom software development center of excellence we would like to reflect on these two relevant dimensions:

• To begin with, differences between bespoke and off-the-shelf software;
• Then, the applicable custom software development benefits will be evaluated.

Custom software benefits explained

In the capacity of a custom software enterprise vendor, Andersen would like to start this talk with a definition. What is custom software, aka bespoke solutions, in a nutshell? It refers to software envisioned, designed, and crafted with your specified requirements and those of your end-clients and end-users in mind. When faced with the dilemma of choosing between bespoke and off-the-shelf software, it’s important to consider the following negative aspects of the latter:

• First, off-the-shelf products often include features you'll never use yet you still have to pay for;
• Additionally, they may lack essential functionalities crucial for your business operations.

Bespoke software benefits ensure you receive and pay for precisely the features and capabilities your enterprise demands, without unnecessary extras.

Inspiring fact: Demand for the benefits of bespoke software is obvious if one takes a look at the market dynamics. In 2022, the worldwide market for custom software engineering reached a valuation of $29.3 billion. The current revenue forecast for 2023 exceeds a whopping $146 billion.

Zooming in on custom software development advantages

Based on our custom software track record, comprising 1000+ unique, advanced, and highly loaded tools, we would like to present ten of the custom software development advantages that will encourage you to choose this method.

Bespoke means business-oriented

Custom software is not about a generic collection of commonly used functionalities catering to various clients concurrently. It offers no one-size-fits-all recipes. Instead, it will be coded exclusively for your organization, will enhance your efficiency, help pursue your unique business goals, and satisfy end-users’ needs.

Highly-qualified BAs play a vital role in building bridges between the engineering team and your business requirements. To incorporate these requirements into your eventual software solution, seriously consider onboarding a business analyst who can establish and uphold mutual understanding.

Bespoke is cost-effective

By opting for tailored software, your business acquires precisely what it requires, ensuring efficient allocation of resources and budget without squandering them on unnecessary features. This strategic standpoint renders customized tools more optimal over the long haul.

Bespoke allows for adaptation to future needs

Bespoke alternatives address both the present requirements and future aspirations of a business. A proficient IT team not only crafts essential functionalities but also ensures scalability for seamless integration of subsequent additions.

Bespoke accommodates scaling

One of the most compelling custom software benefits is an ever-present capacity for scaling. With a custom solution at your disposal, there's no need to constantly purchase new software as your organization expands. Typically, any worthwhile technology partner will have ensured your software is primed for future scalability.

This means that when scaling becomes essential, it can be swiftly integrated without altering functionality. You'll maintain software alignment with your corporate requirements, saving valuable time.

With bespoke alternatives, everything is up to you

Being a custom enterprise software team, Andersen would like to again emphasize that bespoke projects are shaped by you, and no one else. Everything is defined by the decisions you make: design, capabilities, functionalities, and more.

Bespoke initiatives mean you partner with real experts

Product development importance mandates working with a versatile pool of IT talent. Reaching out to a proper custom engineering group is a perfect way to get access to the professionals you need, for example:

• BAs who will translate your unique situation, landscape, and aims into a well-structured set of actionable documents, serving as the project basis;
• UI/UX specialists who will make the user interface flawless and create a design following the latest trends and best practices;
• Technical specialists who will select the appropriate technologies to ensure high and stable performance, fault tolerance, and the capability for further software scaling and expansion;
• PMs who will keep everything under control, making sure that everyone is productively involved.

Bespoke indicates higher custom software quality standards

Besides all the aforementioned skill sets, having able and competent QAs onboard is pivotal. During the entire engineering process, they must be constantly in charge of the quality of the software. Their job is to ensure that the implemented features work as expected while their business value meets the requirements previously clarified.

You can monitor the progress of work and will receive demo presentations from the team at different phases. Therefore, you will be confident that the software crafted is going to be precisely what you intended and what your organization actually demands.

Bespoke equals secure

Cyber safeguards are also a clear benefit. As long as your solution is custom-developed, there will be no copies of it. This uniqueness means that the digital product is a more difficult target for the majority of possible attacks. Andersen has enough DevSecOps and cybersecurity staff members to guarantee safe storage, access, and data exchange practices.

Bespoke initiatives are compatible with CI/CD

Speaking of benefits, one has no right to omit CI/CD. Implementation of continuous integration and continuous delivery by DevOps engineers plays a major part in optimizing time resources for businesses.

Via CI/CD practices, the time taken by developers to deploy their code onto servers is drastically minimized. This approach not only expedites the delivery process but also guarantees a consistent stream of updates, enabling one to access new versions within mere hours of their release by the engineers.

Benefits associated with bespoke support policies

There always exists the option of adding personalized support to the custom services package. Within this framework, such a support service will swiftly resolve all the arising issues, if any, so that organizations can operate and fulfill their business functions without major interruptions.

Interesting fact: On top of these 10 benefits, there is one more benefit of entrusting bespoke initiatives to a well-established custom engineering vendor. You will not have to concern yourself with recruiting talent, as this issue will be addressed by the vendors themselves. Do not underestimate how challenging it would be to take this on yourself.

The ascendance of AI-fueled tools and recent large-scale layoffs may give the impression that shortages of trained and qualified tech specialists are a thing of the past. However, recent studies prove this assumption to be wrong.

For instance, as per the recent Reveal survey released by Infragistics, covering 2,228 developers and IT professionals, the major hurdle of sourcing engineers possessing the requisite skills persists in 2023. Over a third of participants (37.5%) expressed ongoing difficulty in locating proficient candidates throughout 2023, with positions such as DevOps Engineer, Data Analytics Developer, and IT Security Engineer emerging as the most challenging to fill.

More benefits of custom software

What we have discussed above is relevant beyond doubt. However, in order to provide an account of some more tangible and clearly visible benefits in everyday workspace flows we have decided to present one more list. In our eyes, it is compelling and concurrently far from exhaustive.

Extra bespoke benefit #1

Incorporation with already established systems. Your business might rely on current systems which are crucial, even indispensable, for operations. Your custom engineering team of choice, in this case, would provide for seamless integration with those elements of your IT landscape from the outset, streamlining data entry tasks and enhancing overall productivity.

Extra bespoke benefit #2

Much greater facilitation of remote work practices. As remote work formats become increasingly prevalent, custom solutions can be envisioned specifically to foster virtual collaboration, enabling teams to cooperate distantly from any location. Adding secure video conferencing, file sharing, and virtual PM tools can greatly enhance professional experiences in this context.

Extra bespoke benefit #3

Boost to productivity. Custom solutions, focused on your workflows, structures, and procedures, are always in a better position to facilitate communication and automate routine processes. This, in turn, will exert a positive influence on your overall productivity, accuracy, and consistency.

Extra bespoke benefit #4

New heights of end-user and end-client satisfaction rates. Custom tools will contribute to more personalized and pleasant experiences. Customized dashboards, individual recommendations, updates in real-time, etc. allow for convenient and memorable interactions.

Extra bespoke benefit #5

Next-gen big data management. If your entity heavily depends on data, you could invest in a custom assistant tailored to gather, store, and assess vast amounts of information, AI-potential included. This will offer actionable insights into your business operations. Utilize these conclusions to make informed decisions, spot trends, and enhance overall performance.

Some tricks to maximize the benefits of custom software

To finish this piece, we at Andersen would like to propose some ideas on how to expand the benefits of bespoke software in case you make the decision to take this course of action.

Tip #1 for increasing benefits: Clearly define requirements. Start by thoroughly defining your specs and objectives for the custom software, independently or via BAs. Involve stakeholders from various departments to ensure all needs are considered.

Tip #2 for increasing benefits: select a dependable development partner. Pin down a proper tech partner with expertise in your domain and technology stack. Look for a vendor with a background of delivering high-quality solutions;

Tip #3 for increasing benefits: Iterative processes. Adopt an iterative process, such as Agile. This allows for continuous feedback and adjustments, ensuring the final digital product matches your needs;

Tip #4 for increasing benefits: User-centric design. Prioritize UX and UI design to ensure everything is intuitive and easy to use. Conduct user testing throughout the flow to gather feedback and initiate improvements.

Tip #5 for increasing benefits: Training and support. Make sure comprehensive training and support for end-users are provided to maximize adoption and usage adherence rates. Provide documentation and tutorials and offer ongoing support to address any troubles or questions.

Tip #6 for increasing benefits: Performance monitoring and optimization. Continuously monitor the performance of the software and recognize areas for optimization. This may involve performance testing, code reviews, and infrastructure adjustments. Again, this is all subject to negotiating with the vendor of choice.

Tip #7 for increasing benefits: Feedback and continuous improvement. Gather feedback from your in-house end-users and stakeholders post-launch to identify areas for further advancements. Use this feedback to prioritize future updates and enhancements.

Wrapping up the benefits

In the short term, custom alternatives may seem to be too expensive, and the whole delivery process may seem to be too prolonged. But if your goals are global and long-term, then a custom approach is the right choice.

You will receive a highly qualified team of developers and supporting experts, comprising PMs, QA engineers, UI/UX designers, BAs, DevOps engineers, cyber security experts, and a support team. Your solutions will be scalable and save you money in the long-term.