This is an old question about custom software with answers that has changed over time. Here we try to tackle it with the new development paradigms in the current ecosystem and the new technologies that have taken the top positions in the never-ending race.

• It’s all about data now. Let’s look at the elephant in the room first. The usage, privacy and security of data are of the utmost importance. If you do not control this kind of the architecture then you will not survive for long. Data is used to make business decisions. With the growth of AI and ML, the inability to leverage your data puts you on the wrong foot, right away. You are responsible for that data and there should be no breaches. If you take an off-the-shelf solution, chances are that you are buying a black box and trusting it.

• If you do not scale then you will not grow. That is the name of the game. Is your current solution built for scaling? If the answer is no, the chances of failure are pretty low. System outages and slowdowns are going to kill your business before you know it. Also, vertical scaling which these companies offer, is not the best solution or the most recommended.

• Flexibility. This goes even without saying, custom software is as flexible as you want it to be. That may or may not be the case with an off-the-shelf solution.

• All applications talk to each other. We have a more interconnected technical environment. Talk is the technical language to ensure that applications can share data between each other. Does your off-the-shelf solution help you with that? Even if it does, does it do so without additional charges?

We got featured in list of top Custom Software development Companies by SDCR for building connected applications.

• Loosely coupled architecture. We have moved towards a technical architecture in which the components are loosely coupled, that is, an application is broken down into small components (interconnected) rather than one bulky software. Loosely coupled architecture assists in better development, performance and of course, scale.

• Conflicting infrastructure. You use AWS, but the software you have purchased runs on a different cloud. This may sound like a small issue, but it might actually end up being a deal breaker.

• Planning for the future. No businesses are alike. How come software made for one company can be plug and play for others (unless your business is not unique)? Custom software helps add credibility to your team, is extendable and adds value to the company. Custom software, or a complete suite will also help in the valuation of your company.

• Ultimate roadmap. If you are thinking big and would like to have more control over your systems then custom software development is recommended. Also, with custom development you can add new features as you go along. Considering that you would like to introduce a product having a flavor of IOT six to twelve months into the future, then fitting that into your technology stack will not be too difficult. This is especially true when you have knowledge of the future offerings.

Having said that, we have personally worked using custom software and out-of-the box solutions. Our take is that if the purpose is non-business essential and the existing solution does it extremely well then you should go for it. For example, using JIRA for software development tracking and Salesforce for your sales team. However, for your core business, you should go for custom software.

If you would like more information about custom or bespoke software development for your business, contact Dignitas Digital and send an email to hello@dignitas.digital.

Read Next: Why Custom Software is Better for Your Business Than SaaS or On-Demand Software