Sooner or later, many growing businesses hit the limits of their spreadsheets or a piece of software that almost does what they need. The choice is usually between buying an off-the-shelf product, adapting one, or building something bespoke. Each has a place.
Off-the-shelf software
- Pros: available now, lower upfront cost, tested by many other customers, and the vendor handles updates and security.
- Cons: you adapt your processes to the software, you pay ongoing subscription fees, and features you need may never arrive.
Bespoke software
- Pros: built around how you work, can connect directly to your other systems, and can become a competitive advantage.
- Cons: higher upfront cost, takes time to build, and you are responsible for maintenance, hosting, security and future changes.
A middle route
Often the best answer is off-the-shelf software for standard jobs (accounts, email, HR) plus a small amount of bespoke work to connect systems or fill one specific gap. Many products have APIs that make this possible.
Questions to help you decide
- Is what we do genuinely different from other businesses, or are we just used to doing it a certain way?
- Does an existing product cover most of what we need?
- What will it cost over five years, including subscriptions, development, hosting and support?
- Who will maintain bespoke software if the original developer is no longer available?
- How will we get our data out if we change our minds?
If you go bespoke, protect yourself
- Agree in writing who owns the code and intellectual property.
- Make sure you have access to the source code, or an escrow arrangement.
- Ask for documentation and automated tests.
- Agree how security updates and hosting will be handled after launch.
- Start small: build the most valuable part first and expand from there.
If you buy, check the exit
Before committing to a subscription product, find out how to export your data and in what format. Our guide to cloud data exports and exit plans covers what to ask.
When to speak to BMT
If you are weighing up bespoke development, our software and app development team will tell you honestly if an existing product would do the job better. Call us on 0161 672 7461 or 01706 391 047, or get in touch online.
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