Custom system or off-the-shelf software? How to make the right decision
Not every company needs its own system. Sometimes off-the-shelf software is perfectly adequate - and sometimes it forces the company to work against its own processes. Here is how to tell these situations apart.
When off-the-shelf software is the better choice
Ready-made programs - accounting systems, CRMs, task management tools - have one huge advantage: they work right away. They are the right choice when:
- the company's process is standard and similar to that of thousands of other companies,
- the program covers the vast majority of your needs without workarounds,
- the company is ready to adapt to the way the program works,
- the number of users and the volume of data are not growing quickly.
When a custom system is worth considering
- The process is your competitive advantage. The way you serve clients, prepare quotes or deliver jobs sets you apart from the competition - and no off-the-shelf program reflects it.
- You work in several programs at once, and someone retypes data between them by hand.
- Workarounds have become the norm. Part of the work happens in spreadsheets next to the “main” program anyway.
- Different roles need different views and permissions that the off-the-shelf tool does not provide for.
- You pay for features you do not use, while the ones you really need are missing.
Five questions that help you decide
- What share of our process does the off-the-shelf program handle without workarounds?
- How much work will still happen outside the program?
- Will the program let us grow, or will we be looking for something else again in a year?
- Who will own the data, and is it easy to export?
- Do we need integration with the programs we already use?
The middle ground
The decision is not always black and white. Often the most sensible approach is to keep proven tools - for example, your accounting software - and build a system that handles the rest of the process and connects to them. The company does not have to give up what works, and manual data retyping disappears.
The key: process first, tool second
The most expensive mistake is choosing a tool before the company has described how it really works. A process map shows whether an off-the-shelf program is enough or whether a tailor-made system is needed. The honest answer may also be: in this situation, do not build anything, buy a ready-made product. If you want to hear that answer for your company, book a consultation.
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