Key Benefits of Custom Software Development

I wouldn’t place any bets whether there is a single business in this country today not using some form of software to run their business. Is there anyone out there not using Microsoft / Mac office software and some form of webmail to run their business? If there are, I’ll buy you a steak dinner. So, is there ever a need to go beyond “off-the-shelf” software to run a business? The answer is much more complex and demands an understanding of your business and expected outcome of the effort, or discovery. If we’re asked to build an application system that’s going to save a business $1,000 a month in operating overhead, and it’s going to cost $100,000 to build the solution, this is not an appropriate use of capital, but if it saves your company $10,000 per month, now we have a reason to talk.

Building custom software for your enterprise can bring an incredible efficiency to your enterprise. Not only can it streamline much of your enterprise, it can also bring a significant boost to employee productivity, making for happier employees and managers, and yes, even stakeholders. Other benefits include:

Reducing Operational Overhead:

This one goes without saying, but it is the single biggest driver that determines whether a custom software project should even be considered. The math is simple, if you can spend a $1.00 in coding development that yields at least a $1.00 in productivity, then it’s at least worth discussing. In the coming weeks, we’ll be posting some blogs about what “productivity” really means, both quantitative and qualitative.

Enhanced Customer Support:

This is a rapidly growing trend. Consumers and clients alike want instant support and access to your company personnel, whether through chat or online direct communications and they want information fast. We recently developed an application allowing a CPA firm, dealing with highly sensitive information and social security numbers, to communicate directly with their clients through the cloud, share documents and files, all using very secure SSL encryption. The CPA loved the outcome, as did the clients. Not only did this increase productivity and speed-up communications between the firm and its clients, it also opened the marketing door creating value for new customers looking for a firm. A win-win for everyone.

Custom software is not for every enterprise. Although there are exceptions, especially when a company is disrupting a specific market segment, many start-ups do not need custom software, but the signs the point to a need are usually the same. You are either becoming increasingly frustrated with your current solution, the software you are using today is no longer getting the job done, or as we’ve seen in some situations, you have people spending excessive amounts of time using Excel or some other software, in ways it was not intended, to create the information you need. If this describes you, then you are a candidate likely in need of a custom software solution.

Does your company need software technology to grow? WebStar can assist you with superior web application development services. We develop in numerous platforms, including, but not limited to, .NET, SharePoint, PHP, numerous e-Commerce platforms such as Shopify and Woo Commerce, along with Joomla, WordPress, JAVA, to name a few.

To learn more, contact our Phoenix office at 623-845-2747.