What is Custom Software Development?
Custom software development is the process of designing, creating, and deploying software solutions, tailored to meet the specific needs and requirements of an individual client or a company, rather than using ready-made or commercial software products.
Through this process, the development teams work closely with the clients to understand their workflows, pain points, and areas for improvement. And then, they either create new applications from scratch or modify and extend existing software.
Why is Custom Software Development Important?
Companies prefer to go custom for many reasons, mainly related to flexibility and security, the possibility of more integrations, and greater independence in terms of design and functionality.
Numerous reports and studies from trusted companies such as Forrester, Gartner, and McKinsey & Company prove that opting for custom software development services is a strategic investment that delivers significant business benefits and is important for several key reasons:
- Improved Business Efficiency.
According to a study by Forrester, businesses that invest in custom software development can see a 200% ROI within the first year with significant improvements and operational efficiency. Custom development involves adding new features and extensions that can be easily integrated with the existing systems and workflows, streamlining processes, and increasing overall productivity.
- Competitive Advantage.
A McKinsey & Company report found that top innovators who utilize custom software are 62% more likely to outperform their competitors in terms of revenue growth and profitability. Unique, custom-built software can provide capabilities that standard products may not have and win more customers. Businesses, open to new initiatives like migrating to the cloud or leveraging artificial intelligence and machine learning, are more likely to become number one.
- Tailored Functionality.
Organizations that choose custom software development are 6x more successful in meeting their specific requirements, which common solutions cannot adequately address. Custom software can be designed to provide exactly the features and capabilities the client requires, without the overhead of unnecessary functionality.
- Enhanced Data Security.
Larger companies don’t feel comfortable with the indirect relationship to cybersecurity risk that commercial products present. They think such software includes potential vulnerabilities, out-of-date code, or cyber exploits, which can expose businesses to cyberattacks. About 60% of smaller companies, in turn, mistakenly believe that their business is unlikely to be a target of cybercriminals. Yet, as a result, 25% have suffered from a cyberattack or data breach and lost business. In contrast to commercial, typical products, custom-built software can provide up to 50% better data security, better meet local data privacy requirements like GDPR rules, and be easier to integrate with the company’s larger enterprise security environment.
- Scalability and Flexibility.
Obviously, companies that use custom software are twice as likely to adapt to market changes and respond to new opportunities quickly. Dedicated software is designed to scale as your business grows and adapts to changing requirements over time.
These benefits do not come without trade-offs. Unlike typical off-the-shelf solutions, you will have to spend an average of months to a year planning, designing, coding, and testing a custom app before it is ready to go live. Even then, you may have a minimum viable product (MVP) or a product that still requires additional features, bug fixes, and ongoing maintenance.
Now, as we discussed the benefits and some limitations when building a custom product, let’s focus on the effective approaches to achieve better outcomes.
Tips and Tricks to Maximize Your Success
It’s not a secret that over 90% of technology projects fail and don’t deliver any measurable ROI. Some companies achieve 33% less than the expected impact from their digital efforts. Why do they fail so much and how to avoid this? Here are some tips and practices that can help while developing custom software.
Clearly define your requirements
The goal of any product is to solve users’ pain points cost-effectively and conveniently and provide a solution far superior to what they have today. However, as we see in the cartoon below, every stakeholder involved in the project may face challenges when determining what their customers really need. As a result, requirements are not well defined and documented.
Depending on the nature of your project, you will need to spend significant time and resources capturing, defining, and documenting your functional and non-functional requirements, user personas, and desired outcomes. This clarity will guide the development team, ensure alignment, and prevent scope creep.
The right choice of techniques is the foundational step here helping avoid common pitfalls and failures. You can identify requirements by interviewing end-users or stakeholders, using focus groups, or providing end-users with prototypes to see the pain points and efficiently address them ahead of time.
Choose the right development approach
The most popular approaches in software development include waterfall, agile, and hybrid. About 62% of IT companies choose Agile methodologies for custom software development. The approach allows for greater flexibility, reduces time to market, and improves collaboration among teams. In addition, companies consider adopting an Agile framework such as Scrum or Kanban to promote iterative progress, constant feedback, and flexibility for changes.
To choose the right approach, you should assess your project’s characteristics, objectives, complexity, etc. The table below summarizes the pros and cons of each type:
As you can see, the waterfall is best suited for large, complex projects with specific, immutable product requirements documents and design specifications that are resistant to change. Agile, in turn, is more flexible and encourages ongoing client or stakeholder involvement in the project, providing regular feedback and adjustments.
Prioritize user experience (UX)
Focusing on user experience (UX) is no longer just about placing a button in the right place on the page or choosing the appropriate icon. There has to be a holistic review to ensure that the solution experience is easy to use, innovative, and consistent for users across all product groups.
To start, you should invest in comprehensive UX research, prototyping, and testing to create experiences that are intuitive, engaging, and accessible. A well-designed and visually pleasing user interface (UI) is also necessary as it works with UX to satisfy and interact with users.
Cultivate a collaborative partnership
Custom software development is a collaborative effort based on strong partnerships. To establish a productive working relationship with your development team, you should encourage open communication, transparency, and shared accountability.
If your in-house team experience or resources are limited, you can outsource software development. Working with an experienced vendor can give you access to a pool of top talent, proven methodologies, and cutting-edge technologies, as well as help you throughout the entire software development lifecycle, from ideation to deployment and beyond.
Test rigorously
McKinsey’s researcher identified that best-in-class software players are twice as effective as average performers at producing high-quality code. They achieve such excellence by viewing software quality in terms of ten core principles: strategy and management, development and testing, capabilities, and mindset.
Take a look at the table below. It presents quality assurance from the perspective of these beliefs and can help every company create and deliver high-quality software.
Another integral component of software development is security testing. It focuses on identifying and eliminating security vulnerabilities and protects against malicious attacks, unauthorized access, and data leakage. Implementing strong security measures, complying with industry standards and regulations, and continually monitoring and testing the security posture of your solution are top priorities when developing custom software.
There is one more critical point we’d like to emphasize. Low-code automated testing has become a modern, thought-after approach that minimizes the need for coding, provides better test coverage, and facilitates continuous testing to ensure consistent, reliable, and secure custom software delivery. If you need to transition from manual testing to automated one, low-code centralized tools like Testlum can become the simplest and most cost-effective option.
Plan for post-launch support
Custom software development doesn’t end with the initial launch. As software becomes more sophisticated, it requires further customization, maintenance, and extension. So allocate resources for updates and support to ensure your solution continues to meet evolving business needs.
Additionally, it is recommended to establish clear processes for user feedback, bug fixes, and feature enhancements. Consider a modularity approach to balance rising costs and risks, and design your custom software with scalability in mind.
Leveraging microservices architecture, containerization, and cloud technologies are not just trends, but your solution to evolve and adapt to changing business needs. This will protect your investment in the future and simplify maintenance. AI, cloud computing, cybersecurity, advanced connectivity, and generative AI contribute to the businesses’ rising tide.
Conclusion
Your business deserves a tailored digital solution that integrates seamlessly with your workflows and processes. Custom software development services can provide the perfect “fit” – a solution designed to amplify your strengths and capabilities, empowering your business to adapt, innovate, and thrive – not limit it with generic off-the-shelf tools.
Partnering with KnubiSoft, one of the top custom software development companies, can help you unlock new opportunities for your business and develop a solution that gives you a distinct advantage in today’s ever-changing market.
If you want to learn more about developing a successful custom product, please contact us at sales@knubisoft.com