Custom Software
Development

When should you consider custom software development?

An off-the-shelf solution can be a more affordable, faster alternative to custom software development, and depending on your requirements it may be the right solution for your business. There are several scenarios where custom software development is more suited, depending on the uniqueness of your business, whether it is for internal use, or if it is your own IP you are looking to commercialise and own. Top things to consider include:

UNIQUENESS OF YOUR OPERATIONS

Often, in an attempt to roll-out a solution quickly and save costs, organisations try to fit an off-the-shelf system, promising industry best practice, around their unique business operations. Which is the exact same thing their competitors are doing. With an off-the-shelf solution, feature development is driven by the software provider, and that may or may not be in line with the direction of your business. If you are looking to build on the uniqueness of your business and differentiate your company, or sell your solution in the marketplace, then custom software is a good option and will allow you to drive feature development.

HIDDEN COSTS

A common issue we see with organisations who choose off-the-shelf software is insufficient integration. Inadequate integration results in staff having to enter and maintain information in multiple systems without a single source of truth – a productivity nightmare. Off-the-shelf solutions also have ongoing licensing costs, which can be as expensive as maintaining your own solution. If you need to share data between business systems, then custom software may actually be a price competitive option. 

THE CUSTOMISATION TRAP

With most off-the-shelf solutions, meaningful customisations can be expensive yet compromised, as you need to work within the constraints of the product. Adding or subtracting features could lead to too many or too few functions for your company. When choosing a product option, customers need to be sure that most of the business functions are available either out of the box or via configurations that can be done by a number of providers. This way you get, and pay for, what you need, and you are not tied into one vendor.

Why should you consider custom software development?

A software system tailored to your company’s specific needs, with a focus on scalability and efficiency, will mean the difference between offering a commoditised service or a highly differentiated one at a more profitable price. If you are considering a custom solution, here are a number of ways custom software can benefit your business:

INCREASED PRODUCTIVITY

A system that is specifically designed with your needs in mind will enable your team to work faster and smarter. One integrated software platform, rather than separate software systems, will yield major efficiency gains as all the data is in one place and staff don’t have to switch between different systems to get their work done.

COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE

A custom system that is fit-for-purpose and built to your specific business operations will provide the flexibility to outperform your competition and drive your product strategy. This advantage continues to grow the more you invest in your proprietary system.

IMPROVE CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE

A custom solution will help leverage the unique value add of your business. A tailored and intuitive portal will improve the overall experience your customers have with you, creating loyalty, delivering a customer first strategy and driving revenue.

We have a history of delivering innovative Custom Software Development solutions through our Unique Delivery Methodology

How it will work:

Throughout our over 27 years of experience, we have developed the Solentive Practical Agile Methodology (SOLPAM), which combines Design Thinking, LEAN and Agile Methodologies. Our methodology ensures that we set your project up for success by tackling the right problems and starting with “why.” We recommend beginning the journey with a Project Vision, which allows us to truly understand your business, gain insights, set expectations and reduce risk. We tailor our iterative delivery approach to your unique business.

Who you’ll be working with:

• Business Solution Consultants: Through workshops, customer interviews and research, our Business Solution Consultants are experts at extracting, capturing, and communicating your unique requirements in a clear, concise way that ensure that you achieve your overall business objectives.

• UX / UI Consultants: Our UX / UI Consultants ensure your end-users receive more engaging, intuitive, and easier experiences when interacting with your brand.

• Technical Consultants: Our Technical Consultants are passionate about technology and how it is transforming the world and the way we work. They will provide technical guidance and advice to develop and implement an innovative solution that will improve your organisational efficiencies.

• Software Engineers: Our Software Engineers are the best of the best. They have experience across many industries and various technologies.

• Project Support: You will have a dedicated Project Support Team who will ensure your project runs smoothly.

• Quality Assurance Testers: Our QA Testers ensure your solution is bug and defect free before going live, giving you the confidence only the highest quality software is in production.

Our four company values underpin our culture and encompass what it is to be part of the Solentive family: Simplicity, Curiosity, Brilliance & Community. We have a way of working together that is rare and is why people enjoy working with us and for us.

Frequently asked questions:

How much does a custom software development project cost?

This is a difficult question to answer as it depends on the complexity of a project, and building software is a complex process. Typically, to do custom software well takes an investment of above $100k. We recommend starting a new project with our inception process known as a Project Vision, which typically costs between $10,000 – $20,000. A Project Vision allows us to gain insights, set stakeholder expectations and reduce risk.

Do you use offshore resources?

We pride ourselves on being a 100% Australian-based company. While offshoring your technology project could appear to save you time and costs, in our experience the disadvantages of offshoring out weigh the benefits, with many clients approaching us after failing to hit the mark with an offshore custom software development team. Choosing an offshore company could lead to communication and cultural barriers, not to mention the problems navigating different time zones. Using an onshore company allows you to have more visibility as to who the software developers are, and ultimately the quality of their code. Software is only cheaper if it works – if the quality of the project is poor, it will need to be redeveloped, costing you much more in the long run.

What is the SOLPAM methodology?

The Solentive Practical Agile Methodology (SOLPAM), combines Design Thinking, LEAN and Agile Methodologies. In our over 25 years of experience, we have found that the one size fits all approach rarely works. A project is much more likely to be successful when using a flexible approach that caters for the uniqueness of your business.

Do you offer support and maintenance?

We certainly do! We offer a range of high quality onshore support and maintenance services that help you transition into production and safeguard you into the future. Depending on your technical expertise, we can complement an in-house team, or provide full, 24 hours support, 7 days a week and take away the headache of managing the solution.

How is privacy and confidentiality assured?

We have NDAs and Confidentiality Agreements ready to sign as required by you. All our employees are bound to the Confidentiality Agreement laid out in their contract, which they sign upon starting with Solentive.

Who owns Intellectual Property of the developed custom software?

Our clients 100% own their Intellectual Property (IP*.) This is clearly expressed in our contract agreements and can be referred to at any point before, during or after a project. *Definition, IP means any proprietary knowledge including inventions, trademarks, practical applications of good ideas, designs and implementations resulting from intellectual activity in the industrial, scientific, literary or artistic field.

Things to consider before embarking on a custom software development project:

COST

Whether you decide on a custom software system, or an off-the-shelf system, the first hurdle might be having sufficient funding behind you. An off-the-shelf solution may seem like the cheapest option, but modifications and customisations could quickly make your budget spiral out of control. There are many different technology options available depending on your budget and timeframe needs. It is important to be clear about your budget constraints upfront, so your provider can ensure the solution they come up with is as commercially viable as it is technically. 

STAKEHOLDER BUY IN

Before embarking on a custom software development project, it is important to have a clear business case to support your custom solution, including engagement from key decision makers and the right governance structure. At Solentive, we believe the key to successful software development is engagement and collaboration. Ensure your software provider understands this and can help you on the journey with board buy-in and change management, as well as technical elements of your project.

CLEAR OBJECTIVES & REQUIREMENTS

Defining clear objectives and requirements that have the customer view in mind, will ensure you build the right system to meet your business objectives. User testing, in real-life scenarios, will help you in avoiding inaccurate requirements. Ensure your software development provider has a clear process to incept your requirements and test them with your end users. This will avoid the traditional issues of building software that doesn’t provide real results. Build software right, but also build the right software.

EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION & EXPECTATION MANAGEMENT

Transparency and communication between client and software partner are integral parts in making a custom software project a success. Ensuring a communication plan is in place will help keep both parties aligned throughout the process, and ensure expectations are managed on both sides. Guarantee strong communication by adopting a governance structure that involves all levels of stakeholders and covers all stages of the project adequately.

MANAGEMENT OF “UNKNOWNS” & SCOPE CREEP

Managing dependencies during a project is essential. Breaking projects down into Sprints, and having regular check-ins to communicate progress, ensures everyone is on the same track and can help reduce Scope Creep. Poor planning and managing unknown unknowns, are key contributing factors to project failure. Collaborative planning and alignment from strategy down on objectives and scope is crucial before kicking off a project.