Purchasing Custom Software: A Buyers Guide
by Administrator
Posted on 08.03.2007
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If you are not a
programmer by profession
or do not staff a team of
talented developers to
create bleeding-edge
software applications, it
might be time to start
exploring custom
applications. Out-of-the
box software can be
useful, but limiting. Even
worse, you may be
paying for features you
will never use.
Understand Your Business and
Industry Trends
If you can find off-the-shelf functionality that
meets 80-100 percent of your business process
needs, you should buy the software. The problem
is that when most people buy functionality externally
it doesn’t fully meet their needs. The result
is a lengthy and expensive process of customizing
an existing application.
So how do you know when a custom software
application is the right choice? There are several
indicators.
If your business is unique, meaning no software
exists to support specific functions or
your enterprise has outgrown (or over utilizes)
the software solutions you currently employ, it’s
time to get a custom project off the ground.
Furthermore, if your business is an enterprise
that can differentiate itself through a proprietary
process or unique service, it is likely that an offthe-
shelf application has not been developed to
manage the business effectively. “Too often people
purchase software and then spend more to
make it do what they want versus starting with a
custom software application,” says Roy Chomko
of Adage Technologies.
While custom software may not be a perfect
fit for all companies, it does have the potential to
help those with a true need take advantage of
their strengths. “When considering software to
resolve business issues you have to look at what
makes your business unique and whether the
software you are considering can improve on
that process or service,” says Chomko. “Most
off-the-shelf software is built to solve simple
and straightforward problems encountered by
many businesses.”
The advantage of developing a custom software
application is that you, the buyer, get to
work directly with the developer — gaining complete
control of the end-product, if you’re prepared.
However, if you do not outline very
detailed specifications you simply will not get
what you hand in mind.
Time is Money
Custom software can be expensive and time
consuming to create. Applications that most of
us use each and every day (e.g. Microsoft Word)
have a great deal of resources (time and money)
invested in them. As such, it is important to
realize that the dividends will be based, at least
in part, on the quantity of investment you initially
provide.
One reason for the seemingly high initial cost
of custom software is that, when done right, the
application will adhere to industry standard software
development methodologies — containing
ample code documentation, end-user documentation,
database schema documentation, etc.
“Having these measures in place ensures that the
business is not beholden to one provider's intimate
knowledge,” says Shahnul Islam of Agility
Networks. “If the developer moves out of the
industry, goes out of business, has changes in personnel
etc, the business can ask for help from
other developers who can take the helm for fixes
and enhancements without having to spend an
inordinate amount of time getting up to speed
with the application.” In short, the key to
future-proofing the investment is to standardize
as much as possible.
But you are a business owner and in the
end one of the primary influencing points will
be cost. While price will vary greatly based on
the complexity of the project, to obtain an
accurate project quote simply offer the developer
with as much information as possible.
“A detailed requirements gathering phase
leads to a more complete project scope document,
and this results in a happier customer
as well as happy developers,” says Islam.
But not all custom software needs to be
all-encompassing. Need something done yesterday?
“Set realistic development goals, have
both parties agree to them and stick with
them,” says Chomko. “If you absolutely need
something done fast, remove as many features
and functions as absolutely possible to make
sure you meet your go-live date, leaving time
for testing and review.”
What to Bring to the
Development Table
Most valuable to developers are insights into
how the application will look and function.
“What really helps are wire frame designs and
page layouts,” says Chomko. “Wire frames
are simple diagrams (these can be completed
with a tool like Visio or even a simple pencil
and paper) that include the layout of the page,
information you would like included on the
page, and links or buttons that will be on the
page. Descriptions of what will happen when
the links or buttons are clicked are very helpful
in understanding the ‘events’ that can
occur on a page.”
Chomko suggests another aspect vital to
the early development process: the creation of
a site map, representing the pages that are part
of the application, created in Visio or even
PowerPoint. He also suggests that if you are
currently utilizing any existing solutions (a
database tool like Microsoft Access) it is helpful
for developers to review working copies, as
it helps to determine the scope of the project.
Finally, give thought as to who will have
access to the application and how. Planning
for security roles early in the process is important
because it affects the entire application.
Custom Software Expectations
When you set out to buy a custom software
solution, the specifications you outline are the
baseline from which the developers start
working. Create detailed specifications and
you'll get a better representation of your initial
ideas. Create a rough outline and you'll
most likely receive a deliverable that is not
exactly what you had in mind. The lesson
here should be that good results require participation
from both sides.
“If you care about the results, then you have
to be involved through the process or empower
a trustworthy employee to make sure it
meets your expectations,” says Chomko. “It is
imperative that those interacting with developers
[are] familiar with the goals and requirements
of the system … developers are not
mind readers and need to be given exact
details on how your business works.”
The way to ensure that you receive the
software that will work for you, your enterprise
and your consumers is to understand
the scope of your own project. Specifications
that fit the bill typically include detailed modeling,
for example, block flowcharts. When
designing specifications, it's imperative to
consider flexibility and scalability to accommodate
for future growth and unexpected
changes to the system. A great deal of care
should be spent setting out specifications for
the project that takes these issues into consideration
as well as the design, function and
security of the software application.
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