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Why Bespoke Software Is A Smart Choice for Your Business

August 1, 2019
You have established policies and procedures that have been evolving with your business – you shouldn’t have to shove them into a one-size-fits-all piece of software. Bespoke software, like a good tailor, takes your measurements and customizes the results so they’re uniquely suited to meet your specific needs. Bespoke software development begins with a collaborative approach to define your needs and outline your requirements. Any reputable custom software company relies on open communication to keep those requirements top of mind throughout the development process. We’re on the same team – developer, customer, project manager, (really, any STEP employee) – and we solicit feedback throughout the process so a) there are very few surprises and b) your new software does exactly what you need it to do, for a mutually agreed upon reasonable price.

ROOM TO GROW WITH YOUR BUSINESS

Off-the-shelf software is usually designed to solve a broad set of needs, whether you’ve been in business five minutes or five years. Bespoke software, on the other hand, can be engineered to meet your business needs now while creating opportunities to grow and change along with your business, to give you a technical advantage. At STEP Software, we work with our clients to implement a phased approach that means you only pay for the features you need now, with the freedom to execute the next phase when it makes sense to do so. You get the immediate benefits and can skip the cost of unnecessary extra functions that look nice on paper but don’t have real ROI for your business. We can help you determine a task’s worth and adjust the solution accordingly.

STREAMLINE OPERATIONS WITH A BESPOKE SOLUTION

Compromise is widespread when buying off-the-shelf software. And there are many excellent off-the-shelf software packages that you can buy and then adjust your business processes so they are aligned with the software. But what if it worked the other way? What if, instead of an employee making a thousand incremental adjustments, your software was flexible and streamlined operations? What if the software was built around the way you do business, not the way someone else thinks you should? No one knows your business better than you do, and that’s why we focus on customer-first methods that identify your challenges up front and offer flexible, effective solutions. 

It’s also much easier to add custom features to a bespoke software solution than to modify something that casual users think is adequate but doesn’t quite suit your situation. You can pick and choose until you get it just right. 

BESPOKE SOFTWARE IS EASIER TO UPDATE AND MAINTAIN

It can be frustrating when software intrinsic to your business has a seemingly random release schedule. New features may be added that bring value to a lot of users, but perhaps you’re not one of them. Bespoke software means our development team is ready to deliver the features with the most impact on your team and your bottom line. We keep the code tidy so it’s easy to work with down the road, and we work with your dynamic, results-focused requests to keep everything functioning as expected. 

EXPLOIT NEW TECHNOLOGY USING BESPOKE SOFTWARE AND IOT

IoT is more than a buzzword (buzz-acronym?). The Internet of Things is opening doors for people to manipulate technology in new, remarkable ways. To be brief, the Internet of Things is simply the label given to devices that can communicate with each other over the internet, devices that can be remotely controlled and monitored. If you have IoT-capable technology in your business plan, bespoke software can provide the necessary architecture and control settings to execute your IoT vision. We connect your devices, on your terms. 

The growing pains that come with building a functional IoT network are nothing to sneeze at (but bless you anyway, just in case). With each new device that is added, the number of required connections jumps. Your devices may all connect to one controller, say an Alexa or Google Assistant product, keeping things relatively simple as long as Amazon or Google don’t change their IoT functionality. As the proliferation of things requiring an IoT connection continues, you may find yourself with a multitude of devices that require a stable, reliable control/management setup. And that’s when we can help. 

Check out the math in this table showing the number of devices connecting directly to each other via a network and how many connections are required: 

Whether you are already using IoT in your business or are exploring your IoT options, we can work with your technology requirements and build software to enable you to manage your network, whether you have three devices or three hundred. There are IoT opportunities popping up all over the place, and a forward-thinking company who can make use of the technology would be remiss not to explore it. 

CONCLUSION

There is, of course, no strict rule saying bespoke software will be best for your organization. But with benefits like this available to move the needle at your business, it’s worth spending some time working through the fine print to discover how custom software can power your business’ ongoing growth and, more significantly, your ongoing success.

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