Level-Up Your Business Using Customized Applications [2020 Updated]

Modern businesses need unique systems that enhance their proprietary and strategic value to stay competitive.  Businesses built on vanilla operating procedures can’t differentiate from the competition in most cases.  At the same time, evolving customer, regulatory and environmental demands will force even very similar companies to operate with very different patterns.  Business software must support and enhance these differences and in many cases this requires custom applications. 

What is custom software? Custom software, also known as bespoke software or tailor-made software, are information driven applications specifically developed for an organization to operate in ways that are specific to their workflows and data structures. 

Here are 7 Reasons Why Your Business Needs Customized Applications 

Custom software applications fits your business 

Unlike off-the-shelf software, one of the main advantages of using custom software applications is to gain features the precisely reflect the way a business works. Most off-the-shelf software is difficult to modify or can only be configured in simple ways that might not get exactly what’s needed. When properly implemented, custom software applications allow you to change or develop your software as your business grows without running into inherent limitations of an out-of-the box approach. In other words, businesses can control how the system evolves as new requirements arise. 

Custom software applications create differentiation 

On the surface, commercial off-the-shelf software may seem cheaper and easier to use because it’s mass-produced.  However, generic software can be easily imitated by competitors and they may well be using the exact same tools to match pace. Custom software applications create opportunities to develop proprietary models for serving clients, can increase the value of intellectual property and be leveraged to communicate a unique value proposition to the market. 

Custom software solutions can have long-term cost-benefits 

Utilizing custom software solutions can be more costly at the beginning, yet can often be worth it in the long run.  As off-the-shelf software may be cheap upon initial purchase, accepting limitations in the tools can create operating inefficiency that leads to increased costs.  In addition it’s likely that customization will eventually be needed and may incur high costs to work around technical limitations. 

Custom software applications are versatile

Few business leaders have a perfect vision of where their company will be a year out, let alone 3, 5 or 10.  As companies grow and change, requirements shift and new software features will surface. An ideal custom software application supports the ability to quickly support external and internal changes.  Off-the-shelf software may be great today and often can’t meet the needs for the long haul causing disruptions when it needs to be replaced. 

Custom software applications integrate well 

The best software doesn’t just operate in isolation, it connects to information from other internal and external systems to provide visibility and continuity while limiting the need for redundant data entry. Customized business solutions can be built to simultaneously integrate business operations and automate many functions of an organization.  Because the workflows and information of every business follow unique patterns, this kind of integration can rarely be achieved without highly tailored software. 

Custom software applications increase productivity 

Software tailored to the precise workflows of a business and its workers will reduce wasted effort, eliminate errors and provide the data required to analyze and optimize processes. Custom software applications, when properly developed and deployed, reduce the noise created by unnecessary features of off-the-shelf software, allowing users to focus only on the task at hand. 

Custom software application promotes independence 

When companies rely heavily on third party packaged software, their needs for upgrades and improvements in the tools typically get queued up with the demands of many other clients.  As a result, improvements may take months or years.  On the flip side, leveraging custom software applications allows for independence and self direction in getting the features needed for applications to drive business results. 

Low-Code Platforms provide customization without the hassle 

While it’s not hard to see the benefit of customized software applications, the risks and challenges of developing them can seem overwhelming.  It’s no surprise that low or no-code platforms have emerged as the major thrust for achieving business applications tailored to precise requirements.  These platforms allow for a very high degree of customization and integration while reducing the cost,complexity and time of development. 

As a leading low-code platform, designed for information driven business applications Quickbase can get organizations of all sizes up and running with highly tailored solutions quickly and with little requirement for technical expertise. 

MCFTech will help you learn how to take your business to the Next Level with Custom Applications built on Quickbase  

MCFTech provides Application Development Services for companies large and small to help get software that’s designed precisely for their needs. 

Feel free to contact us to learn how you can bring your business to the Next Level with low-code Custom Software Applications built on Quickbase.