Why Custom Software is Better

Yell at your software? You’re not alone.

If you’re a modern professional, chances are you use software every day to help with those daily tasks that keep your business running. Why? Because it helps you stay organized. It’s fast and efficient, gives you quick access to important information, and helps you communicate both internally and to the outside world.

And ideally, that fancy software package you bought would work perfectly, all the time, right? Of course. But unless you work on some other planet where your software magically knows every nuance of your particular business and adapts accordingly, it doesn’t work all the time the way you need it to. As a business owner, you likely assumed that the high price tag or the gazillions of features advertised meant that the software you were buying would mean a better experience. Instead, you’ve likely had many frustrating moments wishing it would work like you hoped it would.

Off-the shelf software takes work? Yep.

The thing is, to fully implement an off-the-shelf software system, you have to be ready to invest your time, money, and resources. There are the short-term costs of infrastructure and hardware purchases and upgrades, software installation and rollout, and user training. Then there are the long-term costs of training new users and knowledge transfer as employees move on, licensing costs, hardware, upgrades, and maintenance. Yikes.

But more importantly, no canned product sold to the masses will know or understand the unique character of your business, because it wasn’t made just for your business. So, you have 2 choices: hire a consultant to customize the software to fit your needs, or change your business processes to match the generic one-size-fits-all approach the software employs. If you are sticking with off-the-shelf software, we recommend the first choice, hands down.

So, why custom software?

Your company’s value lies in the products and/or services it provides, the talented employees behind it that deliver nothing but excellence, and your leader’s unique way of doing business that brings success. The processes that support your business are of extreme importance. They help ensure sustainable growth, repeatable success, and consistent client delivery. The software that supports your business should promote and enhance the assets which separate and distinguish you in the marketplace. Any other way would be a disservice at best, and a detriment at worst.

Custom software is like a tailor-fitted glove, uniquely designed and molded around your business. It evolves and adapts to a shifting business landscape and your changing needs. It delivers an experience that generates excitement and enthusiasm in your employees and clients. It is a tool that provides deeper insight into your business, its products, services, processes, and people. It provides well-defined and measurable benefits. It partners with your goals and allows you to fully realize and recognize the appropriate opportunities.

At Envoc, we believe software should not be a tool you use to do your job; it should be a tool that helps you enjoy doing your job—not a reason to yell at your computer monitor.



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