Businesses nowadays rely on software of various types for their day to day operations. While many of the software they use are off the shelf solutions, there are some that develop their own custom software based on their unique requirements.

At first glance, you may think that custom software is something that only large corporations require – but that simply isn’t true. In fact businesses of all shapes and sizes stand to benefit from it.

If you want to know exactly how developing custom software can benefit your business and take it to the next level, here are the advantages that it can bring to the table:

• Tailor-made to meet your business requirements

Custom software is literally built specifically based on your requirements and in line with your business processes. In other words, it will have all the features that you need and will be designed to solve all the problems that your business may face.

Due to the fact that it is tailor-made, it can help to optimize your business processes. The same cannot be said of software that is off the shelf, as in most cases you’ll need to adapt your business processes to suit it.

• Scalable and flexible

The custom software that you develop can be designed in such a way that it takes into account not just the current requirements of your business – but its future needs too. Because of that, it can scale as your business grows and expands.

On top of that custom software can also be altered and modified at any point. The extent of the alterations (and their cost) will depend on your agreement with the custom software development company – but it is definitely more flexible than most readymade software.

• Lower costs over time

Although it is true that developing custom software requires an upfront investment, in the long run, they very often work out cheaper than readymade software. That is primarily due to the fact that there’s no need to worry about recurring fees, licensing, or additional hardware is required.

Another reason bespoke software can be more cost-effective in some cases is that it can take the place of two or more readymade software. Additionally, you won’t end up paying for features that your business doesn’t need.

• More secure

Generally speaking, custom software is more secure than its readymade counterparts. Commercial software is available to everyone, which makes it vulnerable to attacks. On the other hand, custom software will only be used in your business, making it more difficult to crack.

More often than not hackers don’t see much benefit in attempting to attack custom software. It is less attractive than attacking readymade software that is used by numerous companies.

• Can be maintained for longer

One of the main reasons why businesses (especially large ones) prefer custom software is that it gives them full control over its maintenance. It lets businesses continue to maintain and use their software for as long as they need it – which isn’t the case with readymade software.

If you use readymade software, you’re essentially tied to the company that makes it. Should the company choose to stop maintaining or supporting the version of the software that you use, your business will have to migrate to a newer version or to different software.

• Improves productivity

Aside from all its other advantages, custom software can also be a powerful tool to improve productivity. In part, it can boost productivity by optimizing business processes and ensuring a smooth workflow. Furthermore, the software can be designed to automate certain tasks that would otherwise have to be performed manually.

At the end of the day, the exact amount that custom software can improve productivity will depend on various factors.  That said, there should undoubtedly be some improvement – especially if the software is designed specifically with productivity in mind.

Think of custom software as a solution that is tailor-made specifically to meet your requirements, solve your problems, and fit the needs of your business like a glove. Don’t be put off by the fact that it requires an upfront investment as the payoff that you’ll get in terms of its benefits will definitely make it worthwhile.

Now that you know the benefits that can be gained by developing custom software, the next step is to look at what kind of bespoke software your business could use. Be sure to define exactly what your business needs from it, and what you expect it to do.

After you’ve done that you can go ahead and start looking for software development companies that you can hire to create the project. Try not to rush into anything, however, and carefully research various companies, narrow down your options, and discuss your project in-depth before coming to a final decision.