Off the shelf software or custom build?

Posted on | September 17, 2008 | No Comments

When setting up a web application, owners have 2 choices. One is to use an off the shelf software, the other is to custom build.

Specification

Off the shelf software are easily setup and deployed. You will be up and running in hours, if not minutes. They are backed by many development cycles with continuous feedback from users, bringing continuous improvement to the software. The software is designed to fit all sizes. There will be features which you might not need for your company or features that are unique to your company but are not fulfill by off the shelf generic software.

On the other hand, custom built software is designed based on input from the owners. System will be tailored to the way your company operates. Learning curve is smoother for your users. It will be easier for them get used to the system.

Cost

Off shelf software would be reasonably priced. Because it is meant to be a repeat sales item, the price is kept lower. The cost of development is distributed across all buyers. Usually there will be upgrades, updates and patches available for free or for a small subscription charges. Again this charges is being shared across all buyers.

Custom built software may or may not appear cheaper up front compare to off shelf software. In additional to the development cost, there is the maintenance charges for new feature or enhancement. Frequently, the cost for enhancement is more than the initial development. In a entire live cycle of an application, there will be consistent updates, enhancements as new needs arise. This is unavoidable.

Design from scratch requires a lot of input from the owners because frequently the developers does not know your operations well enough. Time is also incurred for the communication of specification to developers and testing of system.

So Custom or Off the Shelf?

Making a decision will depend on

your budget
ability to communicate software requirements to the developers
software that you have review. Do they fulfill your needs? Are updates provided frequently?

It would be best to have a balance. For example, the off shelf software could be extensible, customizable with plugins. When updating the main software, your customized codes will not be affected. This provides you with a system that is frequently updated and yet customizable to meet your operations needs.

No TweetBacks yet. (bookmark