Why Custom Software?

Indy Chamber News Archives

In today’s technology rich world, you might imagine that everything worth doing may have already been done. Why pay to re-invent the wheel?  Surely there is a company out there that has already done what you want to do, right?

Well, maybe. There are some things that software already does very well. We would not advise you to write your own version of Quickbooks, for instance. If you really are doing the exact same process as hundreds of other companies, then most likely you do not need custom software.  In fact, it can be helpful, in some cases, to find an off-the-shelf solution to meet your needs.

The choice to build a custom software solution, as opposed to purchasing off-the-shelf software, is never easy. The decision is often a bold (and scary) step that is taken when an organization decides to strengthen its market position with processes and ways of doing business that revolutionize their industry.

When done correctly, custom software sets an organization apart from its competition and brings exceptional value to its customers (and suppliers) with efficiency and effectiveness.

At WDD, our custom software development services revolve around the Iterative methodology with a focus on the delivery of a Minimum Viable Product (MVP). An MVP approach is not a massive undertaking that immediately solves all possible and future problems with a company – it is a calculated process that tackles a company’s most pressing challenges first, and then continues to add improvements, or creates the foundation from which to continue to grow and evolve.

After the first MVP is in place, we fine-tune and iterate it to continuously improve an organization’s performance and operations. It incorporates flexibility into a changing marketplace and client needs. Since an organization is never heavily invested in one complex solution, it is able to adjust its software and internal processes to quickly respond to new advances in technology and market conditions.

Finally, custom software has the ability to provide more than just an improved organization workflow. It becomes valuable intellectual property (IP) with the ability to set the organization apart from its competitors. That uniqueness creates tremendous value to the organization and all of its stakeholders. Any organization would be well served by considering what the long-term value of custom software might provide.