In the past few years, the Software development industry has experienced vast growth and recognition because of continuous innovation and technology integration. Digitization is ruling the software industry and businesses are eager to have engaging websites and apps to enhance their visibility and customer base across the globe.
The advanced trends in the software sector help businesses to analyze the customer pain points and further support in understanding the needs of the customers and future demands. Earlier building a software product was considerably enough for businesses to run but now they require a customer-friendly software product that is reliable, cost-effective, innovative, and of supreme quality, all at the same time.
In today’s time, there is an immense demand for custom software development solutions. To understand it in a better way, we need to know what custom software development is. It is a process where there are rapid and ongoing innovations that help to deliver an advanced digital product.
While discussing the custom software development process, we need to take care of numerous aspects as the process is highly organized and customer-friendly. By reading this article, you will get to know every minute detail related to custom software development and its significance in the present time. Let’s begin with the journey of developing a great customer-centric software product.
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What is Custom Software Development: A Brief Overview
In simple words, custom software development is the process to design, create, deploy, and maintaining software products or apps to satisfy particular business needs. It is designed based upon the structure and requirements of the business to help improve visibility and gain a competitive edge. Various million-dollar companies are using this customized software that helps them to lead the market. This software not only reduces the operational cost but also streamlines the processes.
Why Do You Need Custom Software?
The purpose of building custom software is to have customized and tailor-made software, app, and web development solutions that can help cater the business needs. To be precise, it helps you get what fits your purpose by offering huge flexibility. In long run, such customized software possesses huge benefits as it helps generate higher revenues and provides ease of performing business operations. It can also be distributed to the entire organization without costing you any sort of license fee; the fee that needs to be paid while installing the off-the-shelf software.
Let’s understand for which specific reasons the business needs customized software development services:
1. Automation of the Business Process
When any business opts for manual working, then the operations get delayed and so does the project delivery. It directly puts a negative impact on the business workflow. Whereas, with custom software development, the business runs on an automated business process which fastens the workflow and helps complete the project in the given time without any sort of delays. This helps decrease the cost and increase the productivity of the business.
2. To Save Your Funds
It is just a myth that the off-the-shelf software costs you less and they are much cheaper. But the fact is, in long run, the off-the-shelf software will end up costing you much more than what you have expected. There is also a license fee that you need to pay for almost all the ready-made software solutions and that too, every year or every month.
To satisfy your business needs, you are also likely to have several add-ons and upgrades in the future, that would likely increase the overall cost of the software. Whereas, in custom software development, you are not required to pay for any additional functionalities and features. Thus, it will ultimately save your funds from being exhausted unnecessarily.
3. Help Boost Revenues
Any business needs to boost its revenues for sustaining and leading the market in the long run. By opting for custom software development services from an outsourcing company, a business has access to a team of top-notch and highly skilled software professionals that convert your idea into reality. With such software, the business processes get streamlined and optimized which helps boost the overall revenues.
4. To Satisfy Business Requirements
There are some specific and unique needs of every business which are required to be addressed by experts or professionals. The tailored software solutions can effectively cater to the requirements of your clientele. The custom software support businesses to sustain the changing business environment by providing consumer-specific functions.
Once you are clear with why your business needs custom software, now, you must check how custom software can help you scale your business by realizing numerous benefits.
Benefits Of Custom Software Development
A custom software development company knows what benefits businesses can gain with the implementation of tailor-made software. There are several benefits of custom software that make the solutions robust and innovative.
Below you will get to know how custom software helps to meet the industry standards and satisfy user needs.
Ensure a high level of Scalability
There are various issues and challenges that businesses face now and then. And as a result, the sustainability and growth of the businesses get impacted. But, with the introduction of custom software, there are used advanced tools and innovative technologies that are efficient enough to meet uncertain challenges.
Therefore, it helps businesses to scale by performing well in any given situation. It makes them prepare to effectively address the challenges for improved sustainability. The custom software tools not only help the business to boost and scale but also support increasing the revenues.
Cost-Effective in Nature
When the businesses opt for off-the-shelf software, then definitely it would be a pocket-friendly move. But actually, at some time it turned out to be a costly affair because of the money you spend on extensions, updates, and various other things to keep the software updated.
Whereas, if the businesses invest in custom software development services, then it might seem expensive at the initial stage but in long run, it offers you benefits and advantages only. Businesses can get tailored software as per their business needs. They can further perform modifications as and when required. As well, it requires very less support and maintenance.
Facilitates Agility & Top-Notch Security
Custom software solutions offer the benefit of flexibility, security, and agility that help your business to move to the next level and attain immense growth. When businesses have access to custom software, then they can add numerous features and functionalities to this and make it robust and responsive.
It also lets you keep your focus on the business operations as the software is solely designed as per the business needs and therefore it can be accessed by the people who are associated with the business. Thus, it improves the security level and ensures that there is no sort of privacy breach. Custom software developers are the experts who provide you with more secured and agile software applications.
Higher Level of Adaptability
When any new software is introduced, it takes much time to let the people get adapted to it. But when there is any custom software application developed then the adoption is faster as it is tailored as per the needs and requirements of the business. Thus, the organization tends to take less time in working on the new software solution. So, there is a high level of adaptability when the business opts for the custom software application.
Better Integration
There are different software systems used for various departments and so businesses many times face integration-related issues and complexities. Hence, it directly impacts the productivity and efficiency of businesses. Whereas, when there is custom software, then it integrates seamlessly with existing systems in minimum time and cost. It helps improves the functionality of the present applications and allows better workflow.
Unlimited Customization
With custom software design and development solutions, businesses are equipped with unlimited customization facilities. They are not bound to have a limited set of features and functions which are offered in off-the-shelf products rather they can modify and add multiple functionalities to get the maximum benefit from the customized software.
Resale Value
Certain intellectual rights are there with the businesses before the commencement of the development process of the custom apps. The business that pays this fee to the software development company has complete rights on IP, trademark, copyright, and patent. Thus, if they want to make a profit or if the business demands, then they can resale the application.
Read Also: What are The Top Custom Software Development Trends?
Difference Between Custom Software and Off-the-Shelf Software
Below is the table showcasing the difference between custom software and off-the-shelf software based on various aspects. Let’s have a look:
| Basis | Custom Software | Off-the-Shelf Software |
| Purpose | To fulfill project requirements of a particular business | Standard design to cater needs of various businesses |
| Usability | Individual business/user | Multiple users |
| Cost | Expensive while purchasing but adds value to the business | Cost-effective while purchasing, but need to pay subscription & maintenance fees |
| Modifications | Can be easily modified | Difficult to modify |
| Time | Time-consuming because of additional & tailored features & functionalities | Less time consuming, only need to install once |
| Market Competition | Offer competitive edge because of customized solution | Easily available in the market, the idea can be copied |
| Dependency | No dependency on software providers | Dependency on software providers |
| Maintenance | Maintenance services offered by the development company | Require a 3rd party vendor for add-on and maintenance |
| Security | Secure encryption and protocols | Much exposed to privacy breach issues & cybercrimes |
| Flexibility | Flexible to add more functionalities & features | Difficulty in adding more features as it comes in a standard format & design |
Custom Software Development Process
When we talk about the software development process, be it any enterprise app development or website development process, it tends to be complex and much demanding. Any mistake might lead to diminish software quality and business growth. Hence, it is essential to be highly attentive, hardworking, and skillful while carrying out a software development process.
It is significant to have in-depth market research because analyzing the market trends and customer needs helps businesses to develop potential software that adds value to the businesses.
Let’s begin with the software development process with a detailed analysis of each phase:
Step 1: Idea Generation Phase
There are technological innovations that keep popping up now and then. So it becomes challenging to come up with ideas that are innovative and can give your business a rapid scaling. But there are project managers who possess innovative thinking. They are often likely to come up with ideas that can work globally and help scale your business.
There is an open discussion where all the members get involved by contributing their unique ideas. It is the primary requirement of any project to come up with an idea as all the other phases are impacted by the idea generation phase only. It plays a vital role in creating the road map of the entire software development process.
Step 2: Designing Phase
Once the idea is generated and planning is done, the next phase involves designing I.e. building the technical architecture. In this step, The technical teams work on designing the architecture of the product based on the business specifications. They also analyze what tech stack would be required to complete the project and what will be the workflow.
Basically in this phase, the product is being conceptualized through sprint planning where the huge tasks are being broken down into small ones for faster actions. At last, the designers are solely accountable for forming the structure of the product.
Step 3: Development Phase
It is the most crucial step in the complete development process. As per the SRS (Software Requirements Specification) and business needs, the developers initiate coding. As per the planned design and functionality with all the team members, the development of the software starts. It is essential to follow every detail mentioned in the statement of work (SOW) to develop highly robust and scalable solutions.
Step 4: Integration & Testing Phase
Once the software passes the development phase, it is necessary to see whether the product is working properly I.e. without any errors or bugs. If the product fails the testing phase, then it sends back to the development phase for fixing bugs and correcting errors. In the testing phase, the program is passed to beta testers to check how it interacts with the users. For this purpose, UX tools can also be used.
The QA engineers check the quality of the codes with the help of several frameworks to find out any existing bugs. With the help of the testers’ reports, the developers find out the errors and fix them which results in building a bug-free software product.
Step 5: Launching Phase
When the product successfully passes the testing phase, it is ready to release or launch in the market. Here the customers provide their feedback on the product performance and usability. This phase is the Beta release phase where the product is passed from Alpha release after testing and bug-fixing.
Once the software product is launched and the customers have started using it, the next phase it enters is the monitoring or maintenance phase where continuous support is offered to the users for future growth of the product.
Top-Notch Companies Using Custom Software Development
To understand the popularity of custom software development, there is a list of some of the million-dollar companies that are using customized software and have gained a global presence with their business model.
Amazon
Amazon is considered one of the largest e-commerce platforms that satisfy the needs of consumers with n number of services and products. At the initial stage, it was only an online platform to sell books. With technology integration and digitization, the availability of customized software and eCommerce development services has helped the company deal with products from almost every sector to meet the growing demands of customers across the globe.
Amazon offers a user-friendly platform both for buyers and sellers with its customized software. It has become the leader in the eCommerce industry with the benefits gained by using such efficient and well-defined software.
Netflix
Netflix has gained vast popularity among audiences with its high-quality video streaming content. To remain innovative and attain outstanding user engagement, the company uses custom software development services to provide a seamless user experience. To increase the number of viewers, Netflix also has an art customization feature in its customized software. Thus, when big brands look for mobile app development services, they prefer to opt for customized software that can help them satisfy customer demands in the best way possible.
McDonald’s
Across the world, McDonald’s is one the top most popular fast-food chains among people who are likely to eat fast food at least once a month. The company is recognized globally for its food menu and its rigorous services. To manage the quality of services at every store and deliver a top-class user experience, McDonald’s considered implementing custom software ideas as its core competency. Consumers can even order their food from the app with a few taps and can enjoy the services with ease.
Uber
Uber is the most common name when we talk about cab service provider companies. At some or other point, we all have used cab services for any reason. Uber gained worldwide popularity because of the effective and user-friendly services it offers to the masses.
Having access to tailored software, the company provides a seamless experience to the users who make use of the booking application. With its tech-savvy and innovative functionalities integrated through the customized software, it has the largest market share in-cab service industry with the highest user base. For a hassle-free booking experience, Uber provides a user-friendly platform to people from where they can meet their day-to-day commutation needs.
How To Calculate Average Software Development Cost?
With the integration of technology and businesses, there has been realized a massive growth in organizations in terms of revenue and user base. In today’s time, software development services are of much importance as they put a huge impact on the growth, sustainability, & profit generation of businesses. But it is also essential to check up on the budget as having custom software development services not only adds a competitive edge to the business but also costs. Therefore, the following are the factors you must check while calculating the custom software development cost:
1. Software Developer Skills & Expertise
It is the primary factor that impacts the overall cost of software development. It comprises the proficiency and experience of the developers you have hired. For this, you need to check, what is the actual requirement of your project, how many developers do you need, and how many skilled resources are necessary for the completion of the project.
2. Platform Planning
The next factor that is significant while calculating the cost is the choice of platform for the custom software development. When you are done with the estimation related to the developers, it is necessary to finalize the platform as factors like tech stack, cloud-related costs, software licensing costs, etc. are dependent upon the platform chosen only.
3. Project Delivery Time
Time is one of the most crucial aspects when you calculate the development cost. In case, if the business needs the project to be completed in a limited time frame, then the developers need to meet the quicker deadlines and thus, it increases the overall cost of development.
4. Geographical Location
It is an important parameter on which the overall cost is dependent. The location of the outsourcing partner is much more likely to affect your budget. The development costs of the two countries can be entirely different based on numerous factors. Therefore, it is necessary to select the location as per the defined budget so that you do not end up paying a much higher amount.
5. Hiring structure & method
There are various hiring models the business chooses as per their budget and project requirements. The first one is a dedicated team model, in this method, there is no fixed team but the number of developers can be increased or decreased as per the project requirement. This model is beneficial only when the requirements are highly variable and the business demands every new aspect in a very short span.
Another one is the fixed price method. In this model, there is a proper cost estimation done before the start of the project. There is a defined price structure and timeline, on which the workflow is based.
From the overall analysis of the above-mentioned factors, the average cost of software development ranges from $25,000 to $100,000+ depending upon the business requirements.
To Summarize
In the coming years, custom software development will be the need of every business. The only way to bring a revolutionized change in the digital market and to satisfy the tailored needs of the businesses, there should be customized software. Organizations must switch to offshore outsourcing to get efficient software development solutions. Countries like India are a hub of software and app development companies where you can find the best services at low costs. Custom software has become the backbone of businesses that are looking for future growth and progression as it helps deliver robust and responsive services to users.
SemiDot Infotech is a leading app, website, and software development company that can serve all your business needs with its highly customized and top-notch services. The company aims to deliver solutions that help build a great digital product and satisfy your business requirements in the best way possible.
