Why develop a custom software ?

Developing a custom software represents a strategic challenge for the digital transformation of any company. Indeed, the development of a custom business application allows to answer a real need with various and evolving technical solutions. With the cloud, more and more softwares are becoming web applications, including business software. These cloud solutions benefit from advantages that traditional software packages do not have.

 

What is a custom software ?

Why develop a custom web application ? What types of solutions fit the development of a custom business application ?

 

A software designed to meet a specific need

Custom software is designed to meet a specific business need. In concrete terms, it is generally not necessary to consider a custom solution for common needs such as :

• Membership and user accounts ;
• E-commerce websites ;
• Analytics tools ;
• Marketing tools ;
• Development of software for commercial management, accounting, invoicing or fixed assets, etc.

On the other hand, when your needs go beyond the standard framework and no tool on the market can answer your problem, it becomes necessary to opt for a custom development. This type of software is developed to be totally adapted to your professional activity, whatever it is.

Moreover, custom development does not necessarily imply the development of a software or a web application from A to Z. It can indeed be a creation, but also a modernization or an evolution of an existing software.

The term custom development also refers to the creation of software interconnections or the addition of certain functionalities. In this case, it is a development of add-ins. You can then adjust your business application to the evolution of your company.

 

Various technical solutions

The technical solutions provided by custom development are very varied and applicable to many types of projects :

• Platforms and web portals ;
• Custom ERP and business softwares ;
• Institutional websites ;
• Web or mobile applications ;
• Intranets and extranets.

There are also different uses and types of hosting for custom applications :

• On-Premise solution, on your own infrastructure ;
• On the Cloud, in SaaS or on a private cloud ;

The cloud has many advantages, including the potential for significant scalability as your business grows. The emergence of new needs sometimes requires the development of new features. But with a custom cloud solution, these will be easily implemented.

A cloud-based application is very smooth to use, deploys quickly and is accessible to all users via a simple web browser. Also very flexible, it can be easily synchronized with your current ecosystem. Castelis offers support and implementation of your cloud solution with the deployment of a MACH architecture.

Our custom solutions use the MACH architecture which is based on 4 fundamental principles :

• Micro-services : each component has a specific functionality, which can be developed and deployed individually.
• API-first : development of applications that are scalable and promote interconnections and integrations with each other.
• Cloud-native : i.e. designed and deployed in the cloud.
• Headless : no link with a specific front-end, you can develop as many user interfaces as you want (e.g. website, mobile app, widgets, etc.).

 

Specific development vs. software package: what are the differences ?

The use of standard software is necessarily limited. It was created to accomplish general tasks and to meet a common need. Therefore, it is most often not adapted to the type of activity of a company. Most of the time, these software packages cannot evolve with the company’s growth. This poses a problem and can force you to change software if it cannot integrate new functionalities.

In addition, the cost of a software package is generally higher in the long term than for a custom business application. The purchase of licenses or the payment of a recurring subscription, for example, for SaaS solutions are not very economical if the solution is to be kept for a long time. Therefore, you should always compare the cost of licensing over the duration of use of a SaaS software versus the cost of developing a custom software and choose the option with the best ROI.

The development of a customized software on the cloud also includes the ability to grow the solution with the business. And that’s its major advantage. There is no longer any problem integrating functions that have become indispensable as your business grows. Changes can be made without affecting your entire IS and without interrupting your services.

 

What are the advantages of a custom business application ?

Customizable and streamlined, custom software development has many advantages.

 

Customized development : an evolving and adapted project

The development of a custom business software is a project that is designed in agile mode. It is divided into different stages to deepen the reflection, facilitate decision-making and determine what best suits your needs. This allows an optimization of the design and development costs.

Custom web and mobile development is the perfect answer to the company’s problems and organization when the solutions on the market are not adapted. This design mode allows you to propose proprietary tools for which you hold the entire intellectual property and is accelerated by Open source bricks available and updated by the community. It offers many possibilities of scalability.

A custom web application is integrated into your IS and its interface in an ergonomic, secure and efficient way. It is perfectly adapted to the existing technical environment and takes into account the UX and UI to ensure a satisfactory user experience.

 

The personalized application : a project for the company’s performance

Customized software allows for increased productivity. By automating a certain number of processes, it offers employees the opportunity to focus on important tasks. This is a significant time saver that affects the efficiency and profitability of the company.

The cost of this type of project is therefore controlled. The web application corresponds completely to the specific needs of the company and does not contain any unused functionality, unlike off-the-shelf solutions that cover common needs first. If new needs appear, it will evolve to meet them.

A business application can therefore simplify the daily life of all the actors of the company and its customers. It is a relevant tool to automate processes in order to gain in productivity and economic performance.

 

Need more information or specific support? Contact us, Castelis’ custom development experts are at your disposal.