Custom Software Development
Sometimes, A Customized Solution Is The Best Solution
Oftentimes, an organization wants or needs a software solution that cannot be purchased 'off-the-shelf'. Perhaps there is no existing software that effectively meets all of their business requirements. Or, perhaps the company serves a very specific niche, or they have developed unique ways of doing business that differentiate them from their competitors. Or, there is an off-the-shelf solution that meets most of their needs, but the cost of having it modified to fulfill all of their requirements exceeds the cost of developing a custom solution that precisely aligns with all of their needs.
Additionally, the user licensing and annual support costs of pre-packaged software are usually far greater than the operating costs of custom software, which, because they own it, doesn't require user licenses or expensive support contracts.
​
And as the organization grows and business requirements change, a custom solution can be modified in an affordable manner to meet changing needs. With off-the-shelf software, the organization is often forced to either 'live with' a solution that doesn't quite align with their requirements, or invest heavily to have it modified.
​
By working closely with each client to gain a deep understanding of their business objectives and functional requirements, we are able to design and develop an affordable customized software solution that precisely meets their needs, thereby delivering an exceptional return on their technology investment.
Systems Integration
Most companies use multiple pieces of software to operate, automate and grow their business. When working with an organization to design a new technology solution, we help the client identify which existing software can be cost-effectively replaced by the new solution, and which software should remain. By strategically maintaining and leveraging some existing technologies and eliminating that are deemed unnecessary, we help the client minimize the scope and cost of their new solution, and maximize the return on their overall technology investment.
​
When building out the new technology solution for the client, we seamlessly integrate the new custom solution with the surviving existing software, with the goal of creating new operating efficiencies by streamlining business processes, as well as eliminating duplicate data entry and the errors it can cause.
​
The majority of modern software now includes what is known as an API (Application Program Interface) that facilitates and accelerates integrations efforts. Whenever possible, we leverage API's in order to minimize the cost of integration.
Business Process Re-engineering
When an organization implements a new technology solution, this serves as an opportunity to identify operating inefficiencies and re-engineer existing business processes in order to realize additional returns on their technology investment.
Businesses will often suffer from ‘tunnel vision’ when it comes to their own business processes, not recognizing the inefficiencies and redundancies that have developed over time. We are able to apply a fresh set of eyes when working with the client to identify processes that can be improved as part of the functional design of the new solution.
​
We encourage our clients to involve front line staff in the process of determining the functional requirements of a new solution, as they often have the most intimate knowledge of existing business processes. And their engagement in the project will likely help encourage their buy-in and adoption of the new solution.
Reporting & Analytics
Tap into the Power of Data
Another area where companies can reap significant additional value when implementing a new technology solution is by taking advantage of the significant amount of data that it will generate.
​
In our experience many organizations focus too much on how technology can be used to improve operations, and not enough on how the data that this generates can be leveraged via robust reporting and analytics.
​
As they say, "Information is Power", and by leveraging this data, a business can uncover insights and opportunities that can further increase the return on their technology investment.
​
Adding robust reporting and analytics capabilities to a solution is usually less time-intensive when compared to other areas of development, but the benefits can be significant, thereby increasing the overall ROI of the solution. This is why we always encourage our clients to include robust reporting and analytics capabilities as part of their solutions. This can include 'canned' reports, a custom report writer, as well as the ability to export 'raw' data that can be further analyzed using spreadsheet software.