There is very little doubt about how custom software application development can help companies to register stellar performances. Whether it is a startup or a Fortune 500 company, custom software tools and applications have decisive and enduring effects on business processes, project completions, customer experience, and the organization’s bottom line.
However, it is not as simple as it sounds. If it were just about getting a custom software solution for your operation, we wouldn’t see 90% of all startups failing and established enterprise struggling to get to breakevens. Having custom software tools and applications is not enough. You also need to guarantee that they offer something more than commercial readymade tools and applications.
It is particularly difficult for small-to-medium-scale enterprises to consider and proceed with a custom software application they dream of. The consequences of a failed custom software application development entail some irrevocable damage. Large organizations might endure the wastage of time, money, and resources in unsuccessful custom software development. However, it can prove to be detrimental to the existence of small-to-medium enterprises.
This post will discuss why proceeding with custom software development is a tricky rope to tread. We will also provide a solution to all those business owners who have envisioned a custom software system but haven’t implemented it.
Why Custom Software Application Development Fails?
There are multiple reasons why organizations fail to execute and capitalize on their custom software development plans successfully.
Custom Software Application Development Fails Due to Lack of Vision
An organization can’t pull off successful custom software development if it is operating on herd mentality. This means if you want a custom software system just because everyone is developing one, odds won’t be in your favor. It suggests that you are starting custom software development without any well-thought-out vision.
Keep in mind that custom software application development is a time-consuming process. You need to huddle with other members of the decision-making team. You have to find out why you need custom software development in the first place, what pain points it is going to address, will it be cost-effective than the readymade options, and how it will help the business grow in the long run. All this brainstorming helps you come up with a vision for your custom software system.
When a well-defined vision powers a custom software development, it starts from the right point, heads in the right direction, and is more likely to conclude at the desired destination.
No Required Expertise on Board Makes Custom Software Application Development Difficult
It has been observed that many organizations expect too much of their in-house IT and software teams. They presume that in-house teams can develop custom software systems and applications with the right resources at disposal. This overestimation often leads to botched up custom software development plans.
Developing custom software systems with unique features and attributes is an entirely different ballgame than making boilerplate applications. If you have envisioned a state-of-the-art bespoke software solution for your company, you can’t just delegate it to your in-house team as a secondary project.
Even if the in-house team manages to develop a custom software solution, it will be inundated with bugs and glitches that render it virtually useless for delivering any meaningful work.
Abysmal Turnaround Also Makes Custom Software Application Development Difficult
While organizations overestimate their in-house IT and software human resources, they underestimate the completion time of the development. Custom software application development involves many variables. You can’t take care of them beforehand, especially when working with an under-skilled development team.
In-house teams also find it difficult to meet the lifecycle deadlines because they already have too much on their plate. If you have tied your operations with the delivery of the custom software development, those delays often result in downtimes. This can set off a chain of delays across different deliverables.
Spiraling Costs Hurts Custom Software Application Development
Unlike movies where protagonists can use a simple laptop for the biggest of tasks, you need to invest a lot in network and hardware infrastructure to build a custom software application development system from scratch. On top of that, these costs are not fixed. As you proceed to the next stage of the development cycle, these costs can spiral.
How to Overcome Custom Software Development Challenges
You can take these two approaches to realize your dream of having a fully custom-built software system for your organization.
Assemble a Dedicated Custom Software Application Development
If you don’t suffer from budget woes and have time in your hand, you can assemble a dedicated custom software application development team. Keep in mind that it can be a long-drawn-out process. You may have to go through many rehiring iterations to eventually put together the right set of people for delivering you the custom software system you have envisioned for a long time. Having an in-house software development specialist also involves a substantial recurring outlay covering their salaries and benefits.
Hire a Well-Reputed Third-Party Custom Software Application Development
The other option is to outsource the realization of your custom software dream to third-party specialists. However, you need to be very diligent in picking the right software development team. Otherwise, it can also lead to many of the unwanted consequences and disasters mentioned above.
When vetting a third-party custom software application development service, look at their portfolio. See what type of development lifecycles they have run in the past. A good third-party software development team offers a particular timeframe beforehand for the project completion instead of keeping things tentative.
Lastly, make sure that the custom software development team you hire follows a comprehensive Software Development Lifecycle (SDLC). Its SDLC should include business requirement analysis, ideation, prototyping, designing, reviewing, testing and QA, deployment, training, and maintenance & support.
Working with third-party vendors is particularly a good move for SMEs because they don’t have to deal with another overhead stream.
If you want to make your dream of having a custom software system a reality, get in touch with Microsys. Our software development specialists work with a 9-step comprehensive SDLC. This workflow ensures you get an optimized custom software solution to fulfill your operational requirements.
Microsys’ mission is to deliver affordable and high-quality digital and technology solutions that enable small, medium, and enterprises to scale their businesses more efficiently.
2 thoughts on “Challenges of Custom Software Application Development and How to Overcome Them”
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Thanks for this post. I really found this very helpful. This post will definitely help me overcome some of the custom software development challenges I’ve been facing lately!