Most businesses do not go out looking for a bespoke developer. It’s not even a decision that’s normally done purposefully. It’s something that gets imposed on a business when the system currently being used is not good enough.
This may sound very unoptimistic. But it really isn’t. When a business hits the ceiling on an off-the-shelf system, it usually means that it is in a good position. It may be frustrating in the moment, but it is a sign that progress is being made.
The off-the-shelf conundrum
Here’s the case with ready made systems – they work on the basis of assumptions. The developers of the system had a particular type of business in mind. If your business is aligned with that, they work perfectly. Sometimes they work perfectly for years.
Where it unravels is when a business’s systems do not fit the assumptions. This includes complex pricing. Odd ordering logic. An administration process that involves three different divisions, a spreadsheet from 2017 that no one really understands, and a spreadsheet that no one really understands. Default software was not set up with that in mind, and trying to fit it in creates a myriad of drive systems. This is because it is not a good system. It is a bad system. It is a bad system because it is not a good system. It is a bad system because it is not a good system. It is a bad system. It drains a tremendous amount of time and money every week.
A bespoke programming agency Northampton businesses will hire for this type of work will begin with inquiries about the processes rather than the technology. This distinction matters more than it may seem.
Integration headaches
Many companies have unintentionally created a small ecosystem of disjointed systems where each of the components is integrated into their ecosystem. There is one location for the accounts, a different location for the stock, and orders come in through the website and are copied manually into some other location. Each of those handoffs is a point failure and a person is tasked with the responsibility of doing it every single day.
When bespoke development is done correctly, it is able to pay for itself the quickest by adding value through seamless integration of multiple systems. Although it may seem mundane, the impact from an operational perspective can greatly improve the overall efficiency of a business.
When your developer hits the ceiling
Although this one is difficult to raise, it usually comes up. A small studio or freelancer that has provided a business with a good service for 5 years may not have the necessary resources to tackle a complex application, multi-channel ecommerce, and business management software systems. This is not a criticism, it is simply the reality. A sure sign of difficulty is when phrases such as “that would be quite complicated” become all to common in a conversation, or when others are unclear why a simple task is taking longer than it should due to escalating revisions. Engaging in a bespoke programming agency Northampton means collaborating with a wider span of engineered talent who regularly solve such problems.
Creating that which does not yet exist
Some projects are of a fundamentally different nature than others. A platform. A marketplace. A scenario in which the digital product is the business as opposed to just a sales channel for it. This is the type of scenario where going bespoke from the start, as opposed to trying to bolt things onto existing tools, tends to make a significant difference.
It’s also where the spreadsheets really don’t like the investment. You’re building something unique and original so there are no direct comparison points. Trying to build a truly original digital product with off-the-shelf software is like trying to build a really original digital product using off-the-shelf software. Building an extension using whatever materials happen to be available might hold up. It also might not.
What Separates Good Agencies from Average Ones
Find out if the company employs a team in-house. Agencies that contract out work, especially offshoring, can be more difficult from an accountability standpoint, and provide a lack of long-term development project coverage. Request examples of unusual work and portfolio pieces that deviate from the norm. With a bespoke programming agency Northampton, the best ones are those that ask a lot of questions while goal-setting target to understand the core of the business, and outline the procedures before any building commences.
Their scrutiny and level of detail throughout the project should be aligned with the complexity of your scopes. Aim to gauge whether the company in your estimates genuinely understands the intricacies of the work involved.
None of this means you should blindly skip on bespoke development, when a not so custom solution can serve your purpose. However, for companies that have outgrown standard solutions, a bespoke programming agency Northampton will be worth your time. Development of an appropriate framework can yield significant improvements, particularly when the same team conducts the necessary maintenance and optimisations.
Unlike most supplier arrangements, this type of business relationship differs, and for many businesses, this ends up being the most important one.