Pros and cons of customized apps and software

 2017-12-08

There are some very obvious benefits that businesses of all sizes can enjoy when they create custom apps or software. These include scalability, better organization and increased productivity. However, these are pretty generic and can be attached to more or less any new tech development.

In order to look at the real pros and cons, we need to get deeper:

Security

Data security is one of the most important reasons why businesses need to start investing in custom apps and software - especially if your app will contain a lot of personal data. Without customization, you leave yourself wide open to threats and breaches of security. Customized apps eliminate such threats through a combination of security measures and data encryption. Customized approaches also meet the requirements of various OS and APIs.

Customer service

By customizing apps/software, you can build in a strong and successful personalization strategy with each client. You can track the individual preferences of each customer and make personal offers to cater their needs. Creating relationships with clients has never been easier!

Competitive advantage

It is possible to differentiate between promotions and new functions can be added with relative ease. Ready-made solutions are far more stagnant and not nearly so flexible. You want complete control over what your app does and when it does it. Ultimately this will give you a competitive advantage and bring your business into the 21st century.

An investment in yourself

When you create a custom app, or a custom piece of software, YOU become the owner! An off the shelf solution never gives you full control and will never do everything exactly as you want it to. Bespoke apps and software can develop alongside your company – at the same pace and according to your own personal preferences.

While these are all great reasons for investing in custom software and apps, there would be no balance if we didn’t have cons with our pros:

Time

Time is possibly the biggest disadvantage of custom software and app development. When you buy an off the shelf version, it is ready to go almost immediately, however when you tailor make a customized solution, there will be many processes to go through and it could take weeks or even months to get off the ground! Bug fixing, changes in strategy and improvement of design are all things which may delay the launch of the final product. However, on the flip side, you are not insured from bugs while using ready-made solutions and these bugs may slip through and cause catastrophic errors.

Cost

It is obvious that customized software requires more money to develop. There is a far longer process involved and as you are the owner, you are responsible for the cost. Budgets are often blown as strategies are redeveloped and changes are made. However, it is up to you to decide whether more money at the beginning of the process is worth it for your own unique customised solution!