Custom or commercial software: which one to choose for the site?

 There are many variables involved when deciding whether to adopt customized software or existing commercial software for your company.

 In this article we will talk about the difference between commercial software and customized software, that is a customized system, which takes into account the work processes and the particular needs of a company; finally evaluating the pros and cons of both solutions.

 Why does the need to adopt management software arise?

 The software is used to organize work procedures efficiently, it is a fundamental activity for any type of company; obviously on the market there are different types of management software with various features and functionality.

 Management software applications are fundamental in the organization of work procedures, in any type of company. These IT systems allow you to efficiently manage the various activities the company deals with, optimizing time and resources.

 In the absence of a complete management system, the company often carries out various activities using different programs that do not communicate with each other and do not synchronize data; the result is that the various steps and links between the data must be done by the staff, with consequent loss of time, use of human resources and an increased risk of error.

 Think for example of a large repair shop that uses simple spreadsheets to keep track of all the work done, the payments that have taken place and those on hold, the appointments and the staff employed in each activity: at each new commission it should check the calendar program to plan the activity, that of the work already carried out to find out if this customer has already made any interventions, that of the warehouse to find out if the necessary pieces are available ... With a management software it could have all the data organized in a in one place, monitoring both the technicians' work and the customer's profile.

 These considerations reveal the need to adopt management systems capable of simplifying and speeding up work processes, using resources more efficiently and significantly limiting human errors.

 But how do you choose the one that best suits your needs?

 The first need is to choose the most suitable system for the type of activity that the company will have to organize, analyze and monitor. There are standard software that can be purchased ready for use, or customized solutions that are developed ad hoc based on specific work needs.

 So, do I adopt commercial or customized software?

 Going to find out what the digital market offers regarding your business needs, we will certainly find commercial solutions more or less adaptable to your needs; finding standard programs that can be used in all the companies in the sector to which they refer. In some cases, however, the need may arise to have a customized system that meets the specific needs of a specific company.

 Let's think, for example, of an already well-structured reality, which offers a unique product or service. Our company may not want to compromise with the pre-set logic of commercial Customized ERP Software's in Dubai, because it would mean adapting and reviewing the working processes based on the functionality allowed by the software. Then you may feel the need for a customized system, which has some precise functionalities and takes into account your already established working methods. In this case, it can make customized software, choosing all its features.

 Commercial software: pros and cons

 Commercial software are designed to be adaptable to different contexts, they are generally full of features that tend to be generalist.

 Compared to existing procedures within companies, if a commercial solution is adopted, the process of adapting its procedures with respect to the insertion of commercial software is more impactful.

 This is because commercial software was not designed to meet the needs of your company, but more generally it is designed to cover more diversified needs.

 Probably also the times of the company staff are wider for the use of the tool, due to the differences between the operating procedures of the companies and the type of use of the tool itself; obviously this translates into a higher cost of personnel in using the tool.

 Having made these considerations, however, by adopting commercial software, we can evaluate the following positive aspects:

·         Speed ​​of implementation. The software being already existing allows to make it immediately usable within one's own reality.

·         Certainty of the product . By choosing the type of software among the various available, you know for certain the functions that will be managed.

·         Cost monitored . We immediately know the economic effort and the related annual management costs (always if we do not ask for changes to the product from the parent company).

 Custom software: pros and cons

 A customized solution, on the other hand, is built according to the customer's specific needs and has the great advantage of being able to implement numerous features, opening the way to new opportunities.

 Deciding to implement custom software, however, is not the easiest thing to do. The client must immediately have clear ideas on the activities to be implemented within the customized software.

 In general, before creating the software, time is dedicated to carrying out together with the client the detailed project of the functions that are intended to be realized.

 The project is carried out together with the figures involved in the client's production process; and only once validated, the implementation of the software starts in a strategic and efficient way.

  CMS to manage a website

 Software of this type is usually also implemented on the website, thus offering the possibility to manage all the contents from a simple control panel. This is an interesting aspect especially for those who have an e-commerce connected to a site to be updated regularly and at the same time must manage e-commerce activities: update the product catalog, check orders, shipments, payments, the warehouse availability.

 There are many solutions on the market for CMS (Content Management System), it is up to the company to understand which one is the most suitable according to their needs. The commercial CMS are already set up with the basic functions and ready for use, generally they however require to adapt their project and the idea they have for the site to the existing templates, offering limited possibilities for customizing the layout and functions. If instead the choice falls on a customized CMS, it is the software that adapts to the needs of the company and not vice versa: it will be built with all the desired functions in order to simplify and speed up all the work processes based on the specific needs of those who will use.

 The Customizer

 A customized CMS is the indispensable solution when standard software does not reflect one's needs or requires too much effort to adapt. It is necessary above all when there is the will to integrate complex functions, such as connecting different warehouses, sharing lists of products and customers, having dedicated systems for customizing product pages. Finally, a personalized CMS allows you to have valid technical tools to optimize the site for search engines and SEO, ensuring good online visibility and smooth and responsive navigation for users.

 Based on these needs, we have chosen to use a custom CMS in Linkomm too, creating The Customizer internally, the management system implemented in many of our production sites.

 The Customizer is a stable architecture that allows full freedom in the management of the website and the e-commerce system, since it is built precisely on the basis of the already existing structure. It offers a wide range of features that are not preset, but made ad hocfor the specific activity of the customer, combined with a practically infinite possibility of modifications and updates that follow the technological evolution. The simple and intuitive use of the platform puts the customer in a position to be able to manage every aspect independently from the first access, and to have at his disposal a competitive system that guarantees excellent performance and a valid partner, useful for the development of his business. .

 A conclusive evaluation

 At this point in the article, we can conclude by making an assessment of the different aspects of a customized software:

 1. Efficiency

 Customized software is built on the basis of the working methods already implemented by a company, considering the critical points in the process and the activities to be speeded up or improved. It is therefore created with unique features, which are not normally available in common standard software.

 Thanks to the structure designed ad hoc, together with the customer, the system allows you to manage your work in a simpler and faster way, allowing you to reduce the time spent on management and free up human resources for other activities.

 2. Times

 Commercial software is made in series; therefore it has the advantage of being immediately available and ready for use. On the contrary, customized software must be made specifically, so it takes some time to develop and test the various features.

 3. Costs

 The cost of customized software is generally higher than that of a standard system, but this expense is then reduced by the considerable increase in productivity that entails its use over time.

 4. Update

 The commercial software is updated by the software house, the customized one can be modified on request without having to wait for the next available update  

 5. Integration

 By designing customized software, where it is necessary, it is possible to maintain already existing and optimized management pieces, simply by integrating them into the new software.

 6. Scalability

 One of the strong points in the realization of customized software is the full scalability of the same.

This is a very positive factor, given the continuous growth of companies.

Knowing that the software that is created is predisposed to future changes, additions and upgrades, allows us to work with strong planning with respect to the company's future growth.

 If you have come this far and are interested in learning more about these topics, do not hesitate to contact us: Linkomm is at your disposal for advice and to design software with your specific needs.

 

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Customized management software

 Custom-made or Out of the box? In simpler words: better custom or standard software? Management software can take various forms, from the most to the least complex and expensive, and assessing which of these is the most suitable for the individual company is not a simple thing. Entrepreneurs, managers and internal representatives could be instinctively led to opt for standard solutions with low cost and less impact , and sometimes the choice can prove profitable, but often - especially in the most complex business situations - the customization needs can become essential. But what does it mean to customize an ERP system? And above all, beyond the advantages, what can be - if there are - the risks hidden behind a customized path?

Tailor-made management software: two schools of thought

 The debate on the customization of the management software, particularly heated in recent times, compares equally legitimate positions, but based on different perceptions and needs. On the one hand, there are the supporters of the Out of the box packages, standard solutions that do not require particular adjustments and which, especially in the face of the latest technological developments, can be easily and highly parameterized; on the other, fans of customization, or of the application in the various realities of packages totally sewn on the body of the company. The former base their preference on the low cost of the option (obviously compared to non-standard solutions), on the simplicity and speed of integration in the corporate environment. For the advocates of customization, however, the customer remains a priority, with his needs, his specification and his desire for competitiveness. But which one is right?

 A complex scenario made up of numerous variables

 The answer is easy: nobody, actually. Because, in hindsight, the right and more balanced position on the matter lies in the middle. As always. If both reasons for the two opportunities remain true and justified, it is equally clear that the picture does not end here. Optimize application times, rely on simple solutions to implement, reduce costs and maintenance needs to a minimum (and consequently the TCO), avoid lengthy support and training courses by the vendor, limit the need for assistance: they are all plausible issues in a corporate framework and certainly standard management software can meet in this sense. If we add that the Customized ERP Software's in Dubai provide the customer with a series of best practices imagined precisely to lead the company towards the best implementation of the new processes, it is clear that a non-customized solution can still effectively respond to numerous needs .

 But it is still a non-optimal path, which may not be adequate for all realities. Particularly complex and articulated business sectors, in fact, do not always manage to model themselves on rigid or in any case difficult to shape management software. For them, savings needs do not justify the use of standard solutions that may already be used by the competition or unable to adapt to the peculiarities of the case: that's why customization often becomes a must.

  What does it mean customized management software in practice?

 The choice, in any case, is not necessarily said to be radical. Given precisely this wide range of possibilities, you can in fact go from a particularly simple customization, made of parameter configurations on advanced but still rather standardized packages, up to real "tailor-made" models designed - for anything that cannot be satisfied with the pre-packaged solutions, which in any case generally always play an important role - based on specific business needs. A mix, therefore, of functionality, aimed at creating a harmonious substrate on which the business activity can best flow.

  A path not without risks to consider

 Given therefore the importance, especially in some sectors, of customizations, the gaze must be placed - and the role of the System integrator in this sense is fundamental - on costs (not necessarily economic) and any risks that customization could entail. What the company must keep in mind when embarking on a path with customized management software is that designing a "tailor-made" package means, for the consultant, knowing perfectly the company's needs.

 This obviously translates into the need to proceed with an extremely in-depth analysis of business processes and dynamics: a step that a good System integrator will still have to face, but which in this case is totally suited to imagining innovative, customized and specific solutions for that business. It will therefore be necessary to foresee long preparatory activity times, aimed at mapping company values, waste and identifying all the steps, especially the most critical ones that underpin the production processes. Customizations will not necessarily have to be introduced and applied all immediately (this will depend a lot on business needs): a possibility to avoid a longer running-in time can be to start from the heart of the software and then combine various features, but this option will also entail inconvenience, tying the firm closely to the consultant for longer times .

  This relationship will be necessary and very important to favor a better application of the management software, but the more it will be based on complex skills to be transferred to the staff, the more complex and long it will be to manage. The basic element that companies must take care of to avoid unnecessary risks in terms of productivity will therefore be the competence and ability of the System integrator to quickly imagine the best solutions: it must therefore be an expert consultant in the specific business sector, it will have to prove itself constantly open to listening and analyzing the needs of the company and will have to be able to make all its knowledge available to the company. Only in this way can the customization of the management software be based on guarantee premises, avoiding future risks in terms of bad process management.

 We must not forget, as already mentioned, that the Customized accounting software packages, beyond the economic costs they impose for obvious reasons, are complex and difficult technological functions : they require specific and qualified skills also from a technical point of view and above all impose timing not always adequate for the fast needs of the most advanced businesses.

  A world that goes in one direction

 All these assessments are the basis of the growing disaffection of companies towards highly customized solutions and the growing success of parameterizable solutions: that is, based on standard foundations but equipped with parameters that can be configured according to the needs of the case. Statistics now seem to give success to this type of management software, but it remains true that, in many cases, it is not trends that prevail, but needs. Many particularly critical processes continue to require specific customizations, beyond the possibility of parameterization: the essential is that the companies that opt ​​for this way are aware and aware of the consequences, from longer implementation times to higher costs, up to the need to review the budgets in the upgrade and training items. A good consultant, net of everything, can only prove valuable in this difficult decision-making process.