Is Custom Software Right For Me?

by Katherine

Not sure if custom software is right for you? Here are some common reasons people choose us to build something especially for them:

These spreadsheets are driving me crazy

Don't get us wrong, spreadsheets are a great way of analysing your data and are brilliant for creating graphs and charts. They also let you have the power to change what you want, when you want without jumping through hoops.

However, using spreadsheets to store your data often leads to questions such as 'which is the latest spreadsheet?', 'who changed that cell?', 'who has locked the spreadsheet?' and 'whose turn is it to make the tea?' OK, perhaps not the last one, but in our experience trying to make sense of spreadsheets and how they are associated leads to headaches that only a good cup of tea can fix.

Here's where we can help. We will take away your dependency on spreadsheets and implement a database application where you will only have to input data once, never worry you are looking at the latest information and give you an audit trail of who did what. Then we will hook up a connection to Excel that will allow you to create as many graphs, charts and reports as you like but pulls the data from your shiny new application! Best of both worlds - flexible reporting and a robust source of data.

I love my existing system but it's no longer up to scratch

Sometimes even well established and effective software needs a bit of TLC. Perhaps your current software fit the business perfectly a few years ago but things have moved on, the company has grown, diversified or perhaps you just fancy a change.

Re-developing old databases in the latest technology can result in huge performance and usability improvements. We also ensure that the look and feel of our applications is modern and intuitive making the application inviting and simple to use.

We will take a look at your current software and discuss the reasons why you love it and also the parts which get you frustrated. We will then work with you to identify the way you would like to be working and how the new software should support your business. We build all our applications in well known, robust Microsoft technologies ensuring that your software will always be supportable and flexible to grow and change with your business.

I can't find anything that does what I need

Perhaps your business is unique in what it does or you can't find existing software that fits your business? Maybe you are fed up of working the way your software dictates rather than the other way round? With almost 12 years' experience in creating custom software we feel qualified to claim that we can help!

Over the years we have built a range of applications for our customers ranging from training, manifesting and logistics to sales, recruitment and specialist engineering systems. Our customers range in size from the large multinational company with thousands of employees to the local small business round the corner.

Our customers choose us because not only are we brilliant at developing applications (if we do say so ourselves!) but we have the experience and skills to really understand your business. This combination of skills allows us to build software that meets your needs perfectly.

I hate escalating licence costs

For some companies licence costs can take up a huge part of their IT budget each year. Software that starts off just being used in one office can quickly spread throughout an organisation and for large organisations this can mean buying hundreds or thousands of licences.

This is where having a custom application can really benefit - you own the software. It's yours, you can add to it, change it, integrate it and roll it out to as many users as you like, locally, nationally or globally. It's yours and we won't charge you any more if you roll it out to 20, 200 or 2,000 users. Take one of our case studies as an example, they rolled out their software to over 650 users in more than 40 countries. If they had bought a large ERP application this could cost more than £700 per person in licensing alone, not even taking into account any customisation or set-up costs.

Before I get too carried away I should highlight that the use of Microsoft SQL Server (i.e. the database which holds your data) does have licensing costs. However most large organisations have this covered by way of a SQL Server Processor licence for example, which means all users are covered at no extra cost. For smaller companies you may need to buy some SQL Server licences but at around £100 a licence it can still work out more cost effective. Sound interesting? Get in touch and we can discuss how we can help.