 | The Best Approach to Develop Custom Software |
Getting custom software developed on the surface can seem like a very simple thing. The customer sees something that he needs and wants it done. However, what the customer may not realize is what is involved which in turn equates to the cost of getting customized software developed.
Custom software can be a rather tedious process. It involves a lot of details and these details should be outlined on paper. Depending on the client's needs, that can determine which approach may be best. In many cases there are off the shelf software that allows a developer to make modifications to it.
However, when it comes to modifying existing software packages a lot of factors also depend on what the vender allows a developer to do with their proprietary software and any development kit that is part of their software.
Custom software can be a rather tedious process. It involves a lot of details and these details should be outlined on paper. Depending on the client's needs, that can determine which approach may be best. In many cases there are off the shelf software that allows a developer to make modifications to it.
However, when it comes to modifying existing software packages a lot of factors also depend on what the vender allows a developer to do with their proprietary software and any development kit that is part of their software.
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When meeting with a software developer keep in mind that we develop software and websites. We may not know the exact software you are currently using or familiar with it. We know how to create new software or modify existing software from another company or vendor if the vendor allows that to be the case in their software package. If it is the case, then we can make adjustments to it however there is also a learning curve that we may also need to accept.
There are millions of software products that are on the market or have been custom made for businesses. In the case it is old software that you are trying to modernize, we may not be able to instantaneously convert it to today's standards. There is a process involved. Here is more information on converting older software to newer software.
What we try to do is evaluate what you have, what you really need and what we can do for you within your price budget. Some software is very sophisticated and the cost to convert it can quite large and out of your price range. End users may not realize the 1000's of hours that some software company used to create the product that they bought. They simply think that it cost $299.00 off the shelf at the store and therefore it should not be a big deal to work with. However, the work behind to create the software that they bought can be quite extensive. It may be a better approach to buy proprietary software that also allows a developer to modify.
An example of proprietary software would be SmartBoard software for the education industry. This sophisticated software allows you to create templates to help kids learn through visual interaction. These templates are set up by the user of the program and can be customized thoroughly. Now to create similar software package can take a very long time and can be extremely expensive to a customer. The customer may not want to go that route. However instead, since it is rich in features, a developer may need to create specific learning templates through the use of scripts to accomplish a specific lesson plan. This sought of program is like a program within a program. The actual software is used to create interactive templates but these templates need to be programmed and there is a learning curve for even a top notch software developer given if the developer is not familiar with this particular software package.
There are many software existing software packages out there that allow full customization's through them. Another example is SBT Accounting system. This is a programmer's friendly accounting system that allows a developer to make custom changes to their software to meet the specific client's needs. It comes rich with features and would be cheaper to a customer than to have a full blown accounting package developed from scratch. In this case, you buy the generic accounting package from SBT and then hire a developer to customize it for your business needs. This can save a lot of time and expense involved.
Frequently, we are approached by someone who bought an old software program rich with features but only a small fraction of those features are being used. Now they want to bring the software up to date. It would cost less to do a conversion on only the main features that are being used, not the whole software package. This also keeps the cost down.
One goal as the development process is going on, and updates are being given to the end user, is for the end user to see a reduction in time spent doing redundant tasks. This is one form of making money with custom software
When it comes to designing software whether from the ground up or from an existing package out there, things definitely will take time and a learning curve may be necessary both for the client and for the developer. In a few instances, things won't be done overnight. Either way, when approached by someone who needs software design; we then try to evaluate the best approach possible.
What we try to do is evaluate what you have, what you really need and what we can do for you within your price budget. Some software is very sophisticated and the cost to convert it can quite large and out of your price range. End users may not realize the 1000's of hours that some software company used to create the product that they bought. They simply think that it cost $299.00 off the shelf at the store and therefore it should not be a big deal to work with. However, the work behind to create the software that they bought can be quite extensive. It may be a better approach to buy proprietary software that also allows a developer to modify.
An example of proprietary software would be SmartBoard software for the education industry. This sophisticated software allows you to create templates to help kids learn through visual interaction. These templates are set up by the user of the program and can be customized thoroughly. Now to create similar software package can take a very long time and can be extremely expensive to a customer. The customer may not want to go that route. However instead, since it is rich in features, a developer may need to create specific learning templates through the use of scripts to accomplish a specific lesson plan. This sought of program is like a program within a program. The actual software is used to create interactive templates but these templates need to be programmed and there is a learning curve for even a top notch software developer given if the developer is not familiar with this particular software package.
There are many software existing software packages out there that allow full customization's through them. Another example is SBT Accounting system. This is a programmer's friendly accounting system that allows a developer to make custom changes to their software to meet the specific client's needs. It comes rich with features and would be cheaper to a customer than to have a full blown accounting package developed from scratch. In this case, you buy the generic accounting package from SBT and then hire a developer to customize it for your business needs. This can save a lot of time and expense involved.
Frequently, we are approached by someone who bought an old software program rich with features but only a small fraction of those features are being used. Now they want to bring the software up to date. It would cost less to do a conversion on only the main features that are being used, not the whole software package. This also keeps the cost down.
One goal as the development process is going on, and updates are being given to the end user, is for the end user to see a reduction in time spent doing redundant tasks. This is one form of making money with custom software
When it comes to designing software whether from the ground up or from an existing package out there, things definitely will take time and a learning curve may be necessary both for the client and for the developer. In a few instances, things won't be done overnight. Either way, when approached by someone who needs software design; we then try to evaluate the best approach possible.