Customized Software Development
Synopsis
The evolution of custom build software development goes back when the organizations felt the lack of software products addressing their customized needs and growth parameters. Most of the on the shelf products had ready made functionality as a result organizations at times find the need of localized enviournment for the employees and management to be in sync for using the software and deriving its core benefits to its maximum. The standardized features in readymade software were few leading to demand on customizable fields due to the business variations. Software Development Vendors has observed the business processes like Purchase, Sales, Manufacturing, Logistic and Finance and have standardized them to some extent. However if we go deeper into these functions they vary from business to business creating the need for custom build software.
Enterprises prefer customized software solutions, whereas SME's and mid size Enterprises finds it's easy to use on the self products as it doesn't need any expertise on domain knowledge contribution, or skilled and dedicated resources to be part of the software development activity. Depending on the need, size and usability, organizations opt for Readymade or Custom Build software solutions to meet their IT needs.
The Start Point - Accessing Need!
The usual functioning in departments, sometimes are encountered with roadblocks hampering the growth. The reasons may range from the systems not being automated or the legacy system not being scalable to adapt to the growing and ever changing dynamic requirements. The departmental head raises the alarm to scrutinize the alternate way of maximizing the productivity leading to assessing the need to develop custom build application. The need factor is thoroughly evaluated giving rise to requisition for new custom build software. In this stage the internal requirements should be properly documented as major scope of work to build the custom build software matching organizations core objectives.
Vendor Evaluation - Technical and Commercial Feasibility Check
This stage draws many software vendors to put themselves to litmus test. The company invites several vendors and activates the evaluation cycle. Organizations have different evaluating criteria's broadly classified as technical Feasibility and Commercial Feasibility. The vendor is asked to furnish his credentials and expertise in the project that needs to be awarded. His prior experience of delivering similar such deliverables acts as an added advantage in favour of the software vendor. The vendor is asked to demonstrate his expertise and is evaluated technically in terms of the technology suggested, hardware compatibility, Project Execution methodology, Team size and Skillsets and experience of the teams. Post the vendor is qualified technically he is tested for his commercial viability in terms of software cost, customization cost, and AMC and Support parameters. The recurring cost of AMC is always indented to be kept to as low as possible. The TCO (Total cost of Ownership) is taken as the benchmark evaluating parameter before finalizing on the project. Same Evaluating cycle is repeated with other vendors who are participating in the evaluating cycle.
Key Objectives behind tailor made Software:
1) The new software should be highly Localized 2) Use of Best Practices in terms of Industry are Mandatory for build software 3) Userfriendlyness and Escalation matrices should be part of new development 4) Pop ups and customized Dashboards should be key highlights for hawk eye view. 5) Upward scalability is needed to avoid further expense on buying new software later.