Every industry exists in a state of perpetual motion. And for most, software – either bespoke or off-the-shelf – simply can’t keep up. But there is one way to build powerful, future-proofed software solutions: by not focusing on the software development itself.
Businesses live or die through competitive advantage. How reactive is your customer support? How reliable are your logistics? Is your user experience intelligent and seamless? And does your software support you as you grow and scale?
If you’re using software to chase that competitive advantage then bespoke is the only real option, as we’ve explored in our previous post. But using a specialist consultancy to create a tailored solution not only means relinquishing control of your vision but also being tied to a project-minded approach to software development.
This project-based remit means you risk having to face a number of considerations. The reason behind this is simple: the focus on the software itself is the wrong way to go about successfully building it.
The three common – and impactful – problems from project-based software work are:
- The business-critical software you build will be outdated and redundant in a few short years. As customer needs, industry standards and new strategies inevitably emerge, your software will fall behind the curve.
- Cloud-native and sensitive information-hosting software will need years of updates for operations and security. So good luck ensuring these vital aspects are covered by yourself.
- Most importantly, your business will look very different in five years time – and so will its needs. Whether you scale, specialise or pivot, your solution will still reflect the time period when you built it.
