Bespoke Software FAQ
Over the last few months, we have covered a lot of common questions we are asked about Bespoke Software. In this post we cover a few quick-fire questions that would not stretch to a full-blown post each and a summary of the more detailed posts we have already made.
What is bespoke software?
Bespoke software is software designed and developed from scratch to meet the specific needs of a user of that software.
Read the full post here.
Why is it called bespoke software?
In the UK we call it bespoke but in the USA they would say custom and with the internationalisation of language both are used interchangeably. However, we would argue that they are not the same. To us at least custom comes from customised and means taking something that exists and modifying it. Bespoke on the other hand means from built from scratch.
What are the advantages of bespoke software?
- Fitting in with your business processes, not changing your processes to fit your software.
- Often works out cheaper over the long-term comparison to off-the-shelf software
- As complex as your requirements need it to be and no more.
- Flexible and scalable with changes and growth of your business.
- Own your software, not just licence it.
Read the full post here.
What are the disadvantages of bespoke software?
- Up front costs are higher than off-the-shelf software.
- Time to being available is longer than buying something pre built.
- It is hard to start with a blank page and write down your needs.
- Missing out on good ideas that others have thought of and added to their software.
Read the full post here, which also includes some tips to mitigate these disadvantages.
Why would a company use bespoke software?
There are many reasons that companies choose to go down the bespoke software route. A lot of times it is when they have auditioned off-the-shelf software that just does not meet their needs or their business just needs something that does not already exist. A good place to start is to look at the advantages question above.
How much does bespoke software cost?
Actually, a very complex question to answer. It requires you to know how long a project will take and the hourly or day rate for your developer. Both of which often require quite a lot of work before you can even work out what it will cost.
Read more here. We have also included a download in that post that will give you a broad idea of what your costs will be.
Why is bespoke software expensive?
There are a number of reasons why it might seem expensive, not least because experienced developers are expensive but are still worth it. In our opinion concentrating on expense alone is not the right way of looking at things. Decisions should really be made on the Return on Investment (ROI) of the project.
Read the full post here.
Is bespoke software more expensive than off-the-shelf solutions?
Normally the answer to this is no. It tends to have a bigger up-front cost but lower ongoing costs and over time bespoke normally comes out as the cheaper option. On top of that you get exactly what you need!
What are examples of bespoke software?
There are so many examples it is hard to answer this question. We covered a few well-known ones in this post. Those are just a few of the ones you can actually see and use, if you could see all the bespoke software that is just used internally in organisations the number of examples would be staggering.
Where is bespoke software used?
Quick answer is everywhere. There is no industry that has not been affected by IT and software and none that do not use bespoke software.
What are the limitations of bespoke software?
- Cost – With enough money and time nearly all things are possible.
- Processing Power – This will not be a limitation for most businesses though.
- AI is not real intelligence
- Human Knowledge
Read the full post here.
If you have any questions above then feel free to contact us and we will strive to get you the answers you need.
