Bespoke Software FAQ
We have extensively covered the topic of Bespoke Software in our posts over the last few years and it will be a topic we will return to again in the future. Whilst our full posts cover topics in great detail, we do get the same questions over and over again and there is no better way to deal with those than in a classic Bespoke Software Frequently Asked Questions post.
What is bespoke software?
Definition: Bespoke software is software designed and developed from scratch to meet the specific needs of a user of that software.
We use a slightly different definition than most and you can read about why in the What is Bespoke Software? Post.
Key Characteristics: Bespoke software is completely customised to your business needs, it is more flexible and adaptable to your changes in those needs and can scale as you grow. By comparison, off-the-shelf software is a fixed set of features that often require your business to change your processes to match the software.
Alternative Names: Custom software, tailor-made software.
How does bespoke software differ from off-the-shelf solutions?
The key differences between bespoke and off-the-shelf are:
| Bespoke | Off-the-shelf | |
|---|---|---|
| Customisation | Unlimited | Limited |
| Cost | Higher upfront with potential for long-term savings | Lower initial costs with higher ongoing fees |
| Implementation Time | Longer development time | Immediate deployment |
| Ownership | Full | Licensed |
| Scalability | Grows with your business | Potentially limited |
What are the main benefits of choosing bespoke software?
Benefits include:
Perfect fit: If changing your business processes to match up with your software functionality feels like the tail wagging the dog then bespoke software puts you in control
Competitive advantage: In business, being unique is often what separates the “me too” crowd from the market leaders. Off-the-shelf software requires you to do things the same way, bespoke software lets you be unique.
Flexibility & Scalability: Predicting the future is never easy and what works today may not be suitable for tomorrow. Bespoke software lets you build what you need now and change into what you need when you need it. This can be by way of new features or scaling to meet growing demand.
Integration: Bespoke software can be seamlessly integrated with your other systems.
Long-term cost efficiency: Bespoke software incurs a lot of the costs involved early, in the development phase. Once complete there is a very high chance that the ongoing costs for maintenance and support will be significantly cheaper than a licensing agreement for off-the-shelf software. In this way
Simplicity: Bespoke software only needs to have the features you need. Off-the-shelf has to meet the requirements of a lot of users and is often bloated with features you will never use. Complexity adds costs in a lot of ways and in some cases puts users off even using the software.
We covered this topic in more detail in our “What are the Advantages of Bespoke Software?” post.
How much does bespoke software development cost?
The simplest projects can cost under £10 000 but those are rare. Slightly more common are the very complex projects which can easily be over £500 000. The most common bracket for bespoke business software is the £30 000 – £100 000 range.
Key cost drivers not only include complexity but also include the technology stack, the development team location and the number of third party integrations required. Also, you will often be charged a premium if you go for a fixed price contract over time and materials.
It is important to factor in ongoing maintenance and support costs and we recommend focusing on long term value rather than up front costs when working out your Return on Investment (ROI).
We covered this topic in much more detail in our “How much does Bespoke Software cost?” post, which also includes a PDF download about our current bands for software development costs.
How long does it take to develop bespoke software?
This is another surprisingly complex question to answer. The feature requirements, and how complex they are, the UI / UX design (B2B tends to be simpler than B2C for example) and how many and how complex the integration requirements are, all add to the timeframe of a project.
From our experience, a minimum viable product (MVP) would probably be in the 2 – 3 months range and more complete platforms typically fall into the 4 – 6 months range. Once projects go much over 6 months we often recommend phasing them in usable components of the total project.
What is the bespoke software development process?
We like to follow our 4D process for software development. This includes:
Discover: Every new development project starts with a project discovery meeting to gather the requirements. Initially focussing on the high level requirements, the stakeholders and highlighting any areas that will require further research and analysis.
Define: One of the most crucial phases for development success is to then create the Software Requirements Specification (SRS) including architecture planning, UX/UI design and the technical specifications.
Develop: Once the SRS is completed and signed off the development begins. In all but the smallest projects, releases will be phased to get regular client feedback. Internal testing will take place throughout the project but when the main work is completed user acceptance testing and quality assurance will be fed back into the development plan for final polishing.
Deliver: Once all feedback has been evaluated and completed, it is time to deploy the project, provide any training and then move to ongoing support, maintenance and updates.
Do I own the bespoke software once it’s developed?
This is a very important part of who you choose to work with. We feel that it is vital that you own all the IP in the software you have paid for, so we explicitly put that in the contract that you sign. It is not an industry wide standard though, so check before you agree to sign with a developer.
How do you ensure bespoke software is secure and compliant?
Typically, your software developers will take a best practice approach to security and will adhere to well known compliance standards, for example, GDPR. However, it is important to cover additional compliance and security requirements that you are aware of in the SRS so that your software meets your requirements.
It is important to remember that updates are critical to ongoing security and that should be covered in your ongoing maintenance plan.
Can bespoke software integrate with our existing systems?
Your new bespoke software should be purpose built to work with your current infrastructure and in general it can be designed to integrate with most other modern software. Legacy software does present some additional challenges that need to be addressed in the SRS before you start developing.
What ongoing support and maintenance is required?
Maintenance is a regular requirement of all software and is typically categorised into 4 types.
Corrective: Bug and error fixing maintenance.
Adaptive: Maintenance based on changes to the bigger environment that the software is part of.
Perfective: Enhancing and improving software usability and features without changing the core functionality.
Preventative: Proactive maintenance done to improve the robustness of the software.
You can find much more information in our post “What are the 4 Types of Software Maintenance?”
You should budget for an annual maintenance charge of between 10-20% of your initial build pricing.
When should I choose bespoke software over off-the-shelf solutions?
You should choose bespoke software when your business has unique or highly specific requirements that cannot be adequately met by off-the-shelf solutions. This is particularly true if your workflows are complex, industry-specific, or give you a competitive edge. Bespoke software offers complete customisation, allowing you to tailor every feature to your exact needs, integrate seamlessly with existing systems, and scale alongside your business growth, ultimately leading to greater efficiency and long-term cost savings.
Conversely, off-the-shelf software, while often cheaper and quicker to implement initially, comes with limitations in customization and flexibility. It may include unnecessary features, lack crucial functionalities for your niche operations, or require you to adapt your business processes to fit the software rather than the other way around. If your business relies on proprietary processes or aims for significant differentiation in the market, the generic nature and lack of control over updates and features in off-the-shelf solutions can hinder your progress.
What are some examples of bespoke software applications?
Examples range across various industries and business functions. This can include highly specialised Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) or Customer Relationship Management (CRM) systems designed to integrate a company’s specific financial, sales, inventory, and customer data in a way that matches their exact operational workflows.
Other examples include custom logistics and supply chain management software that optimises complex delivery routes or inventory tracking for a particular type of goods, or healthcare management systems built to handle unique patient data, appointment scheduling, and regulatory compliance for a specific medical facility.
Companies often commission bespoke data analytics platforms to gain unique insights from their proprietary data, or customer-facing applications like specialised e-commerce platforms, streaming services (e.g., Netflix), or taxi/food delivery apps (e.g., Uber/Uber Eats) that offer highly customised user experiences and proprietary features.
We cover more examples in our “What are examples of bespoke software?” post.
Ready to start your bespoke software development project? If you have any further questions or are ready to bring your next software development project to life then contact us today.
Further Reading
Read more of our bespoke software post here.
