All businesses need some form of software development platform, whether that business decides only to have a website to advertise its wares or whether that business supplies a service that relies upon constant communication with the client or customer, uses technology to manage inventory and reviews its progress on a regular and frequent basis. Software development platforms are available to buy ‘off the shelf’, the question is, why go anywhere else?
The first thing to consider is what are you going to have to compromise in buying software that is not bespoke to your business? Something not tailored to your needs simply won’t do everything you want it to, things just don’t work that way. The risk is that you find your business flexing to suit the software – not ideal. Of course, the other side of that coin is that you end up paying for software features that you simply don’t need; features that may clog the system and ultimately defeat the entire purpose of having a software development platform in the first place. Helastel‘s platform is exactly that – your business model, your software. You know how your business works better than a software development team, the bespoke software will flex to you. Not only will you have a signature platform, but you can cut out all of the unnecessary – streamlining your software along with your business.
Perhaps the other argument for ‘off the shelf’ software platforms is a saving in cost. Setting aside the competitive pricing offered by software development providers, consider the likelihood of the need to tailor an ‘off the shelf’ product even by the slightest degree (‘one size fits all’ is not a maxim that holds much water in the information technology industry). The need to change something that is sold ‘as is’ is rarely free and, all of a sudden, any cost saving disappears leaving a business with an unwieldy and costly platform. Find a software provider that wants to understand your business before creating your platform, not only for the purposes of design but so they can keep you appraised of any particular compliance or security issues, and there really is no reason why a bespoke platform is not the best way forward for any business.