Is a bespoke software solution on the cards for your business in 2023? If you’ve already started looking into development, you know the number of options and considerations can be overwhelming. To try simplify the process, we’ve put together a list of the most essential factors to consider before investing in a bespoke software solution.

Over the past 30 years of business, we’ve seen businesses dive straight into asking for software development, before they’ve even really worked out what the problem is.

It’s easy to say “we want one because our competitors have one”, but it’s likely your competitors developed their software solution with deep understanding of the issue their users are facing, and if you don’t approach software development with the same mindset – it’s unlikely your solution will be anywhere as successful.

Do you understand your pain points and goals?

Once you’ve taken the time to research and understand your users (internal or external), the next step is to consider what software works best and if it has the right features to service your customer base properly.

Looking at competing brands’ software to understand whether your ideas are on the right track

Utilising user research helps you get a feel for what your users like/don’t like about the current solution, as well as what they’d like to see from the replacement.

Working with an external partner with the expertise to help you direct all of the above and provide your own suggestions.

Taking the results here and whittling them down to the most useful and relevant information will help you further down the development process.

What are your limitations with bespoke software development?

Take time to understand all of the factors that your project software partner will need to think about. This includes:

• Budget
• Timelines
• Legacy systems and compatibility levels
• Technologies used by your intended demographic/audience
• Implementing the Waterfall or Agile approach

What are the most important features?

Everybody wants a software solution with all the “bells and whistles”, but how many features do you really need your bespoke software solution to have? If getting a product to launch is your priority, then defining the most important features and creating a roadmap for implementing the others should be your business priority.

Do you need to integrate it with existing systems?

If your bespoke software solution will be servicing your in-house staff, then compatibility and integration with your other systems should be essential.

Have you thought about reporting capabilities?

In the 21st century, data is golden, the more insight you have into customer data, the more efficiently you can optimise performance, marketing, or sales strategies.

Reports are therefore also one of the most important things to consider when committing to bespoke software development. You want absolute peace of mind that your software partner can deliver a reporting suite that is fast, efficient, and easy-to-use from the off.