Charles Ogborn, Director of Business Development
Being raised on a farm, I was taught at a very young age the lessons of adding value and profitability to the farm. Our family farm was always looking at different way to add value and efficiency to be more productive with our time and increase yields. Over the years, I’ve seen many similarities in the software industry to what I saw growing up on the family farm.
One thing that has become very apparent is that successful farming operations look closely at how they spend money, utilize assets, and bring additional revenue to the farming operation. Making the farm more efficient starts with finding out where the operation is least efficient. It is important to identify where a change will most positively impact the cost and revenue.
These days companies, like farms, are not asking if they should or should not be using some kind of software to run their business. Instead, they are asking whether they should use some kind of “off-the-shelf” software package or have custom software developed for their business needs.
How do you know if your business will benefit from a custom software solution over an “off-the-shelf” software program?
There are many “off-the-shelf” software solutions that are available for all kinds of different applications. The main thing to keep in mind is that the software maximize time and efficiency.
Off-the-shelf software programs can be affordable and easy to use, but there can be many drawbacks for your business. One of the biggest drawbacks that I have seen is widespread inability to integrate with other software programs, such as limited or no use of an API. An API is an Application Programing Interface. It is the mechanism by which software can interact with other programs. In farmer terms, it is the hitch pin that connect the tractor to the implement the tractor is pulling. If the off-the-shelf software has limited or no API capabilities, it will make if difficult or impossible to sync data across multiple systems or networks.
These days companies, like farms, are not asking if they should or should not be using some kind of software to run their business. Instead, they are asking whether they should use some kind of “off-the-shelf” software package or have custom software developed for their business needs.
How do you know if your business will benefit from a custom software solution over an “off-the-shelf” software program?
There are many “off-the-shelf” software solutions that are available for all kinds of different applications. The main thing to keep in mind is that the software maximize time and efficiency.
Off-the-shelf software programs can be affordable and easy to use, but there can be many drawbacks for your business. One of the biggest drawbacks that I have seen is widespread inability to integrate with other software programs, such as limited or no use of an API. An API is an Application Programing Interface. It is the mechanism by which software can interact with other programs. In farmer terms, it is the hitch pin that connect the tractor to the implement the tractor is pulling. If the off-the-shelf software has limited or no API capabilities, it will make if difficult or impossible to sync data across multiple systems or networks.
On the farm, we do not just have a tractor, planter, sprayer, or combine. We have to have all of them to plant, grow, and harvest a crop. In your business, you probably don’t just one type of software but a variety, like accounting software (QuickBooks), a CRM (Salesforce), a calendar (Microsoft), and an office suite (Microsoft). If you are not able to gain access to the data that you need, then your off-the-shelf software is a poor fit for your business. One of the main reasons for choosing a custom software solution over something pre-built is that you get exactly what you need. Most businesses need some way to effectively track, report, and store client and staffing data on their own platform. Building custom software is often the best way to meet all these needs in one centralized location. |
Custom software is certainly the ideal solution for a business, but determining the value proposition is another matter. For a farmer, the investment needs to return more profit than it costs, while maximizing time and efficiency. When I was a young boy growing up on the farm, my dad taught me how to shuck corn by hand. This was very hard work! When I was older, I was in charge of operating the combine. I was amazed by how much work I could get done over simply hand-shucking the corn. Yet shucking corn by hand did not cost nearly as much as a new combine. Having studied this dichotomy growing up has allowed me to be more efficient with my time while using technology to increase my productiveness.
A few questions to consider when determining whether custom software is this right fit for your business:
- Is there a software solution that already exist that will meet your business’s needs?
- How fast is your business growing and will your business outgrow the off-the-shelf software within the next few years?
- Does your business have enough time to work with a custom software development firm to build your software?
- Does your business have a budget to have custom software developed?
- Does your business have a clear value proposition to see how the custom software will maximize time and increase efficiencies?
There are obviously many other questions a company could ask that might help make the decision of whether or not to invest in custom software development. In the end, it boils down to your business’ priorities and vision.
Off the shelf software has its limitations and most likely won’t scale nearly as fast as your business needs. Having your own custom software solution in place will allow your business to add custom features, will be scalable, and will integrate into your business’ existing software environment. Custom software provides an excellent foundation to build upon for the continued success of your business.