Custom software development in the UK

Bespoke software makes sense when your process is part of what makes you better than your competitors, or when you’ve spent years bending your business to fit tools that weren’t designed for it. If you’re running payroll or standard accounting, buy something. Those are solved problems. We say that a lot, and our guide to custom versus off-the-shelf software sets out how to decide.

The test we apply is whether the cost of the workaround is greater than the cost of building and maintaining something better. Include the staff hours spent re-keying data, the errors that follow, the licences for tools you only half use, and the opportunities you can’t take because your system won’t allow it. Then include the running cost of custom software, because you’ll own it for years, and you should know what that means.

A smaller first release, on purpose

The biggest risk in custom software is building for a long time before anyone uses it. Requirements written up in a meeting room rarely survive contact with real users. So we aim for a first release that handles one complete workflow, in use by real people, as soon as possible, followed by regular releases based on what they tell us. Our process page describes how that works.

You should be able to walk away

Good custom software shouldn’t make you dependent on your supplier. You should own the code, hold the hosting and repository accounts, and have enough documentation for another competent developer to take over. We use mainstream technology for the same reason.