A custom software project should work towards a particular goal. The investment should help your company improve relationships with internal and external stakeholders.Employees should communicate well internally and externally, including with vendors and channel partners. Without proper communication, companies can suffer from reputation damage. So what can custom software do to help strengthen relationships with people in your ecosystem? The following is an excerpt from How to Plan a Successful Custom Software Project.
Software Automation
If software is automated and prompts users to do different things, a report to management can show who is and who is not doing what they're supposed to do. Automation allows for one department's tasks to progress automatically through to another department without waiting for a person to intervene. The output for both departments is controlled through the software. With all of the requirements in place, everything gets done in the right format which keeps management happy. Reminders can also help keep users better organized and make sure that tasks are completed on time. For instance, a company whose employees have licenses or certifications needs to track renewal dates. Without custom software in place with reminders, you would need to have an employee (possibly more than one) who manually tracks renewals and follows up with employees individually with reminders. Custom software automates this process.
Solving Problems
If you understand and can formulate your company's problems, then you can solve those kinds of problems with custom software.SaaS software is made to satisfy general users, typically users that fit the company's buyer personas. It's not made for you personally or your company. SaaS providers don't use your unique business flows as their assumptions. If you really want to differentiate and gain a competitive advantage, custom software is the best option.Custom software can solve many unique business problems. There are no limitations. And that's the biggest advantage. For example, SaaS may not allow you to track your field technicians using the smartphone's GPS, but this functionality can be added. Or when you decide you need to reach your customers or internal users by text, this new requirement can be added into the queue of changes or updates.To learn more about improving stakeholder relationships with custom software, download your copy of How to Plan a Successful Custom Software Project.