Today marks the launch of our newest white paper, The Custom Software Guide for Non-Tech Companies.
What may strike you as odd is why we would write about custom software development for non-tech companies at all. They’re low-tech, right? Yes they are. But you would be surprised at how advanced many non-tech companies (and low-tech ones for that matter) are when it comes to their software solutions.
Many business still depend on spreadsheets and manual data entry
Despite spending lavish amounts on software systems, many companies still find themselves spending crucial time on manual data entry, updating spreadsheets and working across multiple systems. They are truly are among the 90% of organizations still trying to automate their business functions and integrate their multiple systems. Even worse, they’re paying a steep price in the form lost productivity, reporting errors and even lower levels of customer satisfaction.
As we point out in our white paper, the challenge among non-tech companies is knowing when and how custom software should be used to get their business to the next level of performance.
For many companies, true customization comes when they realize they still have to automate a particular aspect of their operations to fully enjoy the benefits of an end-to-end software system. Most of the time it involves a process that is inherently unique to a company and which can’t be encompassed in an off-the-shelf software app. Hence the need for custom software development to bring it into the software workflow.
How can companies tackle custom software development?
As non-tech and low-tech companies are faced with customizing their software system, they are usually confronted with a harsh reality. They tend to not have the kind of programming talent in-house needed to successfully plan, code, implement and support the customized software.
What The Custom Software Guide for Non-Tech Companies attempts to do is to help you realize a) when you need to add custom software to your system and b) how to approach it as a company without the proper internal resources to take on such an endeavor.
We lay out several options ranging from hiring contract programmers to bringing in a “Fractional Software Department,†which is the model that Clear Measure employs and which helps companies focus less time on software development and maintenance and more time on their own operations. The key, it turns out, is taking the path that works best for your particular company’s in-house talent and long-term strategic vision. There is not one-size fits all template.
To read our white paper in full, please click the button below. We hope you enjoy it and will let us know what you think.
