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Out-of-the-Box v. Custom Software: What Comes Out on Top?

With so many powerful, out-of-the-box software tools on the market today, could custom software really be worth it anymore? If affordable long-term investment, ease of implementation, and continuous IT support are important to you, then yes, custom software will most likely still come out on top. Here’s why.

Investment in the Solution

One of the first things anyone wants to know before they invest in a new software tool is how much that tool is going to cost them. Of course, software costs can vary widely depending on complexity and, in the case of out-of-the-box solutions, how many licenses or subscriptions your organization requires.

With custom software, your investment primarily comes up front. It takes time and money to build a custom software solution. However, once it is built, it is yours to keep. You do not have to pay ongoing subscription or licensing fees. Since a custom solution is built just for you and for your team’s needs, it is more likely that it will meet your needs immediately and in the longer term, without investing in additional tools or spending extra time forcing the software to work for you.

Implementation of the Software

It’s much easier to assemble a new sectional sofa in your home, in the room where you’ll enjoy it, than trying to drag a completed sofa up your front steps, through the front door, and into your living room or basement rec room.

The same is true of software. When you choose a custom solution, we build your software so it integrates flawlessly with your existing network and IT infrastructure. Your custom solution is ready to go day one. But with an out-of-the-box solution, you may have to come up with some inventive workarounds to make the software work for you. You may need to disable some features and purchase other tools to make the software do everything you need it to do.

Continuous IT Support

Cloud-based software solutions, even out-of-the-box ones, offer ongoing, automated maintenance and critical security updates. The cloud makes rolling out these types of updates very easy. But what happens when the unexpected arises? In these cases, you may be stuck in online chat with an IT support bot, or worse, have to submit a ticket.

With custom software solutions from Jurrens & Associates, you get ongoing, continuous IT support from our Minnesota-based team of professionals. While we automate maintenance and security updates like out-of-the-box providers, we also pick up the phone and answer our emails. If we’ve built software for you, you’ll get ongoing IT support to ensure it always works great for you. Ready to stop working harder and start working smarter? Get in touch with the Jurrens & Associates team today to learn how custom software can make your team and operations more efficient.