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As technology advances, many businesses opt for bespoke software solutions.
But what makes this type of software so attractive?
Bespoke software gives businesses more freedom and flexibility, helping them meet their unique needs and stay ahead of the game.
The best part? Businesses can gain full control over their software, have customized features, and integrate the new solution with their existing systems.
Let’s explore all about bespoke software, including its advantages, development process, and some case studies. We’ll also cover how to choose a reliable bespoke software development company and more.
What is Bespoke Software Development
Bespoke software development is the process of developing a custom software solution tailored to the specific needs of its users.
This type of software is perceived as an alternative to off-the-shelf software. Off-the-shelf is mass-produced, standardized software that cannot be adapted or customized to your specific requirements.
On the other hand, bespoke software does a pretty good job at being adaptable, agile, and carefully thought-out and engineered to serve your exact needs. With bespoke software, you don’t need to change any of your workflows. Instead, the software fits into your current processes without disrupting them.
Additionally, if your business changes, you can adapt your software to these changes as well, such as adding and removing features and changing some of its core functionalities.
Advantages of Bespoke Software Development
Bespoke software comes with lots of advantages that off-the-shelf software can’t offer. For example:
Tailored Functionality
One of the biggest advantages of bespoke software is that it can be tailored in any way you need based on the nature of your business, processes, and requirements.
For example, if you’re in the healthcare industry, you might need specific functionalities like patient portals, billing, and storing medical records.
Improved Efficiency and Productivity
Bespoke software can help automate certain manual tasks, leading to increased productivity and efficiency.
For example, if you work in the logistics industry, you can build bespoke software that manages orders, shipments, and invoices. This way, you can minimize errors and save time and money down the line.
Increased Data Security
Off-the-shelf software is vulnerable to security breaches as such applications are usually widely available to a large pool of users.
For example, if you use an off-the-shelf e-commerce platform and someone hacks the entire platform, all your sensitive information could be compromised.
On the other hand, bespoke software can be built with specific data security features (like multi-factor authentication and encryption) in mind. This protects your business from breaches and gives you more control over the safety of your data.
Scalability
As your business grows, its software needs also change. An off-the-shelf solution cannot be customized to these evolving needs. For example, you might need to add more users or data. But if you reach the software’s limits, your only option will be to migrate to a new, upgraded software solution or pay more to the off-the-shelf software vendor.
In contrast, a bespoke software application can easily be built with scalability in mind. Such software can be programmed so you can add more servers, databases, or other resources.
Developing a Bespoke Software Solution: Best Practices
A bespoke software solution can be a great support system that allows your business to reach new heights.
But to create an optimal solution, the bespoke software developers need to get familiar with the nature of your business, your needs, and what functionalities you need. This will enable them to create a carefully planned software solution that will help you reach your full potential.
Here are some of the best practices used in the development process:
Defining the Scope and Requirements
Before kicking off the actual development process, the software development team usually defines the scope and requirements for the project.
This way, they can plan the key functionalities and features the software must have from the very beginning to fit your business requirements and align with your goals.
Choosing the Right Technology Stack
Creating a Robust Architecture
The software’s architecture involves designing the software structure and components, along with their relationships and interactions.
A robust architecture ensures the software can accommodate any future changes in key functionalities without the need for major redesigns. It also helps to resolve any issues that might arise during development and deployment.
Testing and Quality Assurance
Once the software is developed, it is tested to assess its performance, functionalities, and whether it meets all business needs as expected.
Here, the developers also ensure that all features function correctly and optimally. At this stage, quality assurance experts also identify and eliminate any bugs, errors, and other issues. Rigorous testing also helps understand whether the software delivers a smooth and satisfying user experience.
All these steps ensure the software will run smoothly after deployment.
Adhering to Industry Standards and Regulations
The developers also need to ensure the software meets all industry standards and regulations. These include complying with data protection laws and industry-specific regulations.
For instance, if you’re in the healthcare industry, you will need to make sure your application is HIPAA-compliant.
Other industry standards you might want to adhere to are HTTP and XML – these enable your software to transfer data securely and communicate with other systems.
Compliance with all these regulations can help you avoid any legal issues, costly fines, or having your software taken down.
The Importance of User Experience
User experience (UX) refers to how users interact with the software and takes into consideration factors like:
- How easy it is to use
- How it meets the user’s needs
- How it makes users feel
Did you know that about 88% of users are more likely to abandon a website after a bad user experience?
Additionally, every dollar invested in UX brings anywhere between $10-$100 ROI.
UX is critical for the success of bespoke software as it determines the user’s:
- Engagement and satisfaction: If the software solution is smooth and easy to use, users are more likely to engage with it and have higher satisfaction.
- Adoption and retention rates: When users enjoy using the software, they are more likely to keep using it and even recommend it to others.
But how do you ensure you nail your bespoke software’s UX design solution from the beginning?
Conduct user research and test thoroughly to identify key pain points and improvement areas. UX designers can use this information to create a seamless and smooth user experience tailored to the user’s needs.
Collaboration and Communication in Bespoke Software Development
Collaboration and communication are vital for the project’s success, as bespoke software is a custom-made solution specifically tailored to the client’s needs.
This is why all parties (developers, stakeholders, and end-users) need to collaborate and communicate consistently during development.
This can benefit the project in several ways, including:
- Better problem solving
- Increased transparency
- A shared understanding of the project’s goals and expectations
- Higher client satisfaction
- Higher project success
One of the methodologies that emphasize collaboration and communication is agile software development. This involves frequent feedback loops between all parties to ensure the project meets all requirements and expectations.
Additionally, agile development allows for more flexibility as changes can be easily implemented at any stage of the process based on the stakeholders’ feedback.
Developers can gather this feedback through more frequent iterations where the client is actively involved. This results in increased efficiency and a more streamlined workflow.
How to Choose a Bespoke Software Development Company
Finding reliable bespoke software development services is a challenging task, as there are many software development companies out there.
So how do you find the best fit for your unique needs and requirements?
To make things easier, we compiled a list of essential criteria you should consider when screening such companies:
- Experience: The best way to tell if a company can build your software solution is to check if it has a track record of similar case studies. This will give you an idea if they can deliver a solution that meets your expectations.
- Expertise: Aim for a company that has expertise in the technologies you want to use in your project. An expert team of developers, designers, and project managers with relevant skills and knowledge will be well-prepared to meet all your requirements.
- Communication: As communication is a vital factor in the bespoke software development process, you should look for a company that values communication and is ready to keep you involved in every step of the process.
- Quality assurance: Ensure the company has a stellar QA team. This means they will eliminate any bugs and issues before the final solution is deployed.
- Flexibility: As bespoke software solutions are unique, things might change along the way (e.g., rethinking key functionalities, features, and design). So, the company you work with should readily take on and adapt to any changes that might occur in the process.
At Scopic, we have completed hundreds of bespoke software projects for clients from various industries. Additionally, we have experts in a vast array of technology stacks and programming languages. So, we know how to approach each project in order to launch it to success.
Ready to learn more about our bespoke software development services and schedule a free consultation with our team?
Case Studies of Bespoke Software Development
RecipeIQ
Challenges Faced
While there are many different recipe apps, most of these solutions do not show the nutritional information of each recipe. This makes it hard for users to track their nutrition and calorie intake.
Solutions Provided
RecipeIQ provides the nutritional value (amount of carbs, protein, fat, sugars, fiber, and sodium) per serving of each recipe. Additionally, the app allows you to swap ingredients and save recipes in your personal cookbook.
Outcomes Achieved
To create this unique solution, RecipeIQ partnered with Scopic. Our development team built the app from the ground up with the highest quality standards in mind. We created custom functionalities like:
- Providing detailed nutrition facts from print and online recipes
- Pulling ingredients to calculate the total nutritional value
- Integrating the app with an additional database so users can add custom ingredients
Commercial Passport
Challenges Faced
With the financial crisis in 2008, account holder identity verification became more stringent than ever before. This made the whole process more expensive and time-consuming, involving lots of manual tasks like collecting, authenticating, and shipping the required documents.
Solutions Provided
Commercial Passport wanted to create a smooth, fast, and convenient document verification process that would pose no security implications. Scopic helped Commercial Passport conceptualize and develop its project from the ground up, revolutionizing how personal documents were shared, certified, and stored in financial institutions.
Outcomes Achieved
To maintain a secure record of documentation, Scopic used blockchain technology. We also implemented features like data encryption, 2-factor authentication, and document lifecycle history.
We also implemented environment modeling algorithms that help identify beneficial ownership of foreign entities from anywhere in the world.
ShadeWave
Challenges Faced
Difficult shade matching, using outdated color tabs, and long wait periods to share data between dental practices and labs… All these are challenges faced by many dental professionals.
Solutions Provided
Shadewave is a HIPAA-compliant app that helps dentists from all across the USA streamline their shade-matching process. The advanced application helps professionals process dental images and easily create accurate shade matching.
Outcomes Achieved
ShadeWave teamed up with Scopic to create an advanced bespoke software solution. We developed the initial wireframes and core functionalities. Then through consistent communication and updates, we delivered the first version of ShadeWave.
Today ShadeWave is established as an industry-leading dental app.
Conclusion
Bespoke software is undoubtedly a great solution for businesses that want a custom application to serve their unique needs and requirements. Besides, such software paves the way for increased productivity, enhanced data security, and many other benefits.
To create a winning software solution for your business, partner with a company that provides seamless UX, showcases a solid track record of similar projects, and has impeccable communication skills.
At Scopic, we have 15+ years of experience in developing state-of-the-art bespoke software solutions. Contact us today to discover how we can help your business.
