Off-the-shelf software or a custom-built application — which is the better fit? In my view, we can only answer this question once we have understood the business need sufficiently.
Understand the business need
A simplified, hypothetical example from public transport: a transport association wants to digitise a workflow. An off-the-shelf solution meets many of the requirements. Some specific processes, however, can only be supported through customisation.
Are these special requirements necessary for the business? Or do they offer an opportunity to simplify the existing process together?
Five questions to guide the decision
I find five questions helpful when choosing a solution:
- How well does the solution support the core workflows and important exceptions?
- Which existing systems and data need to be integrated?
- What changes do we expect over the coming years, and who should implement them?
- Who takes responsibility for operations, maintenance and further development after launch?
- What costs will arise over the entire lifetime of the solution?
What an off-the-shelf solution offers
Off-the-shelf software can make existing functionality and experience from other deployments available to us. To benefit from this, we need to understand what customisation is possible and how it affects future updates.
What custom development requires
A custom-built application can address specific requirements directly. At the same time, we need to establish lasting responsibility for maintenance, documentation and further development. Here too, we need people who will look after the software over the long term.
When a combination is a good fit
It is often worth considering a combination of an off-the-shelf product for shared tasks and custom functionality for specific processes. Clear interfaces help connect the parts.
The additional interfaces and responsibilities also need to be considered. We must clarify who will look after the way the components work together and carry out changes and updates later on.
For me, what matters is which solution meets the business needs, helps people in their work and remains sustainable over the long term.