We are always looking for solutions. Solutions to make our day-to-day jobs easier, smoother, more efficient. Technology has become a necessity in today’s business operations. We search for something that will become a new and integral part of our daily tasks.
Selecting a solution is difficult and a huge commitment! It’s also typically a massive financial investment to your business. The internet is full of pre-built, subscription-based software that you can subscribe to monthly. These pre-built solutions often seem like an easy choice because they feel simple and have a low up-front cost. They’re built to work for many different businesses and industries. But are they really the best choice for you? Here are four different headaches that come along with pre-built software that may make you think otherwise.
- Price. Today’s pre-built software often requires extra hidden fees that you may not be aware of until you need an extra feature. There are often training and installation costs, annual fees, integration costs, etc. As you can imagine, this adds up quickly. And the bills don’t stop; you pay them every month forever.
- Functionality. Pre-built software programs are created to accommodate different industries of all sorts that solve a similar need or issue. These solutions may solve your immediate problem, but over time, you may find that new challenges arise which the software cannot accommodate.
- Integration. The best solution for your problem may not integrate with your existing system, causing your choices to be limited unless you’re willing to spend extra on integration. Without integration, double-entry leads to errors and loss of productivity.
- Support. Off-the-shelf software typically means huge companies with a support line with hundreds of people at the other end. None who know you or your company and its unique needs. It can mean long hold times or days waiting for an e-mail response.
Pre-built software can solve certain problems for your business, but it can also create several more. You never stop paying for your software with a pre-built package; the cost never goes away. Custom software is built for your business, and you pay upfront for your technology. But after that, the cost goes away and you own your own software. In many cases tailored software will pay for itself by year three. Sometimes pre-built software is the right choice for certain business problems, but for those organizations who are looking ahead, custom solutions often provide greater long-term benefits overall.
