Starship built their city on rock and roll, the people of Birmingham built their city on innovation. From it's industrial roots right through to it's thriving tech scene today - businesses across all sectors are starting to embrace digital transformation as a way to keep them ahead of the competition. Part of this, is utilising software to improve their day to day operations, boost efficiency and improve engagement with employees and clients alike. Whilst some companies find that off-the-shelf software solutions are sufficient to do this, others, with more nuanced and complex requirements look to bespoke software that can be built to their exact specification - no compromises needed.
Industries including manufacturing and engineering can reap the benefits of custom automation tools that improve their end to end production processes whilst retail and ecommerce businesses use bespoke software platforms to keep their customers returning through top notch user experiences. In the financial sector, custom software can provide businesses with vigorous security and compliance measures that allow them to adhere to industry regulations. These are just a few examples of how bespoke software is transforming the way some businesses in Birmingham work, for the better.
The key differentiator between bespoke software and off-the-shelf software is that bespoke software is built from scratch to the desired specifications of a single organisation, encompassing their existing processes and workflows and giving it the features and functionality needed to achieve specific outcomes. Off-the-shelf software on the other hand, is a ready built solution that has generic features and functionality that has been designed to appeal to a large audience. All that being said, the development process for custom software is as unique as the businesses it is built to serve but generally, it will look something like this:
The process begins with in depth research, usually with the help of those who will be using the software to identify their pain points, seek out areas for improvement and determine what the software needs to achieve across the relevant parts of the business. Detail is key here as a strong foundation prevents costly changes later.
The next step for the development team is to understand what they've got to work with. The current infrastructure, business processes and workflows along with the context of the business will allow the developers to formulate a plan of how to get from A (current environment) to B (desired environment). Prototyping may be a requirement at this stage so the plan can be revised and tweaked as necessary.
The development phase is exactly as it sounds - the phase where the software is developed through the writing of code based on the business's requirements. It is good practice to use agile methodologies whereby the software is built in phases which allows for feedback and adjustments to be made throughout the process rather than just at the end.
Next we move to the testing phase. Each of the components of the software should be tested independently and together to ensure it works as it should - including any integrations - bugs should be removed and tweaks made as necessary. The software should also be tested under different real world scenarios to ensure it is able to perform as required in differing circumstances.
Once the software has been proven to work as it is required to, it can then be deployed. Depending on the size of the project, some companies choose to take a phased approach whereby they roll out the software to a different group of users each time to err on the side of caution. Another risk mitigation strategy is to have a roll back plan in place should there be issues with the deployment whereby the business can move straight back to their previous set up.
Training may be done before the rollout although it's more common for companies to do this after the software is deployed. Training can be delivered through workshops, documentation, online walkthroughs or a combination providing it is thorough and there are ways for users to raise issues and provide feedback.
Going forward the software will be monitored for performance with any relevant changes being made. The business is also free to add, change or remove parts of the software as they see fit to ensure it remains valuable.
Arguably, any piece of software should be designed in a way that is user friendly. Regardless of whether it is used internally, externally or both. If users find it difficult to navigate, adoption will be slow and ROI will suffer. A well designed bespoke system should always prioritise -
Through the combination of in depth understanding of business operations and objectives with an intuitive, well designed interface, bespoke software not only meets the functional needs of it's users but also increases user satisfaction.
One of the most appealing aspects of bespoke software is that it can be built to change, grow and adapt with your business. Big intake of new employees? No problem. Need to add a new workflow? Great. Need to tweak a business process? It's all good. The company who commissions the software, owns the software and so, the possibilities really are endless.
Custom solutions can be built to specifically accommodate future events if they are known i.e. the company knows that at some point they are going to need to integrate the software with their bespoke finance system for reconciliation purposes in which case, the software is designed in a way that will allow it do that. Conversely, the future for many is unknown and that's ok too because bespoke software changes, adaptations or additions can be made if and when the need arises - no forethought necessary.
Bespoke software solutions have a place in pretty much every industry that use digital technologies. This could be as simple as a website, a finance system, a field based workforce that use their phones for job tasks and everything in between. Here, we will take a look at some examples of how bespoke software is revolutionising different sectors.
Birmingham’s manufacturing & engineering sectors rely on precision and efficiency - if they can't practice these principles, they will struggle to remain competitive. Bespoke production management systems can be developed to track and consolidate inventory in real time, automate scheduling, track production progress from end-to-end and perform quality control - all from one system. The time, cost and resources that can be saved through the use of these systems cannot be understated.
With Birmingham’s retail sector growing both online and in store, businesses need effective inventory and order management software. A bespoke ecommerce system can integrate with multiple sales channels, automate order processing and provide a fantastic customer experience through the use of behaviour and preference analytics. These benefits can provide a distinct advantage to companies in such competitive industries.
As a key UK transport hub, Birmingham businesses need efficient logistics management. Bespoke software solutions can be developed to calculate the most efficient delivery routes, track vehicle maintenance and automate scheduling based on resource available and the locations of these resources. These systems are particularly useful for big cities like Birmingham where traffic and congestion can be nightmarish.
Birmingham’s booming financial sector is increasingly looking for secure and efficient systems for managing transactions, compliance and client data. Bespoke financial software can automate risk assessments, ensure adherence to industry regulations and provide all manner of vigorous data security mechanisms.
Choosing the right software development company is crucial to ensuring the resulting solution is of high quality. But with so many companies offering software development services in the Midlands, it can be difficult to choose between them. Unfortunately, it is not as simple as choosing a web development company for a website or a mobile development company for a custom mobile app - the fact is, bespoke software development companies tend to offer a mixture of different solutions and if it's not in the name - it isn't so obvious! All that being said, let's take a look at some best practices that can help businesses to identify a software partner that will provide them with high quality results.
Thorough Business Analysis - Any software development company that is 'worth their salt' for want of a better term will be precise, detailed and even punitive in their approach to understanding a businesses requirements. The context of the business, it's processes, goals and user needs should all be thoroughly unpicked and understood. Good developers will work closely with businesses to map out their current environment and their requirements before even thinking about writing a line of code.
Agile Development Methods - Whilst using agile principles is not a deciding factor in whether a development company is worth using (some projects are simply not suitable for agile), it can provide an indication of how they work and how much flexibility they may be able to offer. Agile development breaks projects into smaller, manageable phases, allowing each component to be tested, refined and improved throughout the process. This approach ensures continuous value delivery and makes it easier to accommodate changes or scope adjustments without the challenges of overhauling a fully built product.
Stringent Security Practices - Needless to say, any good development team will ensure they use modern, robust and industry standard (at a minimum) security practices. Whilst software developers don't generally provide security testing, audits or products, they should be able to understand where possible vulnerabilities could be and highlight any security risks that can then be discussed with a specialist security team.
A User Friendly Approach - High quality bespoke software is not just created to be functional. A solid development team will aim to ensure it is also intuitive and sharp, ensuring employees and customers alike can easily navigate and use it.
If you're looking for local development services to help you with your software requirements whether that be a bespoke job management software system, website development, a custom mobile app or on-going development support, we can help. Cool Code Company are based in Nottingham and work with businesses all across the Midlands. Our highly experienced developers use the latest technologies to create tailored solutions that fit to your business processes like a glove! We're more than happy to work remotely, come and work with you on-site or a combination of the two. Come and have a chat with our friendly team today to see how we can help you stay ahead of the competition and transform your business operations.
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