Imagine if you will, going into a cafe. You find that you have a choice between all sorts of pre-prepared meals instantly available from a cabinet - or the chef offers to make exactly what you want. The cabinet food has been produced using ingredients that suit the majority of customers, however, given a little extra time, the chef can make you that special meal which precisely matches what you'd really like ... So, what do you decide!

The cabinet foods are equivalent to commercial software, made for the masses, so it’s the "one size fits all" scenario. The chef’s special meal is comparable to custom software in that it is infinitely flexible and tailored to meet your exact requirements.

Custom Software

The Good:

Custom software can typically cater for every aspect that your business requires.

You own the software so any alterations or changes in functionality can be efficiently achieved.

Integration into other systems is usually possible.

The Bad:

Good things take time and so will custom software.

Programmers aren’t cheap but you’re only going to pay for what you need. (A tailor made suit costs more than an “off the peg” version but it will last longer and definitely fit better.)

Off the Shelf Software

The Good:

Like the ready-made cabinet food, you can eat it now.

If the software is well known, possibly there's a supportive online community to help with issues.

Upfront costs are usually low but be aware that continuous maintenance charges can add up.

The Bad:

Because the software wasn’t made for your business, there will be short comings that will potentially result in you having to find other solutions to solve your company’s requirements.

It's unlikely that any changes can be made to the software to suit your requirements. The software may get updated at anytime with changes that are detrimental to your business.

You don’t own the software so you are at the whim of the manufacturer who may decide to change or withdraw the product at any time that suits them.

If custom software captures your requirements, it will be better than any commercially available package and provide you with a distinct advantage over your competitors.