When you decide that your current busines tools aren’t up to scratch, custom software is a logical choice. You get a fully functioning system that does everything you need it to. The staff love it, and everything works much more efficiently, right?
Well, sadly, not always. Custom software is an asset to any business, and it can certainly improve efficiency. But there are a few common traps that businesses fall into when embarking on the custom software journey. Naturally, you’ll need a development team you really trust, but for such an important project, you need to keep a few things in mind as well.
Pick the right time of year
Firstly, planning is everything. Not only do you need to consider exactly what you want from your custom software, but you also need to implement it at the right time. Let’s say you’re an accountancy firm. You’ve identified a need for custom software to make daily life in the office easier and more efficient. You’ve contacted your software developers and you’re ready to start the process.
The developers give you an estimated length of the project, and it seems you’ll be ready to launch the new software in July. Now, being the end of financial year, that’s the worst time possible for an accountancy firm to deal with new software. So, think carefully about your slowest period of the year, and aim to launch then.
Ensure your custom software covers all your business processes
The other crucial part of planning is more about the functions of the software. A professional software development team will guide you through process discovery sessions, but it’s up to you to give them all the information they need. It’s a big task, and we can’t stress enough how important it is.
If you want your software to manage end to end business processes, your software development company needs to know exactly what you need from the final product. Process discovery is a crucial part of any custom software development project. Trust us, you’ll reap the rewards if you’re fully engaged in this process.
Make sure custom software is scalable
The other thing you need to think about is the future. It might sound exciting to get great new software that solves all of your efficiency problems now. But what happens when your business grows in 10 years? Will your new software support 5 more users as your workforce grows?
Scalability is the software’s ability to change and adapt to your ever-evolving needs. Key considerations are whether it can support more users, and does it have enough storage for the long term.
Provide staff with sufficient training
Finally, your implementation process needs to include great training. Your custom software could be the most fantastic thing in the world, but if staff don’t embrace it, implementation isn’t going to go well. Many people are resistant to change, so give them ample time to train and learn the new system. One great idea is role-based training. Teach individual staff members all the functions they specifically need for their daily job.
Follow these tips, and make your custom software implementation a success!
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