ENTERPRISE IT
Percy listed the pros of building your own as organisations are getting exactly what they need , giving them a competitive advantage , minimal ongoing costs , simpler integration with existing systems and the option of selling their software to other companies to recover the cost . He added the cons can be high costs , expensive and sometimes not possible customisation and being beholden to suppliers who may not be around , say , five years in the future .
Varying viewpoints However Rob Hodgson , Warehouse Management System and e-commerce fulfillment expert at retail software firm , Mintsoft , said investing in an alreadyestablished software solution , rather than building your own , has several benefits .
“ If you are looking to implement the technology quickly , investing in a solution that is already there means you ’ ll be able to get to work faster . Another benefit is that more often than not , you ’ ll be supported by a team of onboarding experts as well and part of a community of other users , so having relationships with like-minded industry experts is an added bonus ,” he says . Hodgson added onboarding existing software was also often more inexpensive , with flexible and transparent pricing options usually offered , meaning costs can be spread and can be up and downscaled as needed .
“ Ongoing enhancement is another benefit to consider ,” he adds , “ Established solutions will have a dedicated team who constantly review and enhance the platform and launch new releases on a regular basis , creating innovative solutions so you don ’ t have to spend the time and money doing it .”
Digital consultancy Samepage ’ s founder and principal consultant , Aidan Dunphy ,
“ AS ANY SOFTWARE AUTHOR WILL CONFIRM , UNDERSTANDING BUSINESS REQUIREMENTS ACCURATELY AND SUSTAINABLY IS A NEVER-ENDING CHALLENGE ”
AIDAN DUNPHY
said he thought the downside to using packaged products has always been that they cannot precisely meet the needs of every customer , requiring a level of compromise and workarounds to adapt the solution to any specific business context . He added they tend to have many features that aren ’ t required by every customer
98 November 2021