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So you have an information technology project idea. Undoubtedly, this project will be the one to achieve success. There is only one problem - don't yet know how to implement its technical side and how a potential information technology product will fit into your business model. To do this, you need more than development only; you have to implement your business logic into the software. This is why we provide our clients with Custom Software Solutions.
Custom Software Solution service converts client’s business ideas, goals, needs and requirements into their own unique IT product that can give them a competitive advantage through software development. Software products developed by information technology companies with this service increase business efficiency by individually solving the company's' problems. This is what they were created for!
Custom software solutions include the customer service, lifetime warranty on the code, and maximum involvement approach from the development company, which go along with the information technology product creation. It allows the client to be sure of the final result and significantly increase business value in the end.
This is the first introductive article in the Custom Software Solution series. The series was created for you to learn more about the components of the service we provide, the process of C. S. S. itself, and its stages. In this article, we will tell you about the custom software solution components, advantages and what your business will receive as a result.
What Custom IT Solutions mean
The term Custom Software Solution means a comprehensive service that includes an analysis of the ideas, goals, needs, and requirements of your business and then implements this from the technical point of view as accurately as possible. Hence, you will receive the conversion of all business needs into a unique information technology product that provides your business with a competitive advantage. And all this comprehensive service is provided by one company. It is one smoothly operating team of technical and business experts, working on your information technology project. A company providing C. S. S. becomes more than a technical contractor - it's a permanent information technology partner with a high level of service and expertise.
Why your business needs Custom Software Solutions
The industries with the highest requirements for reporting, management or atypical software products have the highest need for custom software; as well as those who need information technology product maintenance and its expansion. You can see the examples of such industries on the graphics below.
Startups and innovative companies also have a high need for custom IT solutions. If your business is one of these, you should consider implementing custom software in your workflow. And for this you need to understand how important a service like this can be for your business.
A short answer to "how important is it?" can be given in one word. This word will be "crucial". If you are interested in a more detailed answer, let's briefly check everything great about this service and see what it can give your business.
So, you've faced the need for a software product and this puts you on a crossroad. On one side, there are ready-made solutions , and on the other there is custom software. Ready-made solutions may turn out to be the best option for you, but if your business belongs to the segments we described above or your needs aren't exactly typical, it won't take you long to understand that your ideas won't be implemented in the information technology product. At least, not as fully as in custom software.
You will have to sacrifice something, give up something, decide on which feature is more critical and which one is less important. Startups and innovative companies especially feel a need for a custom solution. The first thing an entrepreneur faces when choosing a ready-made solution for the business is restrictions that will later develop into software bugs or malfunctions in work processes.
It is well known that custom software solutions are here to avoid all these problems. Unique software, that is created individually for your business needs, should certainly bring all your ideas to life.
But it doesn't always work out as you wanted.
Maybe because your information technology project lacked detail at the planning stage? Maybe you've misunderstood your real business needs? Maybe you didn't pay enough attention to the priority work processes? Maybe the key factor is the wrong set of features? There can be many reasons for failure, from the wrong technical specifications on your part to the methodology that your IT partner has chosen.
Creating software is not a quick or easy task, it is a huge step for your company and every little thing at all stages of this process can be vital. That's why when choosing an information technology partner, you should contact those who offer custom software solutions in the list of their services. It means full project support at all stages of work. And this, in turn, helps to avoid problems in the future. Development company will lay the foundation for a future information technology project, with you participating in this process. It must be because of a wide range of services included in custom software solutions.
And this, in turn, will greatly improve information technology product potential effectiveness.
Services that Custom IT Solutions include
The complex of services that the single service C. S. S. includes is making the information technology project development quicker. It also reduces errors in the process. However, to better understand how this happens, you need to know what services are included in custom software solutions.
Custom Software Solutions service consists of:
- IT consulting, which means quality expertise from the development company at all stages of the information technology product life cycle. Comprehensive analysis and evaluation that help translate business goals, ideas, needs and requirements of the client into a detailed technical plan for an IT product creating;
- Custom software development - the process of developing and deploying software that adapts individually to atypical customer requirements;
- The finished IT product support - the organization of uninterrupted and continuous software operation, as well as customer experience gathering and analysis for software improvement;
- The finished information technology product evolution, which offers the development of the software’s new versions based on the effectiveness analysis of the previous ones;
- Customer Service - a special relationship to the client that differs for different companies. It determines their reliability level and comfort of cooperation with them;
- Security and reliability measures that determine your IT partner reliability. These measures guarantee your data confidentiality and non-disclosure by the software development company.
- Working with us in particular, you get a lifetime warranty on our code. Thus, we guarantee information technology product support even after it has been given to the customer.
Custom software solutions is a sophisticated process that consists of several stages. About them will tell you further, so stand by!
Custom Software IT Process Stages
Custom software solutions include the following stages:
1. Discovery - at this stage we discuss ideas, goals, and business needs of the client. We're forming a work strategy and creating a detailed project plan. Planning and approval of the information technology project also take place at this particular stage.
We're offering our customers an IT consulting service. At this stage, it means expert assistance and analysis of technical and business needs. It's also responsible for creating an implementation and development strategy.
2. Design & Prototyping - the IT product prototype and its design solutions are created. This stage includes:
- IT-consulting - means the preparation of technical materials and tactics for implementing an information technology product and its effectiveness in business processes optimization;
- Custom software development - high-level design development, determination of methods, and cyber defense levels, as well as other mandatory actions that you will learn more about in the next articles in C. S. S. series.
3. Development - includes architecture creation, product development, and testing. Also it contains the process of educating the client’s company on how to use new software, setting up and transferring IT product documentation.
- IT consulting - you'll get an expert assessment at all stages of product development, and the emerging problems processing in order to improve the software in the future. Along with that, it includes the full training of your company staff on how to work with a software product.
- Custom software development - we create algorithms and write software code. Also, this stage includes 4 types of testing aimed at identifying, eliminating, and preventing possible errors.
4. Evolution - creating new versions of the software product. In this process, we take into account the business needs of the client’s company and the changing market requirements. At the evolution stage, our clients also get guarantees for our further IT product support.
- IT consulting - we work as our clients' “personal support service”, for analyzing and improving the finished product.
- Finished product evolution - experts evaluate the finished information technology product to create new versions.
- Custom software development - in order to create new versions we repeat the software development cycle.
- Maintenance of the finished product - continuous support of all product versions, including and new ones.
What benefits can Custom IT Solutions give to the business
Any entrepreneur thinks about what advantages and benefits they will receive from investing in custom software solutions.
To answer this question, we will provide you with a list of wins for your business if your technical partner has the C. S. S. service on the list.
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.1 Turnkey project development within one company
The development company will take on all the problems associated with the project creation and its implementation in your company’s work processes. Thanks to this service, you'll have the opportunity to get a full range of services for transforming business ideas, needs, and requirements into software; and all this within the framework of one company's work, without outside experts involved. Thanks to this service, you will receive cost optimization when implementing an IT product in the long run, compared with custom software development and off-the-shelf solutions. You're guaranteed to get business and technical expertise throughout the entire cooperation with the development company. Custom software solutions includes services for the evaluation, planning, development, support, and maintenance of an IT product. Customer service, quality and reliability guarantees, and staff training are also a part of this service. Workflow within only one company guarantees you full preservation of the project logic.
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.2 Detailed IT consulting
The decision to collaborate with a development company providing C. S. S. allows you to get the expertise and analysis of your company throughout the entire project. This makes the creation of a product that is most suitable for your unique business goals, needs, and requirements possible. Thus, the conversion of business ideas, goals, needs into an information technology product that solves them will be implemented. And this, in turn, optimizes its work in the long term and makes all processes of your company more efficient.
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.3 The development method in terms of business logic
The development company with the implemented service C. S. S. obviously works with an aid of the technical specialists, but also has business analysts in the staff. Thus, all your business needs, ideas, and goals will be analyzed for integrating the most important features into an IT product. The finished code will have increased business value thanks to the specific business logic method. Also, with the ability to modify the product after it's delivered to the client, you have the opportunity to implement innovative technologies and technical solutions later on. You will get the chance to take advantage of AI, ML, and blockchain technologies for your business.
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.4 The competitive advantage your business will have on other companies in the market
It is an information technology product that, thanks to the unique configuration for your business, is able to bring to life the ideas, goals, needs, and requirements of your business. What is this if not a dream? Thanks to the expertise of the development company this solution becomes your forte. Full implementation of all the specific needs of your business takes it's value to a new level. You'll get a competitive advantage in the form of unique software, which is made individually for you and is your property.
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.5 Advanced level of customer service
The development company with the C. S. S. service guarantees you its development approach with maximum involvement in the information technology project. Thus, you will get several solutions in case of software problems to find the best one. The company will also analyze the feedback, requirements, and comments received from you to make improvements in the software based on those. As a result, you will get more than the implementer of the technical part of the project. You will have a reliable technical partner by your side.
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.6 No extras
Unlike ready-made solutions, custom software solutions don't have unnecessary modules and elements. It makes it easier to work with the information technology project during improvements, and its functionality operates faster as a result. In addition, a simple and suitable architecture for your business will simplify the software implementation in the workflow.
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.7 Lifetime Code Warranty
Some development companies, including us, confirm their reliability by providing customers a lifetime warranty on the code. MassMedia Group is especially proud of this, as it shows our willingness to get involved in product development at our best. This means that even if any technical problems arise in the software on our fault, they'll be fixed as soon as possible. More so - we do it at the expense of our company. You'll have a lifetime warranty from our company, if no one else has interfered with the code we created
Custom IT Solutions: working with outsourcing or outstaffing companies
When choosing a development company for further cooperation, you may face the choice between 2 types of companies: outsourcing and outstaff. The difference between these types of companies is less obvious than it might seem. However, if you need a comprehensive solution within the framework of one company, we advise you to choose outsourcing. You can find more info about the difference between outsourcing and outstaff below.
| Outsourcing | Outstaffing |
| Pros | Pros |
| The development company is fully responsible for the code | A flexible model of team building, where you can decide for yourself who you need for the software development |
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You don't need to invest extra effort in project management, as the development team already fully controls this process |
Full control over developers and the information technology project creation process |
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You won't have difficulties in selecting qualified staff, the development company assembles the best team from their full-time specialists |
An option to reduce project funding by firing team members |
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All security issues are solved by the custom software solutions development company |
Lower rates compared to outsourcing |
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Outsourcing company providing custom software solutions will support the project even after it's finished, creating new versions and fixing possible errors |
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The company providing custom software solutions is responsible for the entire process of information technology project development and implementation |
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| Cons | Cons |
| Hourly rates of outsourcing companies are higher than outstaffing | You take full responsibility for project management. You pay for the work, not for the end result |
| You do not choose the staff in the team and rely on the software development company in the experts choice | The need for full control over the development and work of all team members. Possible frequent staff changes and the need to find replacements |
| You may experience communication difficulties with and within the team. Each process is carried out by a different person and work may not be synchronous. Different code parts are written by different team members, which affects the quality of the final product and makes further work with it more expensive | |
| Outstaffing is not able to provide the same level of data security and cyber safety as an outsourcing company |
It is important to pay attention to a priority for your company and your software in general if you choose between these two models of cooperation. We recommend contacting outsourcing companies to entrepreneurs without a technical background, but even if you have impressive technical attainments, an outsourcing company may still be more experienced. We don't depreciate your knowledge, however, the development companies hire experts on the field. Therefore they're able to provide comprehensive solutions that cover all your business needs. Outstaffing is not what you are looking for if the full project support, communication without difficulties, customer service, and feedback are important to you.
However, if the challenges of management and communication channels are less frightening for you than the software solutions costs and the ability to independently recruit a team - this may be your option.
However, despite all the advantages, the coolest service has a fly in the ointment.
Deficiencies in the Custom IT Solutions and how to level them down
Even with all the advantages, in some aspects, custom software solutions can still be inferior to competitive offers. However, reliable information technology companies successfully deal with service flaws, and this makes custom software solutions the best solutions for your business.
Drawback 1: The price for development with custom software solutions service is higher than for ready-made solutions and reseller offers.
It's not a secret that creating an information technology product from an idea is a resource-intensive process. And finances are one of the most important resources for software development. The desire to cut costs takes businessmen and entrepreneurs away from custom software solutions, so we will tell you how our company levels this drawback down:
- saving in the long run: a completely unique custom solution created for you may be more expensive today but will pay off in the future.
Buying a ready-made solution, you kind of buy software on loan: a monthly subscription fee, extra expenses for new features or unique design solutions make such software more expensive in the long run.
Custom solutions have been created for you and are your property. The responsibility for its faults and bugs are fully on the development company, which saves you from unnecessary expenses.
- software creation within one company: this saves you from having the need to find other experts. Custom Software Solutions are a kind of “all-inclusive” from the information technology world. Costs of its most thoughtful solutions cover all the possible needs that arise during your work.
Drawback 2: The rate of custom software implementation in the company's workflow is lower than competitive solutions.
Custom software is more complex, so it will take longer to implement. However, remember that it will fully satisfy your needs like no other solutions. Its slow integration often forces entrepreneurs to choose other ways of software creation. We decided to tell you why they are wrong and how this problem can be nullified:
- Creating a full-fledged information technology product using Custom Software Development and Value Added Resellers also takes a lot of time. Developing solutions this way can take more than several months. However, unlike these services, Custom Software Solutions make using IT-product modules or MVP separately possible. Thus, you will have an opportunity to use its parts and develop it, taking into account clients' experience.
These shortcomings are significant and may force you to choose another solution. However, given that all these drawbacks can be nullified, custom software solutions take its place among the best possible solutions for developing software on the market.
We understand your desire to choose a reliable information technology company. Paying attention to all the advantages, any businessman will want to understand what exactly they will get from cooperation with the selected company. We'll show you what you get by choosing MassMedia Group as your information technology partner.
What you will get from MassMedia Group Custom IT Solutions
Companies providing the Custom Software Solutions services do this in different ways, including individual bonuses in the development process and in the services components.
We at MassMedia Group are no different. We have something that can make your business even better.
- An all-inclusive method - a full cycle of creating software in one company, from consultation on an information technology product to its support at all stages life cycle.
- IT consulting for obtaining technical and business expertise throughout the work on the software.
- “Personal support service” from our team, which will respond to your requirements and needs as quickly as possible.
- Our company as a reliable technical partner who guarantees you quality cooperation, safe data storage on servers, cybersecurity, and transparency of estimates.
- Security and reliability thanks to American and European servers for data storage and exchange. It is also provided by the NDA for all company employees and two-factor authentication for data protection.
- Work transparency, which is manifested through project cost, tasks, and necessary resources planning for their implementation. Also, for cooperation transparency, we send reports on the work performed and planned activities to our clients. And you can always see us working through the Watch Online service!
- Advanced customer service on our part means team involving in the project, proposing several optimal solutions to level down all possible problems, and constantly analyzing feedback.
- Lifetime code warranty.
We do not say that we are the best of a kind. But at the very least - we're one of the best! :)
Concluding this article, we just need to say that you have to be responsible when choosing a technical partner and creating an information technology project. This is an important step for your business and we understand this.
Creating software from an idea and implementing it in a company’s work is a difficult and long process. And it nonetheless is guaranteed to pay off in the long run. When choosing between custom software solutions and other competitive solutions, remember that many of these service benefits are fully disclosed over time. This is a long-term investment that you will not have to regret.
We believe in you and believe that you will make the right choice. Therefore, do not delay for tomorrow - contact us today! ;)
