In the digital age, many of our everyday problems have been solved by a simple "click". The revolution in apps, particularly personalized apps, has served to bring everyone closer to a world in which new technologies are developing by leaps and bounds. Today we're going to zoom in on custom applications. We'll be analyzing their advantages and shortcomings.
And now you're thinking of creating your own custom application for your company. Great! But you still need to be careful and weigh up the pros and cons. Every project is different, and every priority is different. While it may be advantageous to embark on the development of a custom application for one project, that doesn 't necessarily mean it's advantageous for another.
In this article, we'll take a look at the pros and cons of a bespoke application, even though it's usually advantageous for your business. After reading this article, you'll be able to make an informed decision.
There are two types of application: a web application and a native mobile application. Often confused, these applications are very different. Not only are there differences for the user, but they are also developed and deployed differently.
A native mobile application is designed for a specific platform, such as iOS for the iPhone or Android for a Samsung device. They are downloaded and installed via an application store, and have access to system resources such as GPS and camera functions.
A web application, on the other hand, is accessible via an Internet browser such as Google Chrome. Unlike a mobile application, it adapts to any type of device. They are not native to a particular system, and don't need to be downloaded or installed.
An application is therefore said to be tailor-made when, by definition, it meets a precise need for which no IT solution yet exists. The aim is to create a set of IT processes designed to simplify your day-to-day work and optimize your team's performance.
Compared with standard applications, custom applications can offer significant advantages, particularly when it comes to enterprise management applications (ERP) or digital transformation.
With a tailor-made application, you can perform repetitive tasks automatically. The application will be developed to adapt to your processes, not the other way round. In other words, you won't have to change the way you work, but rather create a tool that will optimize your efficiency.
As the name implies, a custom application can be personalized. It's the application that will give you the functionality that meets the specific needs of your business. This is undoubtedly one of the greatest advantages of digital transformation.
A standard application may not allow optimal integration with your other IT tools, which can have an impact on your efficiency and that of your business.
Fortunately, with bespoke IT development you can be sure ofa customized fit with the tools you're currently using. Yes, the tools you're already using can be optimized, and tasks can be automated, so you don't have to spend your manpower unnecessarily.
As a result, your staff can concentrate on other essential tasks and communicate in real time, creating connections between different software applications to facilitate collaboration. The result is increased productivity for your teams.
Opting for a specific, tailor-made application exposes you will expose you less to the risks presented by a standard application on the market.
As you know, market solutions are currently defending themselves against numerous attacks every month. If a hacker succeeds in cracking this solution, he will be able to easily access your customer data. This could damage your business, even if you are not personally affected.
To stay ahead of your competitors, you need to innovate. It's the only way to stay competitive. Your company will die if nothing changes, or if you stagnate.
Being on the lookout for innovative tools is an option for staying competitive. If your competitors are slow to adopt new tools, you can quickly gain a competitive edge.
What's more, you need to take your competitors into account. If everyone's using the same tools to perform the same tasks, it's going to be hard to differentiate yourself, and that's going to lead to a loss of competitiveness.
If your project is essential to your company's competitiveness, a tailor-made web application will help you maintain or even improve your competitiveness .
But be careful how you use them. If opting for innovative tools is a guarantee of staying competitive, be aware that making the wrong choice will be fatal and temporary. If it's a good application, everyone will quickly adopt it.
That's why we recommend a customized application. You have complete freedom to make the integrations necessary for user efficiency and essential to the smooth running of your business, and the realization of your project.
One of the greatest advantages of a bespoke application is the ease with which it can be adapted to changes in the company. In addition to the native functions, you'll be able to add new features. A new user, for example, or new processes.
Tailor-made application development will enable you to adapt the application to the evolution of your business, in an agile way.
The custom application development provider must have technical support for your web and mobile applications.
This is the case of LANE Digital ConsultingAt LANE Digital Consulting, we provide you with a team to support your technical needs. By understanding your needs and how the application works, we can offer rapid corrective maintenance when you encounter a problem.
While there are many advantages to a custom application, there are also disadvantages. But it can also have a few drawbacks.
Designing a customized solution for a project, is a gigantic undertaking, and there are a number of points to consider.
To set up a tailor-made solution, you'll need to devote some time to :
Of course, if your project has a short-term deadline, having a custom application may not be the ideal solution. On the other hand, if it's a long-term project, it's well worth giving some thought to the development of a custom application.
Add to this the deadline, and it's hard to estimate exactly how much work there will be. Like many things, it's impossible to think of everything in great detail before development even begins. The estimate you make yourself, or the agency you work with, will not be accurate.
Very rarely will it take less time than expected, but in most cases it will exceed the time originally planned.
There will always be technical challenges, and even with foresight, these will never be exact. To reduce this uncertainty, it's best to call on professionals like LANE Digital Consulting for example, who will have the necessary skills to take the time to estimate each feature, and get to the bottom of things on both the functional and technical sides.
Although this can be a great advantage of a customized application insofar as it meets a very specific need: accessibility or legibility for people with sight problems, for example. In this case, the user experience can also become a disadvantage.
Since this is a tool that doesn't exist anywhere else, it requires expertise that you won't necessarily find in-house.
It's not uncommon to end up with a web application of average quality when you're looking for a custom-made experience that's just right for your users. So you need to be careful here, and be sure that if this is an important criterion in your decision to go the customization route, you'll need to find the right people to do the job.
Just like the user experience, for your application's security you need to surround yourself with the right people.
In the case of an existing application, for example, security is solid and any flaws are quickly corrected. So you need the same level of security for your application. You can't have poor security, otherwise you'll be extremely adversely affected if a flaw is ever exploited.
Finally, the problems encountered by users generally stem from a lack of resources. An existing solution will have a much larger team, because it only handles a single application for several customers.
Developing a customized ERP is a huge undertaking. But alongside other ERPs with considerably greater resources than yours, it's going to be almost impossible to stand out from the crowd.
On the other hand, if you bring real added value that's specific to your company, then tailor-made solutions are an option, as mentioned above.
Today, the software market is led by CRM publishers such as Hubspot. Although very powerful, this SaaS (Software as a Service) mode software meets a general, non-customized need.
At a time when the choice is already immense, it's natural to ask why develop a custom application?
However, the development of a tailor-made application will really depend on each individual project.
There are a number of parameters to bear in mind before you start designing a custom application.
We hope these questions will help you decide whether to opt for a custom solution or a ready-to-use application for your project.
The effectiveness of your actions will have a direct impact on your company's image. So you might as well get it right.
Agencies specializing in bespoke application development, such as LANE Digital Consulting, are professional structures specializing in all the quality procedures involved in creating an application.
You will :
Unlike an application developed by an online publisher, anagency always takes users' expectations into account. Not only from a technical point of view, but also from an emotional and relational point of view. This is where their expertise comes in.
At LANE Digital Consulting, we're halfway between people and technology, executing our projects with your expectations and quality standards in mind.
We provide maintenance and support throughout the product life cycle. With the aim of regularly refreshing the application's features.
The primary aim of custom application development is to make operations more cost-effective and to meet a specific need. An application is unique and enables one or more tasks to be carried out. It must therefore be simpler and quicker to use than the previous manual process.
However, if the software is too complex to learn, it will not be adopted by the whole team. This would be a considerable loss, given the time spent drawing up specifications, comparing existing applications and deploying the chosen solution.
This can be advantageous for your company if it :
Finally, the greatest advantage of a customized application is that you are its creator. Once the application has been developed, your company owns it. So you don't have to worry about upgrades to the various CRMs, or the high cost of operating licenses.
The idea of designing a tailor-made application isn't for every project. It can become an inconvenience and a waste of time if you don't pay attention to certain details.
As we saw a moment ago, designing a customized solution is a huge undertaking. If you're planning a short-term project, a custom application is probably not the best solution.
What's more, there will always be technical challenges, and even with anticipation, the estimate will never be exact.
Having a tailor-made application also requires expertise that you won't necessarily find in-house.
The design of a custom application depends on each project. The best way to find out if your project is suitable is to call on the services of a specialized agency.
CRMs, and more generally off-the-shelf software, will always have their place, as they enable processes to be grouped together in a functional platform that suits common needs. However, when it comes to meeting specific needs, there's no room for compromise. Feedback from our customers on the use of the tools we have developed with them has convinced us that it is preferable to opt for an innovative solution. Choosing to develop a tailor-made application means choosing to make the digitization of your business profitable.
Our experts can help you estimate your development project. Reserve your for a 30-minute discovery appointment.
