Ask yourself one question: do you have the time and/or the money to waste on purchasing and implementing the exact same solutions that your competitor is using? The answer in the vast majority of cases is most definitely “no!” Your company’s time and money should be spent on resources (be they human capital or new business process solutions) that drive the company forward and create solutions that put you five steps ahead of your competition.

While there are many important facets of a company which can be improved upon, using software to optimize business processes, facilitate workflow and provide necessary tools is a key area which both money and time should be dedicated.

So the next question is: do we purchase a commercial product off the shelf or should we invest in a custom software solution tailored to our business processes and enterprise? Which solution will provide the greatest value for our company?

A commercial product that is off the shelf may seem like the cheapest and easiest solution. However, there are many hidden costs associated with these products which drive up the total operating cost of this type of software. Examples of hidden costs include:

- Hardware upgrades

- Licensing/maintenance costs

- User training needs

- Supporting software required by the product

After reviewing these hidden costs, most companies quickly come to the conclusion that an innovative customized software solution is the best way to spark innovation within the company and drive growth. These custom software solutions ensure there is a proper fit for your company and a stronger security infrastructure.

So, would you guess that commercial off the shelf products are more popular than a customized software solution? A recent study conducted by Forrester in 2012 surveyed 2,500 IT decision makers and results indicated that spending on custom software solutions versus off the shelf products were almost identical (at approximately 25% of spending). It is obvious that companies are quickly realizing the multitude of benefits that arise from investing in a custom software solution for their business needs.