Custom Programming Vs. Off-the-Shelf Software

The first thing you should do is to determine your company’s priorities - in most cases the answer to this question helps you make your choice. The best solution will be the one that offers the most advantages in priority areas and the fewest shortcomings that may affect your work.

Working with Templates and Ready-Made Solutions

A template or ready-made solution is software that is available for purchase and with which you can start working immediately upon installation. Typically, such services have a limited set of functions, but can be launched within a few hours or days.

Before deploying such software, you’ll still need to spend time searching for and purchasing the service that best suits your needs and meets your budget expectations. However, in general, this process is still much faster than custom programming.

unilever
yandex
danone
cisco
trivago
mandara

Advantages and Disatvantages of Ready-Made Solutions

Typically, templates and ready-made solutions are distributed online and work through the cloud and external servers. On the one hand, this offers an excellent opportunity to work on a dedicated server provided by the supplier company, but on the other - imagine what will happen if this server fails, or you have trouble with your ISP and can’t access the cloud? For many, this situation means the loss of a large number of orders.

Out-of-the-box solutions may be useful if you need a standard set of simple functionality. Such solutions have already been tested by many users before you get to your order. Custom programming of a service with similar functionality will usually cost a lot of money and is not always expedient.

Ready-made software is usually much easier to configure and reconfigure than custom programming. It is enough to tick off or enable some function and the app will start to toy with new colours. In custom programming, new features always require a new code. On the other hand, ready-made solutions can sometimes be too cumbersome for business tasks, with most users eventually abandoning around half the pre-installed functions but still paying for them.

Custom programming services by Magora

Pros

  • Significantly cheaper
  • No time spent on development
  • Integrability with third-party services
  • Proven technologies / services
  • Well-developed community support for users

Cons

  • Standardisation
  • Dependence on vendor
  • Possible licence problems
  • Unplanned and unnecessary future updates
  • Long-term development

Out-of-the-box apps are guilty of giving you so many functions, half of which you’ll likely never use. Let's take Bitrix-24 as an example. Yes, it’s easy to install, works through the cloud and has a large set of useful functions. But let's be honest - this set may actually be too big, and working in a system overloaded by unnecessary functions may be time-consuming.

What is Custom Programming?

Custom programming and development is the process of creating a new app, service or piece pf software that either has some unique functionality yet not available through other projects or is being developed for a specific customer with specific needs.

Custom programming is rarely fast. Regardless of the complexity of the project and the task, they consist of certain stages. Stages can vary depending on the purpose, but in general the process usually looks like this:

  • Initial request and project meeting.
  • Preparation of a detailed requirement specification.
  • Work on design (prototyping, visual concept, layouts)
  • Programming
  • Testing and debugging
  • Review and launch

Our Achievements:

322 App Development Projects
413 Mobile Applications
75 Enterprise Software Solutions

As you can see from this list, the process is time-consuming, but custom development will help to create and customise a product or service that directly meets your needs.

Here at Magora, we always focus on custom programming and unique solutions based on the special needs of each business and client. This is thanks to our specialisation in complex business software: internal social networks, loyalty programs and other services that necessitate detailed strategy elaboration.

Unlike boxed solutions, custom programming is great for creating complex systems such as ERP, SCM and CRM. Moreover, with the development of technology and the emergence of a large number of new industries, off-the-shelf products can’t always close the desired niche or offer sufficient alternatives.

Pros

  • Detailed map of all your company's business processes
  • Clear advantage over competitors
  • Only the required functionality
  • Development under your supervision

Cons

  • Expensive in comparison to ready-made analogues
  • You will be the first to test the program
  • Difficult to standardise (whether all plug-ins for Internet trading will be connected, etc.).
  • Long-term development

At first sight custom development may seem too complicated and costly. However, it’s custom programming that allows you to get a product that is finely-tuned to your current goals and the expenses will pay off in the shortest terms.

When it comes to buying licences and paying for support, custom development always wins. You are the only owner of the product - all additional expenses for upgrades etc. are minimised, there are only necessary features and nothing complicates the functionality.

Why Is Custom App Programming Beneficial for Business?

Mobile apps provide great interactivity and user engagement. Your clients will always have your service at hand and get plenty of new opportunities and features such as geolocation, navigation, push notifications, advertising, etc. You can choose the functionality you need, invent any idea and our developers will bring it to life in compliance with your corporate standards.

The mobile application is the strongest tool of any customer service department. It is an indispensable link between the brand and its users. Today, each customer requires and expects the highest quality to be maintained at a highly personalised level. You cannot achieve this without custom programming services.

More than 70% of the population use smart mobile devices, so every company should be ready to move content from the Internet to mobile devices. Your customers use tablets, smartphones, smart TVs and so on. Therefore, it’s important to adapt your business strategy and attract new markets, such as the Apple Store or Google Play. Custom development is the only way to take your brand into the mobile dimension.

Do not neglect your customers - it's easy to hear them if you start really listening. Your customers are already using mobile apps. The only question is when they can start using yours.

Stages of Work

A clear structure of the production process is the key to the successful implementation of your project.

At the first meeting, you’ll outline the idea for ​​your app in general terms (in order to preserve the confidentiality of your information, we offer to sign a Non-Disclosure Agreement). Together we define the basic functionality, navigation elements, platform of the future product and other common points. Application development always begins with the drafting of the specs, in which the entire project will be detailed, and on the basis of which the final cost and terms will be determined.

Your app should be attractive but still functional if it is to achieve success. This is why we pay great attention to the visual support of the project, the ease of navigation and the clear interface.

Our team consists exclusively of professionals in their field - each of our programmers has at least five years’ experience. The server part is the starting point of any client-server application. We use different approaches to programming and employ a great variety of technologies and tools both native and web.

In order for the application to be published, the developer account must be separately registered. The application is then submitted for approval, after which follows a review procedure that takes up to seven business days. Working with Magora, you can be rest assured of a by-the-book, on-schedule launch - we will provide you with a step-by-step explanation.

If your product is intended for internal use and requires integration, our developer will provide all necessary services to make this procedure flawless and secure.

Every project needs technical support. The application must be adapted to changing conditions and kept up to date. We offer our customers consulting services and can help your internal team support the software, or else help keep your project up-to-date via the implementation of regular technical support and the adding of new features based on your requests.

We Can Make the App You’ve Always Dreamed of

We take care of the entire process, from design to launch. The Magora team will offer solutions that fit your unique needs, processes and corporate style.

Our experience in developing mobile applications is an important factor that speeds up the creative process and guarantees high quality. Dynamic elements and integration with software-administrative components (backend) are advantages of custom mobile apps that add great value to your products and services.

Think about all the benefits and opportunities your company can discover by entering the mobile world. Contact us for a quick consultation and we’ll be happy to help you with good ideas for your mobile application.

Logo Magora LTD
close
Get in touch
Open list
Open list
Logo Magora LTD
close
Thank you very much.

Your registration to the webinar on the 27th of September at 2 p.m. BST was successfuly completed.
We will send you a reminder on the day before the event.
Magora team
Registration for a webinar

"Let Smart Bots Speed up your Business"
Date: 27.09.2018 Time: 2 p.m. BST
Do you agree to the personal data processing?