Software5 min read
The messy middle of modern software
Off-the-shelf, configured or custom? A practical way to decide what to build when existing software almost fits.
Building software keeps getting easier. Deciding what should be built, and how it fits the tools a business already runs, has not.
Most organizations live in the middle: a few systems that almost fit, spreadsheets filling the gaps, and people copying information between them.
Three options, in order
Custom software is rarely the first answer. Work through the cheaper options first.
- Use what you already pay for, many gaps are configuration, not missing features.
- Connect existing tools, an integration or automation often removes the manual step.
- Build custom only for the part that is specific to how you work.
Signs custom software is justified
Look for evidence rather than frustration.
- The same workaround is repeated every day by several people.
- Existing tools force you to change a process that is a real advantage.
- Information has to be re-entered between systems that cannot be connected.
- Licence costs for stacked tools exceed what a focused build would cost to maintain.
What to agree before anything is built
Write down the problem, who uses the result, what it must connect to, who owns the code and data, and who supports it after launch. If those answers are unclear, the build will be too.