Individual software vs. standard software
14.10.2019 - Max Hoehle
With our blog post "Individual software vs. standard software" we would like to answer important questions about individual software, standard software and individualized standard software.
Are you planning to purchase new, better or simply more efficient software for your company? Then you are definitely faced with the question: What kind of software is best suited for my purposes?
1.) Standard software, individual software or individualized standard software?
2.) What is the difference between standard software and individual software and what exactly is behind the term “Individualized standard software”?
We would like to answer all your questions, inform you about the advantages and disadvantages, possible uses and the flexibility of the different options, so that you can make the right decision in the end.</p >
Don't want to read everything first? Contact us straight away.
Individual software
What does individual software mean
Individual software is software that, as the name suggests, is individual is developed according to your requirements. This software is specially tailored to your needs and business processes. Before use, there is a close exchange between you and the software company. The proximity to the development team and the adaptation of the content to your business processes make individual software development significantly more flexible than standard software. An extension, change or implementation in other business areas of your company is much easier than with standard software. The flexibility and any scalability make individual software future-proof. This allows you to react quickly and inexpensively to all market changes.
When using individual software, you are the sole user. Nobody can easily copy the system. In a way, it automatically creates a unique selling proposition.
The possible uses of individual software are manifold. The use of individual software makes sense above all if it is to cover important core processes in your company.
Advantages of individual software
+ Creates a competitive advantage
+ Saves time and money through faster and more efficient processes
+ Can be expanded to other business areas
+ Future-proof & arbitrarily scalable
+ No license costs and low support costs
+ Uncomplicated integration
+ Fast support by a personal contact person
+ enables intuitive use
Disadvantages of individual software
- High short-term expenses
- Longer development time
Examples for custom software:
> Desktop & Mobile Applications
> Client Server Applications
> Engineering-technical software
> Elaborate calculation programs
Individualized standard software
What does individualized standard software mean
The individualized standard software is a special form of individual software. An external software company takes care of the adaptation and optimization of your currently used standard software to your individual requirements. This process makes sense if you want to make minor changes to the system and don't need completely new software. The time and costs involved in development are lower than with newly developed individual software. It is advisable to have these adjustments made to existing systems by external software companies. Third-party software companies have a wide range of expertise and can provide faster and cheaper support than the off-the-shelf software vendor development team.
Advantages of customized standard software
+ Can be used quickly and is inexpensive
+ Customizes the current system without developing it from scratch (especially for smaller ones Adaptation makes sense)
+ No time-consuming system training necessary
+ Rapid increase in the effectiveness of your business processes
Disadvantages of individualized standard software
- 100% individualization not possible
- License fees from the provider of the standard software remain the same
Examples of customized standard software:
A lot is possible here. We will be happy to advise you in detail and find the optimal solution for your specific application.
Standard Software
What does standard software mean
Standard software is usually purchased and downloaded directly from the Internet. Accordingly, it is ready for use in a very short time. However, it usually requires intensive training and familiarization time for your employees. The effort and costs for use are still lower than with individual software development. However, you should note that the use of standard software usually incurs regular license fees, which can increase over time. A standard software is configurable to a limited extent and can be slightly adjusted to your processes. However, this configuration is in no way comparable to that of individual software.
The use of standard software is recommended when it comes to processes that are roughly the same in all companies. An example of this would be financial accounting systems or customer relationship management systems (CRM). Working with these programs is the same in most companies, which makes them suitable for many users.
Advantages of standard software
+ Can be used quickly
+ Cheaper in the short term
Disadvantages of standard software
- Regular license fees
- Hardly flexible
- Processes have to be adapted to the software (long training time)
- High costs for adjustments
- Slow support
Examples for standard software
> Accounting Systems
> Customer Relationship Management
> Communication Platforms
Conclusion
Companies often shy away from the increased prices of software companies and opt for standard software. You often forget the most important reason for the decision to use individual software: the unique selling proposition! Individual software offers the chance to stand out from your competitors. Your processes become measurable
> Faster
> more effective and
> error-free
Do you have any further questions?
We at LinoPro see ourselves as absolute software experts for the development of individual software and individualized standard software. Together with you, we develop software that really helps you and your processes and sets you apart from the competition. Your satisfaction and requirements are our top priority.
We would be happy to get in touch with you and advise you personally over the phone or by email. Of course free of charge!
