Introduction
Bespoke is a term used in the United Kingdom and elsewhere for an individually or custom-made product or service. Traditionally applied to custom-tailored clothing, the term has been extended to information technology, especially for software consulting services.
Typically, software consulting companies offer packaged (already invented and generally applicable) software and bespoke software for client needs that can't be satisfied by packaged software.
In the U.S., bespoke software is often called custom or custom-designed software.
Bespoke is a form derived from bespeak, which was used as early as 1583 to refer to the ordering of goods.
Most software that you use will be 'off the shelf' packages and the same application will typically be run by thousands or even millions of users. The other type of software that you may use is bespoke software which has been custom developed for your particular organisation. There are various advantages and disadvantages to both approaches.
Advantages of Packaged Software
- The software tends to be relatively cheap as the cost of development can be spread over a large number of users.
- The revenues generated from a very large numbers of users means that a lot of resources can be applied to it's development allowing the very complex applications to be
developed.
Drawbacks of Packaged Software
- The software can be highly complex and will usually include large sections that you will never use. Typical users of Word use only 20% of its functionality.
- Generally tries to be all things to all men.
- Difficult to lear all the different functionality.
- May not fit your business processes exactly leading to compromise
- Difficulty getting technical support.
- Next to impossible for you as a user to instigate changes to suit your requirements.
Advantages of Bespoke Software
- It has been specifically designed for your particular requirements and can be tailored to fit in exactly with the way that your business or organisation wishes to operate.
- It can be customised to interface with other software that you operate with the potential to provide you with a fully integrated IT infrastructure across your whole organisation.
- You have a direct relationship with the developer, so it's easier to influence future development or get specific changes made.
- Users will usually find it easier and more intuitive to use as it should not contain unnecessary or superfluous facilities and should operate in the way that they are used to working.
- It can incorporate business processes that are specific to you and which do not exist in any packaged solution.
- The use of professionally developed bespoke software could give you a significant advantage over your competition.
Drawbacks of Bespoke Software
- Finding a competent developer.
- Higher costs and longer lead times.
Conclusions
Having a bespoke application developed for you can potentially provide you with major business and commercial benefits and allow you to gain significant competitive advantage. However you have to expect to pay more for it than for a packaged solution and it is also essential that you use a professional developer who works to Best Practice standards and who is happy to provide you with the source code to your application.