So You Want to Build: Key Questions for Your Business
While the allure of tailored solutions is evident, in your build vs buy decision making, you decided to build your own. Internal development requires meticulous planning, clear vision, and strategic foresight. Before diving into this substantial commitment, it’s crucial for businesses to introspect and evaluate their readiness. To guide this introspection, here are 10 pivotal questions every business should ask itself to determine if they’re truly prepared to embark on the custom software development journey.
If a business is contemplating building custom software, asking the right questions can guide the decision-making process. Here’s a list of pertinent questions businesses should consider:
What’s the primary problem we’re trying to solve? Clearly define the challenge or inefficiency that necessitates a custom solution. Ensure that there is no out-of-the-box solution that means your business requirements.
Is our business model or process unique enough to require custom software? Some businesses have niche requirements that generic software can’t cater to. Understand the gaps present in existing solutions and if they’re significant enough to warrant a custom build.
Do we have the budget for initial development and ongoing maintenance? Custom software is not just about the initial build. Maintenance, updates, and potential expansions come with associated costs.
Do we have the internal expertise, or will we need to hire externally? Understanding whether you have the in-house talent or if you’ll need to rely on external developers is crucial.
What’s our timeline and integration requirement? Custom builds can be time-consuming. Ensure you have a realistic timeline and integrates well with existing systems, keeping potential delays in mind.
How will the software scale as the business grows? Your solution should not just meet current needs but should also be adaptable to future challenges and growth.
How will we handle security and compliance? Especially critical for industries with strict regulatory requirements, ensure your custom software will uphold necessary standards.
How will we measure the software’s success? Set clear metrics or KPIs to evaluate the effectiveness and ROI of the custom software. Develop a business case to track project milestones and provide justification for the costs.
Are we committed to a long-term relationship with developers? Custom software often requires a sustained relationship with developers for updates, troubleshooting, and expansions.
How will we gather feedback and implement improvements? Establish a feedback loop with end-users to continually refine and improve the software.
Answering these questions can offer clarity and ensure that businesses are not diving into custom software development without due consideration. Building software is an investment of time, money, and resources, so making an informed decision is paramount.
