When Is it Worth Investing in Custom Software?

Considerations for Custom Development:

• The software will be tailored precisely to my needs. It can be specified and expanded at any time.
• The software is not immediately ready for use. It needs to be well conceived and planned. I need to create a requirements specification (Lastenheft). The programmers will translate my requirements into a functional specification (Pflichtenheft), which defines the technical requirements of the project. Afterwards, the functions are programmed.
• I get involved in the content and conceptual aspects, actively participate in the development, and review completed milestones.
• I test all functions during the development process.
• As I develop my business and fields over the coming years, my software can evolve accordingly. I can start small and expand the software later.

Considerations for Using Commercial Software:

• I need to research the market and assess which ready-made solution best fits my requirements. This can be time-consuming depending on market conditions.
• Most providers offer limited trial versions or versions with reduced functionality. I need to evaluate different options and test various offers.
• Advantage: The software is immediately ready for use after purchase.
• I may need to compromise regarding features. They might not perfectly match my requirements, but I can manage with them. Or I might try to have the software extended by the developer or a specialist, depending on possibilities and license terms.

Whether it is more economical to develop custom software or to use and possibly customize off-the-shelf software cannot be answered definitively. It depends on market conditions. Conduct market and price research.

If you ask a programmer to give a rough cost estimate "quickly," it will usually only be a very approximate, non-binding estimate for complex projects. The possibilities and features are too diverse. That’s why we have requirement specifications (Lastenheft) and functional specifications (Pflichtenheft). Be aware that creating a Pflichtenheft involves significant effort and will be billed accordingly. These costs are credited against the programmer’s fee upon commissioning.

"What I want doesn’t exist!"
In 2008, we developed an image shop for a photographer. There was no ready-made software available on the market.

"I want to determine the functions myself!"
In 2007, we programmed management software for a care service. While there was existing software on the market, the client had specific ideas closely related to expanding their business fields.

"I want it simple, stable, and easy to maintain. A standard website can’t do that."
Between 2011 and 2013, we developed websites for two church districts (Eisleben-Sömmerda and Bad Frankenhausen-Sondershausen). The standard functionality of a website was not sufficient. We needed many staff-profile pages built on the same template, and also church community pages sharing the same structure. Both should be easily linked (staff and locations) and manageable by laypersons using images and texts.

With a standard website, this would have meant hundreds of CMS pages each filled differently. A uniform appearance would have been impossible. Laypersons would have had to work with the CMS just to publish their data on the website.

We solved this by developing simple forms. There is a staff management system with employee forms and a congregation management system with forms for churches, events, and activities.

The linkage is easily done via selection fields.

Laypersons can enter data themselves, and everything always looks uniform. If certain fields are left blank, it simply means those sections are not shown, keeping the site consistent and easy to manage.