Packaged vs. custom software: Pros and cons

In today’s technologically dependent world, having the right software to support your business and your customers is a must. In some cases, an off-the-shelf application is sufficient to do the job. But sometimes, the software you need simply doesn’t exist… yet.

Research firm Gartner projects that spending on enterprise software will grow by another 11.7% in 2022. Making a wise investment with your software budget is essential. How can you know when it’s time to build your own software?
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Quick guide for a successful software product launch

It may have worked for fictional character Ray Kinsella in the film Field of Dreams. But in real life, building something incredible does not de facto mean that our ideal target audience is going to magically show up, brimming with a strong desire for it. Building, marketing and launching a product need to be a strategically planned and unified endeavor.

Don’t make the mistake of relegating your software product launch to an afterthought. You need to know up front who your product is for, how they’re going to find it, and why they’re going to recognize its value.
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10 best practices for software quality assurance

Code bugs. Painfully slow applications. Abrupt system crashes. In this day and age, we’ve all experienced these problems from a user perspective. And nothing destroys our high opinion of a software product faster.

No one wants to deal with the hassle of spending an hour on a customer service line trying to recover their lost financial data or figure out why their box was shipped to the wrong address. And no one wants to be on the receiving end of that phone call.
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5 ways bespoke software can increase efficiency

Operating more efficiently than your market competitors can provide you with a significant competitive advantage. What’s more, even a small increase in efficiency can compound over time, cutting costs and boosting productivity. When it comes to running a successful business, efficiency is not something anyone can afford to overlook.

What are your current bottlenecks to greater efficiency? Are your existing software systems dragging you down? If you’re using off-the-shelf software that was designed to do a “good enough job” for a mass market user base, chances are you’re not operating as efficiently as you could be.
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10 great ways to market your mobile app

According to research firm Statistica, there are over six billion smartphone users in the world today - and that number is expected to continue to increase substantially in the coming years. This is great news for mobile app creators.

However, there’s still a catch. You could build the world’s greatest app, eagerly launch it out into an enormous market of mobile app users... and realize that no one is using it because no one actually knows that it exists (ouch).
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6 best practices for native mobile app development

It’s a great time to build a native mobile app. Consumer demand for mobile apps is strong, and growing. According to research by Statistica, mobile app downloads increased more than 50% between 2016 and 2020, surpassing 200 billion. That’s a lot of mobile app usage - and the numbers continue to trend upward.

Launching a mobile app can lead to new customers, more revenue, and even a significant competitive advantage. But it can also be a bit daunting if you’ve got a great idea for a new app but you’re not an expert at the technical side of building one.
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What is technical debt - and how can you minimize it?

If you’re going to build a software product, it’s a good idea to familiarize yourself with the concept of technical debt - and understand how it can impact the future of your application. So what exactly is technical debt, and why should you care?

“Technical debt” is a term used in the software community that refers to the cost incurred when you employ software development practices that are less than ideal.
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How to choose the right tech stack for your software project

One of the biggest and most costly mistakes that can be made when building a software application is to accidentally build a product that doesn’t do what you need it to do - and not even realize you’ve made this mistake until thousands of dollars and months of time have been wasted. You absolutely do not want to fall down that hole.

In some cases people inadvertently build the wrong product because they haven’t done proper market research, or because they haven’t adequately gathered user requirements. […]
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5 effective ways to mitigate risks in your software project

Building a new custom software product is an exciting endeavor - but there’s also a lot on the line. You want to build something delightful, valuable, and enduring. A product that makes people’s lives better. Something your customers will love.

You also want to build your product on time, within budget, in line with requirements, and on par with high quality standards. And you’ve been around the block enough times to know that these types of results don’t just automatically create themselves.
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How to successfully scale your custom software

Early on in your software project, it’s important to focus on creating a simple, loveable, and complete product that solves a real problem - and getting it to market fast. But that doesn’t mean it’s too early to think about scalability as well.

In fact, not thinking about scalability until after your product is built and launched can be a costly mistake. Choosing a scalable system architecture and infrastructure in advance will help ensure that you’re well positioned to succeed when it comes time to scale your custom software.
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How to successfully deploy a new software product

The time will arrive when you’ve planned, designed, and built a great software product. It’s a huge accomplishment, and you’re excited for what the future holds. But there’s one more important step in between your ready-to-launch product and your future success: the deployment phase.

After investing in creating a high quality product, that last thing you want is to get derailed during the home stretch by a poorly implemented rollout. Your deployment process must be carefully planned and executed in line with best practices in order to maximize both its efficiency and the likelihood of a successful outcome.
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Get your journey started - A step-by-step overview to outsourcing a software project

You have a great product idea and you can’t wait to move forward. It’s a very exciting place to be - though also a bit intimidating. You want to build your software right, and you want to build it with the right people. But what if you don’t already have the right people on your team?

It might be within your means to invest the time, effort, and expense to hire and train the human resources you need in-house… or it might not. Either way, there is a faster and more flexible option for getting your product to market: outsourcing.
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How to identify and communicate your product’s unique value proposition

Your product needs to stand out in an amazingly complex and distracting world - and perhaps in an amazingly crowded market as well. According to eMarketer, worldwide digital ad spend alone is projected to grow 17% in 2021. That’s a lot of advertising dollars to compete with.

Whatever problem you solve, chances are your ideal customers have multiple solutions to choose from. Your biggest competitor might even be the status quo of inaction.
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What to expect when you partner with Basecode on your software development project

A software development project comprises multiple phases - and typically takes several months in all. Each project commences with two strategy phases: the Discovery Phase and the Design Phase. These are then followed by three implementation phases: the Engineering Phase, the Deployment Phase, and the Maintenance Phase.

Here’s a brief overview of what to expect during each project phase…
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How to choose the right custom software development partner

So, you’ve decided that custom software is the appropriate path forward, now what?

There’s a lot to look forward to - but what’s the first step? In order to achieve a successful outcome from your custom software project you’ll need to pick the right development partner. And this is no trivial task - according to Statistica, a 2020 study by Evans Data indicated there are currently more than 23 million software developers worldwide (and growing).
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SLC vs. MVP: What’s the difference, and which is best for your software project?

Which project methodology is going to get you the results you want, in the most efficient and effective way?

Perhaps you’ve heard of new software being introduced as a Minimum Viable Product (MVP). But what does this actually mean, and is it a good idea? The MVP concept became popular after the 2011 publication of startup founder Eric Ries’s book The Lean Startup, in which Ries purports that launching an MVP prior to building a full-fledged product can minimize risks.
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4 ways custom software gives you a competitive advantage

Do you clearly stand out amongst your competitors? Are you known as the go-to business for personalized customer service, fast turnaround times, or some other coveted differentiator? Or are you lost in the crowd, still struggling to make the case for why you’re the best option?

Businesses that can offer a unique product or service - one that facilitates a delightful customer experience - easily set themselves apart, magnetically attract more customers, and command premium pricing. In fact, a PwC research report indicates that…
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Why sourcing in-house tech talent might not be right for your business

Competent and tenured staff are already fully employed, especially in a Covid, tech-centric world.

Making smart decisions on when to hire new talent and when to outsource instead is critical for the success of your business. Each option will have a significant financial and operational impact. When building a new software product, if you don’t already have the necessary in-house resources you’ll be looking at a substantial long-term investment to obtain both the talent and infrastructure to build internally.
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How to select the right features for your custom software

Custom software should make your life easier. When designed well, it will save you time, cut down costs, be enjoyable to use, and deliver a ton of value. In order to ensure these benefits, a well-managed software project kicks off with clarification of the big-picture strategy. What key problem needs to be solved? What functionality will be the core of the new application?
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Where can custom software have the most impact on your business?

Custom software can have an enormous positive impact on your business - when designed and implemented in a strategic manner. You may already have a strong idea of some gaps that need to be bridged, or a wish list of your dream functionality. But before moving forward, it’s essential to do a bit of strategic analysis to ensure that you achieve an optimal outcome.

Here are several key questions to consider to determine where custom software can provide the most impact for your business.
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Custom software is high-value intellectual property

Custom software can have an enormous positive impact on your business - when designed and implemented in a strategic manner. You may already have a strong idea of some gaps that need to be bridged, or a wish list of your dream functionality. But before moving forward, it’s essential to do a bit of strategic analysis to ensure that you achieve an optimal outcome.

Here are several key questions to consider to determine where custom software can provide the most impact for your business.
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How Agile methodology improves software development

Erratic communications, inaccurate timelines, and cost overruns are all hallmarks of a poorly managed project - and not something anyone wants to deal with. Fortunately, with the right systems in place, these hassles can easily be avoided.

A well-managed software development process leverages available resources for maximum efficiency and facilitates a great experience for all stakeholders.
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7 innovative trends in custom software development for 2021

Our digital world is constantly evolving as numerous new advanced technologies emerge every year. Capitalizing on the best and most relevant technological innovations can be key to optimizing business operations and gaining a competitive edge.

Nearly all organizational processes now rely on some type of software. Software facilitates our communications, stores and organizes our information, and helps us do our jobs with maximum effectiveness and efficiency.
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Project management can make or break a software product: Here’s how

Building a best-in-class product with a good cost-to-value ratio - and getting it to market as fast as possible - is the pinnacle of excellent software development. And of course, this is not an easy feat to pull off. Project management is one of the most significant factors that determines which software projects ultimately run smoothly, and which get derailed.

So, what exactly is project management?
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5 ways custom software improves customer experience

Have you ever dialed a customer service number and found yourself on hold for what felt like an eternity? If you’re like most people, it’s easy to recall a time when you encountered poor customer service - and hopefully, a time when your expectations were exceeded as well.

Those one-time experiences were part of your overall experience with a company, but there is much greater complexity in the relationship between a business and its customers. Customer experience (CX) is broader than just customer service.
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Why using off-the-shelf software may be hurting your business

Do you ever get tired of struggling with software that clearly wasn’t designed for your business?Yet you can’t get by without it and haven’t been able to find a better alternative?

In today’s digital world it’s simply impossible to run a business without reliable software. Chances are you’re using software to manage your finances, your personnel, your inventory, your customer service, and myriad other business operations.
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