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.

What type of custom software will provide the most value for your business? Where will you get the largest return on your investment? Strategy + Business’s analysis of top innovators found that the most successful innovators closely align innovation strategy and business strategy.

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

What are the biggest pain points?

Pinpointing the biggest shortfalls or pain points in your current business operations is one excellent way to find out where custom software can provide the most value.

Time - Are some of your business processes taking too long because of limitations with your current software? Is there a bottleneck somewhere that desperately needs fixing? Are your customers complaining about lengthy wait times or delays?

Effort - Where is your team’s productivity not up to snuff? Are they struggling with software that’s outdated, cumbersome, or difficult to use? Have you had to implement extensive training and support initiatives for your legacy systems?

Cost - Are your current software expenditures disproportionate to the value you’re receiving? Are you overspending on licensing fees, forced updates, or extra features you don’t need? Do off-the-shelf solutions not offer a plan that really fits your business?

Which business functions are most critical?

Identifying your most critical business functions or processes is another great way to determine where custom software can have the greatest overall impact for your business.

Data Management - Does your business rely heavily on data entry, reporting, and analytics? Is top notch data security essential for you?

Supply Chain - Do you perform a high volume of order processing, vendor management, or inventory management? Is accurate delivery tracking a major need?

Customer Service - Is exceptional communications management or customer support key to your business success? Do you need a user-friendly customer self-service portal?

Financial Management - Are your current systems for accounting, bookkeeping, or budgeting not supporting your business in the way you need? Are you concerned about auditing or compliance?

Human Resource Management - Does your team manage a high volume of recruiting, hiring, and onboarding? Do you have adequate software in place for employee support systems like timekeeping, payroll, and performance management?

Sales Support/CRM - Is a streamlined sales system essential to your organization’s success? Does your sales team have adequate software to facilitate prospecting, qualification, proposal management, and ongoing accounts?

Project Management - Is efficient project management vital to your business operations? Do you need customized progress tracking, workflow management, and collaboration tools that you can’t get from an out-of-the-box solution?

Where is the greatest opportunity for innovation?

Custom software is an investment in the future of your organization. Beyond the level of just solving an immediate problem, it could actually revolutionize the way you do business.

Unique Processes - Does your business have unique processes that aren’t properly supported by mass-produced software products? Do you need certain functionality that doesn’t even exist?

Streamlining - Does your workflow include complicated or tedious manual processes that could be automated or streamlined? Could a custom software application benefit multiple business functions or provide missing integrations?

Competitive Advantage - What type of custom application would provide your organization with capabilities your competitors don’t have? Is there an opportunity to wow and delight your customers with an elevated customer experience?

Get the most impactful software for your business

Whether you’re looking to solve a painful problem, optimize your most critical processes, or stand out above the competition, Basecode can help. We partner with you to design bespoke software solutions that provide the exact functionality you need to effectively achieve your most important business objectives. Find out more.