Do you have an IT project in the works? Are you considering a full revamp of your IT department and the tools used therein? You’re not alone. There comes a time in every scaling business’s lifespan when things need to change, especially when it comes to IT.
Unfortunately, many leaders in scaling businesses simply don’t know how to implement new technology or tools into their IT department’s existing framework, nor do they understand how a potential product will align with existing business models. There are so many different IT services out there, and finding the right one can be quite a process. The best way to work around these pain points is to invest in custom IT support services.
Custom IT software essentially takes existing business ideals, needs, missions, goals, and unique requirements and implements them into the IT product. So many IT solutions out there are “you get what you get” with little in the way of customization out of the box. Custom IT software is different in that it can offer a personalized experience and end product, one that can offer organizations a competitive advantage that they just wouldn’t be able to get with normal IT software. You might even notice that your overall business efficiency and productivity have increased after just a few weeks of using custom IT software past the initial learning curve and training period. This is the nature of custom IT software -- quick implementation, a framework designed around existing business models, and long-term benefits for your IT department.
Just as well, custom IT solutions will include a ton of bells and whistles that could benefit any business of any size in any industry, from customer service to maximum development involvement to custom dashboards and unique administration levels. So much goes into the final product’s creation, all for the purpose of ensuring that the business value of the company it is being made for increases.
But what exactly are custom IT solutions? Are they worth the investment, and how do they work? In this in-depth guide, we’ll break down everything you need to know about custom IT solutions and the IT strategies that align with them. Custom IT solutions are relatively simple to understand, even though they might seem a bit complex.
Understanding the Benefits of IT Solutions for Businesses
Let’s start by breaking down exactly what IT solutions are and how they can better your business.
What are Custom Solutions?
Custom IT solutions refer to comprehensive services that take into consideration a business’s ideas, goals, and needs. Out-of-the-box IT software often lacks customizable elements, meaning businesses and their IT teams must work with the software, rather than the other way around. Custom IT solutions have a base framework with excellent features, but additional features and frameworks based on the unique client’s needs are built into it. The result is a software system that converts all of your unique business needs into a customized IT product.
Typically, the process involved in developing custom IT software can be summarized as follows: the discovery stage, the design, and prototyping stage, the development stage, and ongoing evolution and support of the product. This can take a few weeks to a few months to complete, depending on the heft of your unique project.
All of the comprehensive services that are integrated into your IT solution are provided by a vendor. Essentially, you’ll have access to a complete team of experts in your field and in IT in general. Such vendors are more than your typical IT contractor-- they serve as an outsourced team that provides managed services and technical support for your IT team. Think of your custom IT service vendor as a business partner rather than a simple vendor.
The Pros and Cons of IT Solutions
Like any type of software, custom IT solutions have their own unique benefits and downsides.
The Pros of Custom IT
There are many benefits to using IT solutions for your business:
- Competitive advantage. Many IT products lack customized features, and many of your competitors are settling for such technology. By implementing a system that is customized to meet your business model’s needs, you’re putting your business a step ahead of your competitors.
- Custom IT solutions meet the most common needs of businesses. Many industries out there require excellent reporting, management, IT, and development software. Having a custom solution is the best course of action. Just as well, there is a substantial need for outsourced maintenance, management, and support for such technology. A few common industries that benefit the most from custom IT solutions include: entertainment, healthcare, transportation, eCommerce, retail, finance, real estate, marketing, education, and B2B industries.
- Custom IT solutions are extremely beneficial to small businesses and startups. Any seasoned business owner knows that implementing a completely new system or software can be very difficult for an already established business. By implementing excellent and scalable custom IT software while your business is young, you’re putting yourself in an excellent position for success in the long term.
- Lack of unnecessary add-ons, extras, bells, and whistles. Generic IT software comes complete with a ton of add-ons that absolutely do not benefit most businesses. Custom IT software does not have this issue. In fact, because this is a customized solution, you’ll only get exactly what your business wants and needs. In the event that your scaling business needs additional features or tools, your vendor will work with you to implement those features at any point in your partnership.
- Access to the right features. In addition to a lack of useless features, custom IT software will provide the right features for your unique needs. Such services and features include ongoing IT consulting from your vendor, full custom software development with a hands-off or hands-on approach, ongoing IT product support, IT product evolution development and implementation, top-notch customer service, top-tier security measures, and lifetime warranties per license or agreement.
The Cons of Custom IT
No solution is perfect, and there are some downsides to using custom IT solutions:
- Depending on the unique needs of your business that are to be implemented into the custom IT solution, the initial or long-term investment can be a bit high. This can be problematic if your startup does not have the right resources available.
- It can take quite some time for your IT team and related teams within your business to get used to the new software. However, we offer ongoing support to help combat this issue.
3 Ways Custom IT Can Benefit Your Business
There are so many benefits to using custom IT solutions, but these main three are some of the most substantial benefits that businesses in all niches can benefit from.
Improved Project Development Software
Your custom IT service vendor will handle the issues that might be associated with your project and its implementation. With this added level of service, you’ll be able to benefit from a wide range of opportunities for improvement. This isn’t really a possibility with basic IT software. By having an entire team of experts at your disposal, you’ll be able to build the kind of custom IT solution that fits your business model the best. Just as well, you’ll be able to optimize your costs for implementation and access ongoing technical support for the lifetime of your product.
Competitive Software Advantage
We mentioned earlier in this guide that your business will have a competitive advantage with custom IT software, but it’s worth reiterating as a major benefit. With an IT product that is configured to work with your business model, you’ll be able to bring ideas and goals to reality with much more ease and improved productivity. You’re paying for a service more than a product with custom IT solutions, and that access to an expert development company like AOP can really make your business thrive. Your competitive advantage comes from using unique software that is an extension of your business, rather than a tool that your workforce has to constantly battle with to get a certain unique job done.
Improved Customer Service System
The customer experience is one of the most important parts of running a business. If your customers are not satisfied with your product, service, or support, your business won’t be successful. A custom IT service company will ensure that the product it develops for your business will be customer-oriented and full of tools that can benefit your end goal. If your company develops software, your IT solution will be able to offer a number of different solutions and tools to develop the best possible product for your customers. Think of your custom IT service vendor as your technical partner.
Find the Right Fix for Your Business with AOP Inc. Managed Network Services
Are you ready to invest in managed network services? AOP Inc. is here to help. We offer a wide range of services and business solutions, which include the following:
- Managed network services. A custom IT solution can do quite a bit for your business, but you could take it to the next level with managed network services. Once we’ve found and built the right IT software for your business, we’ll take full responsibility for managing that system. That means we’ll take care of round-the-clock monitoring, threat prevention, downtime prevention, and everything else involved in managed network services. There’s no need to extend your team and take on more costly staff. We’ll act as your own management team.
- Managed network security. Network security is a big part of IT, so it only makes sense to ensure that you have a custom network security solution in place. This is especially a big deal in today’s age where hacking and cybersecurity threats are at an all-time high. You can properly protect your business by keeping your network as secure as possible. AOP Inc. offers managed network security services by regularly scanning your network to identify potential threats, cleaning up pain points on your network, and ensuring that your network is used properly.
- Our goal is to work closely with prospective clients and understand their unique needs when it comes to managed network services. We believe listening and paying attention to pain points and use cases makes a big difference when it comes to creating excellent solution-based services.
