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.
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.
No solution is perfect, and there are some downsides to using custom IT solutions:
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.
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.
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.
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.
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: