Top Custom software Development Companies September 2019 Reviews

Let’s crack down its advantages together.

Well, there have to be a few reasons that this service is getting so much importance. Here are those reasons for you:

1. Personalization (One-to-One Approach)

Because your organization has different needs from other organizations, you need a different solution. Off the shelf software’s widely generic solutions might not work for you. And if you can’t find your purpose served with off the shelf generic software, you should definitely opt for a custom-made software. Your custom development company will work with you to craft a customized work experience that helps you reach your organizational goals.

2. Easy Integration (No problem)

Custom software can be easily integrated with your organization’s current work systems. Various organizations require to create custom software for any specific work area for enhanced operational needs. Work with your custom software development team to decide the core systems that you need for your company and how you can make improvements to the current system. Once developed, the expert company can easily integrate the customized software quickly with your core system and bring improvements to any process.

3. Cost (Money, Money)

Don’t go with the name, customization is not always costly. Custom software come with a wide range of features. They bring smoother workflow and efficiency. It’ll create a hassle-free business process. If you compare the cost of custom software with finding, implementing and driving an alternative to your existing system, you’ll realize that a customized software would save you a lot of money, time and resources.

Quite opposite to widespread myths about custom software development, right?

4. Increased Efficiency & Competitive Advantage

A custom software is created for your specific needs and works parallel with the workforce. Your team can perform all tasks faster and accurately, ensuring an increase in work efficiency. Also, it puts you ahead of your competitors who are not using any custom software.

Let’s take up an example – A customer support software can help you be up to the date with your customer’s interactions with your company. Your responses to customer queries would be prompt, unlike your competitors who are not using any software to track and trace customer grievances. That’s a competitive advantage!

Another Example- Developing a vendor management system is a tedious task in-house especially if your business includes a supply chain. A custom-made software can streamline all the orders, invoices and payment terms exactly according to your needs/processes. This software can work as a mechanism itself for the business to manage the vendor relationships. This will elevate your efficiency. Won’t it?

5. Support (Online Assistance)

When you are using an off the shelf software, most of the times you cannot contact the support team on software’s end whenever required. Nothing is more frustrating than being online and listen to the prerecorded tapes on call.

But when you use a customized software, your custom software development team is always accessible to you and can come to your help anytime. What a relief when you are stuck in a crisis!

6. Unlimited updates (Yes Indeed.)

Unlike the other generic software and applications, you do not have to wait for the next update if you work on a customized software. If you wish to have any extra feature added, or a bug removed, the custom software developers are there to update the current version of your software any time. This helps you to evolve continuously and try new things for the organization. We can say, it’s a great utility needed to stay ahead of the game.

7. Secure (Be Safe)

The biggest flaw with an off the shelf readymade software is that it can get hacked easily. Scary enough? The hackers are very smart and they are aware of the unguarded condition of open source software. They like to hack masses together and hence they try to hack the most common software available in the generic market which is used by many. Also, if you use cracks to use that generic software, you are always in a major risk to get hacked. Unlike open source software, a custom developed software is only used by a specific team at the organization and a developer team on the back end, reducing the chances to reveal its crafting structure. So, your data becomes not only private but secured, too. You must not have thought a custom software can help you to be more secure! Had you?

8. Flexible (Easily Adapts)

The only thing which is constant in business is ‘Change’. Custom made software is scaled to meet the changing requirements of any business. You can integrate/remove any extra feature whenever required from the software. On the other hand, off the shelf software can be costly and non-effective altogether when used for the personalized purpose.

A Million Dollar Question! isn’t it?

Choosing a right software development company is extremely important. The software developers are going to create robust software that would help you manage your business better. If you pick a wrong one, your time, money, all will go in vain and you will be in a deep mess. To ensure, that you work with the best companies, we have curated a list of custom software development companies with our extensively researched methodology.

Cherry pick the right software development company for your business AFTER weighing various factors listed below.

Here’s our checklist for getting a custom software development company on board. Please go through it to select your ideal match.

1. Specialized Segment Expertise

No company that specializes in small and medium enterprise solution can make good custom software for giant MNCs.

In the same way, the companies making software for the IT industry cannot make efficient software for manufacturing or recruiting agencies. Because each sector has its own workflow and its own process, you need a development team that has worked extensively and effectively in your industry. If they’ve worked with the same segment previously, they know the problems, its solutions and are well aware of the advancements in the same industry.

2. Technology Expertise

The software developers you get on board should be experts in their own domain. They should be lucid with the technology they’re using and the programs they make. To make a java-script front end, look for the experts in JS. If you are meeting a company with a number of technology names on their website or brochure, get clarity about their way of working, whether they have separate teams working on different technologies, or just one team is working on everything. If one team is doing everything, get them off your good companies list. It’s next to impossible for a single person to excel in different technologies for custom software development.

3. Communication Mode

Look for a company that shows interest in transparent communications and is capable of working with your internal team. Ask them if they would be part of your project management systems and communication systems like Asana, Slack, Trello or any other IM system that you use at your organization. They should constantly be in touch with you for any updates/reports during the development phase. Transparent channels of communication lead to goal accomplishment.

4. Point of View & Ideas

The developers should be clear minded and straightforward for the work that they are doing. If you’re going on a wrong track, they should be the ones who would deny rather than blindly following the client’s brief.

They should be open to ideas as well as they should be coming up with ideas, too. Being an outsider, the development company should get new insights for your projects.

5. Company Size

If you are an MNC and you are going to a startup development company for your technology advancement, by looking at their innovative ideas, you might end up in a mess. They might not be as professional as you are. Or you might be the first big client for them. On other hands, if you’re a small enterprise and you choose a techno giant agency, their prices can literally kill you, plus they will treat you as one of their many clients, and you cannot get the best out of them. Hence you should always look for a company that is capable to deliver your project and the one that treats you as an important client and makes you a priority.

6. Prototypes and Demos

The company should be eager to show you their progress as soon as they start working on your project. If the first, second, third meetings are dummies only, they’re not your guys. You should start considering other firms for the task.

Demos are also as important as the development. Weekly demo meetings with developers ensure that the development is on the right path and your internal resources are updated with the process so that when the time comes, they can manage the software on their own.

7. Understanding of Business

Technology is not always about the codes and programming languages. Most of the times it is about the business and process. Your development partner should understand the ins and outs of your business and your goals. So that while developing the software, he can guide you to add features that are meaningful for your business and add some value to your business process. Superficial knowledge does not help in the long run.

8. Portfolio & Recommendations

Ask them to send their portfolio and study it thoroughly. Not only the aesthetics but how they have added meaning to the business process or how they have made business operations simple and efficient using custom software. Dig deeper and check their website, Google reviews, and their other business pages, where you can see relevant client reviews. After all, it’s better to be well-versed than repent later.

9. Location

When it is a high-stake project to be developed, the location of the software development company matters a lot. If you are the types that prefer to meet the company for any meetings, demos or discussions, then choose a local software development company. The second reason for choosing a service provider in geographical proximity is the language of communication. To facilitate effective communication between the two parties, the language has to be the same, else communication gaps could occur. However, if you are comfortable to work with development companies outside of your country, you can do that too!

10. Pricing

For custom software development, the service providers usually follow the ‘Time and Materials’ pricing model that specifically targets medium to large enterprises, with evolving requirements, higher flexibility, agile approach and maximum participation of the clients. Fixed price model suits the companies that have pre-defined software development requirements and the client participation is next to nil. As custom software development includes dynamic planning of things, here fixed price model is not going to serve the purpose for either of the parties.

Be it any model, compare the scope of work and the price from minimum 3 different companies and select the one with the best value.

11. Quality Check

Well, you need to ask your potential development company whether they follow any strict quality process/ methodologies to ensure error-free product working exactly as per expectations. The process of Quality check or quality assurance is part of the whole software development process. It includes Integration Testing, Coding & Unit Testing, Documentation and much more.

12. Customer Support

If the firm is not providing 24-7 customer support, insist on it. Check if they’re available on call/ Skype or any other medium of communication. Also, you can add one of the members of the support team on your communication channel like slack, so that your team can quickly get in touch with them throughout the day. It’s a very important point to be considered before selecting the right company.

After your detailed analysis, you have found the best company to partner with. That’s great! But we would like to help you further and make you aware of the most important items you need to consider while signing a software development agreement with your software development company.

Do not skip the software development agreement.

First thing comes first. An agreement covers many aspects that you might miss through verbal commitment.

By now you would have understood that developing a custom software is a big deal than buying an off-the-shelf, generic software. It is more customized, innovative as well as challenging. When you finalize your deal for developing the custom software, you should get a software development agreement signed by the development company.

This agreement includes conditions from your end about the features and functions of the new software, the maintenance, warranties, ownership and legal rights, payment fees for the development firm, intellectual property rights and distribution rights. All important things, right?

To make things easier, below are the key points to be included in the agreement:

1. Intellectual Property Rights

Each software has its set of copyrights. But because you’re getting a customized software, it comes with intellectual property rights, too. Using or developing the software without consent from the concerned authority means the violation of intellectual property rights. You need to get intellectual property rights from your developer. Better to be safe than to repent later!

2. Licensing

In the custom software development agreement, make sure that the developer grants a license of the involved software to you. Or in other words, they should assign you the required intellectual property rights. You need to be clear about many aspects, for example- is there any requirement of third-party licensing, do different software modules require different licenses, do you have all the rights to do any modification in the software or access the software source code? Does your license expire every year or it’s a lifetime license to use the custom software?

3. Quality Assurance Standards

Testing is a common practice performed by all the software developers before delivering the final output. Include the type of tests you want to be performed before delivery of the software. Prior testing ensures smooth functioning, we know you understand the importance of this point.

4. Software Development (Technology & Versions)

The technology used for the design and development of a software should be mentioned in this contract. If the technology supposed to be used is ASP.Net, then which version of ASP.Net will be used? Try to make sure that agreement becomes as specific as it can.

5. Software Installation – Online or on Desktop / Installation on Cloud.

Any software before being ready to use is installed, configured and integrated with other relevant software systems. In the software development agreement, see to it that all clauses concerning the developer’s obligations in taking the lead in the software installation process are clearly defined. See to it whether your software will be installed on a desktop on 1 pc, or it will be working on the web. Also, if you have multiple users using the same software, ask and clarify if the cloud will be used to store data centrally or any local computer.

6.  Warranties

Define the warranties for the software. Until what time you would be able to use the software without any concerns and shortfalls and the software would work without any damages or losses. Try to mention that in the agreement too.

7. Support

You should be able to get guidance whenever required while operating the software. State the terms of support policies in the contract. Also, clarify how the support would be provided and how much time it’ll take for the customer support team to get back with a solution.

8. Training

Usually, the software development companies provide relevant training for users apart from their core service of design and developing the custom software. Define the scope of training and specific time for providing training in the contract itself.

9. Contract variation

At times according to the situation, changes can occur in the contract. For instance – the addition or modification of any service clause can alter the contract. These contractual changes should be informed well in advance through emails. Be on your guard for any accidental or unauthorized changes.

10. Contract Termination

Decide the circumstances when this contract can be breached by any of the parties. If the termination happens, what happens to the amount already paid and what happens to the additional charges. It is always a good idea to include your exit strategy while working with a software development company.

Conclusion

Custom software development makes your business stay unique and does not make you follow the rest of the sheep! It helps a ton in increasing your business efficiency. We cannot emphasize more than that. Your business would eventually stand out from your competitors if you use a customized software within your organization’s multiple departments.

By partnering with an established and well-reputed custom software development agency, it will not be difficult to accomplish your business goals.