One common IT mistake I see smaller life sciences companies make is to build custom software when off-the-shelf software could meet their needs. In most cases, custom-built software ends up being more expensive and frustrating. Why is that?
More Expensive in the Long Run
It sometimes looks cheaper to build your own software rather than buy a license or subscription for off-the-shelf software. Plus, you can build it to meet your specific needs. However, over the lifetime of the software, maintenance and support costs really add up for custom-built software. Most off-the-shelf software provides these things for free or a low monthly fee.
A Lot More Frustration
While it can be frustrating when off-the-shelf software does not have a specific feature or work the way you want, custom software is often much worse. Compatibility is often an issue. In order to keep costs down, custom software is typically built with limited compatibility with different operating systems and versions. This can lead to considerable frustration, particularly as operating systems are updated.
Custom software is also more likely to have bugs than off-the-shelf software because it is not tested as thoroughly, since that would dramatically increase the cost of development. This increases the likelihood of downtime, which lowers productivity and causes end-user frustration.
While there are certainly times when custom-built software is necessary, we recommend that you use off-the-shelf solutions whenever possible. In the long-run, it saves money and reduces frustration.
The Skyriver IT Guarantee
Skyriver IT is so confident that you will be delighted with our frustration-free IT Services, we guarantee your satisfaction. If after 3 months of working with Skyriver IT, you are not absolutely delighted with the service, we will help you find a new IT services company and pay for your first month of service.
If you would like to discuss how we can help make your IT frustration free, please contact us.
