Off-the-shelf software has long been a go-to solution for mid-market businesses, but how much value does it actually bring in the long run?
Since it has been designed to accommodate different business types, it’s not tailored to specific workflows. Typically, this means it will only meet 60 to 70% of a business’s needs, so other solutions need to be put in place to fulfil the remaining needs.
Although there are many instances in which off-the-shelf options prove to be useful, as businesses grow in size and their daily duties become more complex, operations teams are beginning to look elsewhere for new solutions.
When off-the-shelf software works best
There’s always a time and a place for off-the-shelf software, and for many small to mid-market businesses, it seems like an ideal solution.
Here are some of the instances that make it an effective choice:
- The team is small. In a smaller team where everyone is working on the same processes, off-the-shelf software can slot in very easily. This would help them with daily tasks that are eating up their time by simplifying their primary workflows.
- Budget is limited. Many mid-market businesses are working to a tight budget, meaning that custom solutions feel out of reach. Off-the-shelf software keeps things simple since it avoids a big investment and businesses can account for the consistent monthly subscription fee.
- Processes are straightforward. If businesses are using common processes, it should be easy to find an off-the-shelf tool that can fit well with their needs. Since a lot of software is designed to meet generic needs, this should make the integration relatively simple.
- A quick solution is needed. When time is of the essence, off-the-shelf software is going to be much quicker to implement than a custom solution. Since it cuts out the need for planning, building, and testing phases, businesses can get much faster results.
How to tell it’s time to move away from off-the-shelf software
The first sign that an off-the-shelf software is no longer fit for purpose is having to rely on multiple different systems. If a business is having to implement new software tools as it grows, it’s a good indicator that they’ve outgrown off-the-shelf solutions.
Many business owners worry that creating their own custom software is out of their budget, but what they don’t take into account is that SaaS vendors typically raise prices by 8 to 12% a year, meaning the affordable solution they put in place years ago is now costing them much more than they intended.
Using an app builder is a great option for mid-market businesses as it allows them to create their own custom solution without having to hire an expensive development team. Let’s take Quickbase as an example. It’s a platform that lets businesses build their own solution, whether that be for project management, workflow management, or resource management, without having to have any previous coding experience.
Taking the time to create a tool that is built specifically for the primary workflows that a business uses day-to-day can transform how they operate, saving hours of time and cutting out the need for multiple different tools.
Finding the right solution as a mid-market operations team
Now that building a custom solution no longer requires starting from scratch and forking out on a big development project, it’s opened up countless opportunities for mid-market operations teams looking to improve the way they run their business.
With that being said, for people who have always relied on off-the-shelf software, the prospect of building their own solution can feel like an intimidating one. That’s why it’s important to break it down into smaller tasks.
The main step is establishing what processes they are looking to improve. Figuring out the team’s pain points and pinpointing what workflows need to be automated will give a more defined end goal to work towards.
From here, app builders do most of the hard work. Some builders have a selection of pre-built building blocks that can be dragged and dropped, allowing the user to pick the functionalities that they need. Others use AI to get an understanding of what the user is looking to create before generating a custom response.
Adapting to a growing business
Accepting that tools which were once sufficient are no longer beneficial to the team as the business grows is a necessary step for operations teams. From here, they are able to introduce improved solutions that help improve daily operations and keep the team moving forward.
The rise of software building tools is making more and more mid-market operations teams shift from off-the-shelf software to custom solutions, making the process much quicker, cheaper, and simpler.
Instead of having to work around the capabilities of generic tools that are built for a broad audience, they can find solutions that tick their boxes and transform the way their team works.
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