In the era of digital transformation, businesses are steering towards growth by embracing technological advancements. However, choosing between custom or off-the-shelf enterprise software isn’t just a concern of the price, but also a strategic decision that impacts the efficiency, scalability, and long-term success of the organization.

This article will introduce the different types of custom enterprise software, their advantages, and the development process, followed by some successful case studies.

If you are looking into custom enterprise software development, we hope this will provide you with valuable insights for informed decision-making.

What is Custom Enterprise Software? Why Do Businesses Need It?

When businesses embark on digital transformation, the first step often involves considering the implementation of digital systems.  

Custom enterprise software refers to tailor-made software solutions designed and developed to meet the specific needs, requirements, and workflows of a particular organization or business. Unlike off-the-shelf software, custom enterprise software is built from the ground up, considering the unique processes, challenges, and goals of the enterprise. 

This type of software is characterized by its ability to scale, handle complex tasks, and support various business processes within an organization. Businesses use enterprise software to streamline and optimize internal workflows, enhance communication and collaboration, manage resources, and facilitate overall business operations.

What Are The Types of Custom Enterprise Software?

1. Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP)

Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) is a software solution that unifies various business processes and functions across an organization into a cohesive system, which covers core business functions such as finance, human resources, supply chain management, manufacturing, and customer relationship management. By establishing a centralized platform for managing and analyzing data from different departments, ERP offers real-time insights and improves efficiency, decision-making, and communication.

The primary goal of ERP is to enhance efficiency, improve decision-making, and facilitate communication by providing a centralized platform for managing and analyzing data from different departments.

2. Customer Relationship Management System (CRM)

A Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system is a sophisticated solution that enables organizations to streamline the creation, organization, storage, and retrieval of digital content. Enterprises can customize the system to improve collaboration, workflow management, and decision-making processes across departments.

3. Enterprise Content Management System (ECM)

Enterprise Content Management System (ECM), also referred to as Content Management System (CMS), is a software solution that streamlines the creation, organization, storage, and retrieval of digital content within an organization. 

Enterprises customize the system to improve its collaboration, workflow management, and decision-making processes across departments within an enterprise. 

4. Human Resource Development/Management System (HRD/HRM)

Human Resource Management System (HRM) makes it easier for the HR department to organize personnel files, simplify attendance and salary recordkeeping, and eliminate complex paperwork. When integrated with the Human Resource Development System (HRD), it efficiently catalogs the capabilities of internal staff, allowing for the precise planning of training courses tailored to the unique needs of different team members, ultimately elevating overall employee skill sets.

5.  Approval System

Online approval software is designed to streamline and automate the process of obtaining approvals for various documents, projects, or workflows within an organization. This software facilitates efficient collaboration by allowing users to submit, review, and approve documents electronically.

The goal is to enhance workflow efficiency, reduce approval times, and provide a centralized platform for managing and monitoring the approval processes in real time.

6. E-commerce System

E-commerce platforms can be developed based on product characteristics and requirements, providing companies with flexible and highly customizable solutions while avoiding the limitations of packaged software. This allows for more freedom and extensive sales of product services while integrating various financial payment tools, providing customers with multiple payment options.

7. Online Banking and Service Integration

Online banking apps are customized systems that seamlessly integrate various financial services, such as loan processing, credit card applications, and investment management, providing users with a portable banking experience that fits comfortably within the grasp of a single hand. This evolution transcends traditional brick-and-mortar banking, empowering users to access financial services anytime and anywhere.

Custom vs. Off-the-shelf Enterprise Software

IBM has reported a significant reduction in operational costs by 30%, an increase in revenue by 20%, and a higher customer satisfaction rate by 40% through customized systems. Meanwhile, Microsoft's survey found out that almost 84% of employees believe that team-tailored customized systems can improve cross-department collaboration efficiency.

However, companies often face a dilemma between off-the-shelf systems and custom enterprise software development. To help companies make informed decisions, we provide an analysis of the pros and cons of customized and template systems. We also suggest suitable scenarios for each type of system, allowing companies to determine which one is best suited for their actual situations.

1. Custom Enterprise Software

Pros

• Tailored to meet specific business processes.

• Allows real-time adjustments and expansions based on company needs.

• The development company handles post-sales service, ensuring system maintenance, operation, and technical support for enhanced security and stability.

• Allows fulfillment of all business requirements at once.

• Ability to scale the system as the business expands.

Cons

• Higher upfront cost.

• Overall implementation cost includes initial planning, development, and testing.

• Longer development time compared to off-the-shelf solutions.

Therefore, companies that require high customization, focus on data security, need system compatibility and flexibility, and have sufficient resources and time for development are better suited for choosing enterprise custom software development. This allows them to fulfill all their business requirements at once and undertake additional development to address various user requirements in the future.

2. Off-the-shelf Software 

Pros

• More affordable compared to building a customized system from scratch.

• Quick and easy implementation.

Cons

• Limited flexibility to adjust or expand functionalities based on company needs.

• Potential compatibility issues with existing systems, leading to data isolation.

• Lower security and stability levels.

Off-the-shelf software is suitable for small organizations with limited budgets, tight timelines, or no plans for expansion or additional functionality.

6 Steps of Enterprise Custom Software Development Process

1. Consultation and System Planning

Before building a custom system, a thorough understanding of the enterprise's current system requirements is crucial. This involves a comprehensive analysis and assessment of user groups, essential features for the custom system, and the envisioned objectives.

2. User Requirement Research and Analysis

After understanding the requirements, the collection of user experiences begins. Custom systems are designed based on user habits. Custom systems are crafted with a focus on user habits. For example, if a system is tailored to consumers, diligent research into current market trends and industry preferences is undertaken to align with consumer choices.

3. Custom System Design

After requirement consultation and user research, the planning and design of the custom system begin, covering aspects such as software development methods, programming languages, and interface design.

4. Custom System Development

The development stage of the enterprise custom system involves collaborative efforts between the design and development teams to construct software that perfectly aligns with the specified requirements.

5. System Testing and Adjustment

As the system progresses to a certain development stage, a meticulous testing phase is implemented. This involves collecting user data and feedback and systematically adjusting the system to attain optimal quality.

6. Customer Support and Maintenance

Upon the system's official launch, user education and guidance could be provided if the customer requests them. The software development company will carry out regular maintenance updates to ensure the system's stability and security.

Case Studies

Custom Web Application | Renesas Synergy Platform

Cloud Interactive has developed a web application called "Renesas Synergy Platform" for Renesas Electronics. This platform is designed to provide a user-friendly interface to connect various products and services that consumers may need. The ultimate goal is to create a comprehensive sales and customer service chain, offering a seamless consumer experience to enhance brand loyalty. Cloud Interactive has analyzed industry trends and competitors to design an interface that is easy to navigate for consumers to browse and order products. 

On the backend, the platform provides user behavior analysis data that sales and marketing teams can use to make informed business decisions. With the help of our enterprise software development services, Renesas established an internal database that consolidates the company's vast and complex product data. This expedited enterprise decision-making and accelerated the availability of past data for quick access during product development.

Custom Content Management System (ECM) | DKSH Dr. Talk

DKSH aimed to establish an online learning platform, allowing healthcare professionals to keep pace with the development of medical technology and learn about the latest medical knowledge in real-time.

Cloud Interactive provided enterprise custom software development services to create the Dr. Talk online learning platform for DKSH. The platform encompassed features such as course planning and assessment areas, collecting valuable data on user interactions, class participation, subscription details, and course certifications. Leveraging this data, adjustments were made to the course content, ultimately enhancing the overall learning experience with a focus on quality.

The backend of Dr. Talk could integrate with Line's (a popular communication app in Taiwan, similar to Whatsapp) official account and chatbot, ensuring data integrity while enhancing accessibility and website stability. Additionally, a dashboard was set up in the backend to collect user data in graphical form, facilitating enterprise analysis and management of courses and users.

Custom Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) | Global B2B E-commerce System for a Leading Plastics Group

A well-known plasticization group, which previously relied on phone calls, emails, and paper-based methods for quoting, procurement, and shipping, faced challenges with dispersed information and difficult management. Therefore, they aimed to digitize and integrate all these processes to simplify the quoting, procurement, inventory management, and shipping of products, thereby improving work efficiency and productivity.

Through system integration, the company could also have a clear view of sales data and logistics status, optimizing the user interface and experience. This not only enhanced work efficiency but also facilitated convenient management of information consolidation.

Custom Enterprise Software Development Company | Cloud Interactive

Cloud Interactive is a company that specializes in building custom systems for different industries, including web applications, ERP, and content management systems. Our team of experienced developers and designers focuses on human-centered design philosophy, information security, and industry-specific solutions. We are flexible in our development methodologies to meet the specific business requirements of our clients. 

When choosing an off-the-shelf solution or a custom software development service, it's important to consider factors such as budget, time constraints, scalability, and specific business requirements. Both approaches have their advantages and are suitable for different scenarios.

Our Strength

Innovative Design and Development Team at an Affordable Price

Cloud Interactive boasts a top-notch design and development team with extensive expertise across various service industries, including healthcare, finance, and technology, while excelling in managing large-scale international projects.

Emphasis on Information Security

We prioritize information security and have successfully served numerous large multinational enterprises and the financial sector. You can confidently entrust your systems to us as we have obtained various information security certifications to ensure the security of your data.

Human-Centric Design Philosophy

Our services in custom enterprise software development are grounded in the fundamental philosophy of "human-centric design," prioritizing enhancing user interaction experiences. Our goal is to craft user-friendly systems that offer a seamless experience for individuals.

Flexible Project Management and Development Approaches

Our project management team guarantees smooth communication and collaboration, both within the team and with external stakeholders. We provide a versatile approach to custom software development for enterprises, adjusting the product development paths following project progress using the agile software development methodology. Alternatively, we employ the waterfall development method, emphasizing meticulous product planning and development processes.