When your business needs custom software, not off-the-shelf tools

Off-the-shelf apps and spreadsheets are a good starting point. But there comes a point when the cost of working around them exceeds the cost of building your own system.

Five signs you have passed that point

• The same data is entered in more than one place
• A critical process depends on one person who understands the spreadsheet
• You pay for many licenses for features you barely use
• Your business workflow has to change to fit the app
• Reports take days to assemble

When off-the-shelf is still better

If your needs are common, such as basic accounting, email marketing, or project management, off-the-shelf is almost always cheaper and faster. Custom software makes sense when your workflow is the business advantage itself.

A practical step

Write down how many hours a week your team loses to repetitive manual work. Multiply by the hourly cost, then compare it with the estimate to build the system. That number is more honest than a hunch.