We build custom software.
There are several ways that software development firms can choose to operate. Some agencies opt for custom software development -- home-grown, made from scratch, built-from-the-ground-up custom. Other agencies choose to work inside of premade templates or COTS (commercial off-the-shelf) software solutions. There’s nothing wrong with that second approach, but it’s just not for us.
In this post, we’ll go over why we choose to only build truly custom software.
1. The Process
Reason number one isn’t a facet of custom software itself, but deals with how our development team works. We apply a project management approach known as agile development. In a nutshell, it allows us to work at an accelerated pace in programming and building out software projects. Because of that, we can provide custom solutions faster, helping out your bottom line.
The specifics of agile methodology are beyond the scope of this post, but if you’re interested in learning how it works, visit our informative series on agile development.
2. Flexibility
We hate boundaries. For creatives like us, nothing is worse than being locked into a rigid design structure. We want the flexibility to be able to add features, functionality, and fixes without friction (okay, no more ‘F’ words). As it turns out, so do our customers. Nobody really likes having their ideas shoehorned into an existing project. Custom software development gives you complete creative control over your product.
Building custom software with the aforementioned agile approach allows us to quickly iterate and make changes on projects without an enormous (and costly) update process. This is key, because change in the world of software happens fast and often. Custom software essentially makes your solution "future proof." It also makes for easier maintenance, bug squashing, and growth -- which leads us to reason number three.
3. Scalability
We build software with room to grow. If we’re building a consumer-facing mobile app, that means that it's prepared for the number of users to explode. If we’re building a data-processing solution for a business, that means handling an increased workload. Whatever the case, we build software that grows with your business.
Tools like dynamic hosting and cloud services with AWS mean that you never pay more than you need to to handle traffic and that you can increase your bandwidth at any time. Cuttlesoft prides itself on building software that can scale gracefully, and reliably when needed.
4. Market Differentiation
What makes your business unique? What is it about your app or service that separates you from the pack? These are questions that all businesses, and especially startups, need to ask. When it comes to mobile apps, web apps, and enterprise software, making your product unique is vital for branding, user experience, and market traction. Users need to see the value in your particular product.
Custom software helps by creating a unique and streamlined user experience and total brand immersion, rather than just applying imported logos and colors. It lets you add that "special sauce," or that unique feature that sets your service apart. With custom software, your ideas come to life.
Final Thoughts
While COTS solutions can provide some benefits such as (sometimes) lower costs and quicker turnaround, we believe that the quality and flexibility offered by custom software development makes it the better choice for our customers. We don't build or publish anything that we aren't proud of, and completely custom software allows us to provide the highest level of service possible. It also lets us build exactly what we (and our customers) want, with the tools we want to use, on our own terms. On that, we refuse to compromise. It's simply the Cuttlesoft way, and it's what makes our business work.
If you agree that our custom software development sets us apart, let us know.
