Shortcuts Don't Save You Money in Business

Many businesses are tempted to take shortcuts in order to save money. They believe that if they can pay less for certain products or services, they can boost their profits by reducing overall expenses. However, this doesn't always work. In fact, in many cases, the business settles for less than what it really needs. For example, the business may complete only part of a project instead of finishing the whole thing. Businesses may also invest in a lower quality product or service that ends up costing them money in the end.

Although taking a shortcut may seem like a good idea, it is rarely beneficial to your business in the long run.

Dangers of Software Shortcuts

Software is one of the areas in which many businesses choose to take shortcuts. In most cases, the business decides to purchase an off-the-shelf software option instead of investing in software that has been customized to meet the needs of their business. Unfortunately, this cheaper software is never as efficient or effective as a customized program would be.

Because off-the-shelf software hasn't been designed for that business's specific needs, problems are likely to arise when businesses take this shortcut. To fix these issues, the business will often spend more money than it would have invested in a customized software solution that would have never caused these issues in the first place. Not only does the business lose money in the long run when it refuses to invest in custom software, but it also wastes time and other valuable resources trying to work around the shortcomings of software that was written for the masses instead of their unique business process.

Why You Need to Invest in Custom Solutions

No two businesses are exactly alike. For this reason, no off-the-shelf software program is ever going to serve a business's specific needs with maximum efficiency. Customized software solutions, on the other hand, can maximize your business's efficiency and give the company a competitive edge. Some of the other benefits of custom software solutions include:

• Better scalability - Customized software solutions tend to be more scalable than off-the-shelf options. This means that you can rely on the software to accommodate your business as it grows and changes.
  
  
• Enhanced compatibility. - When you invest in a customized software program, your developer can make sure that the program is compatible and interacts well with all of the other programs and processes you already have in place. On the other hand, if you try to use multiple off-the-shelf programs to meet your needs, the chances of them being fully compatible with one another are slim to none.
  
  
• Improved security - Security measures incorporated into customized programs are designed to ward off attacks your business may face. However, the security of off-the-shelf programs is often lacking, leading to expensive and inconvenient breaches.
  
  
• Competitive advantage – Your business is unique. If you are using the same software to manage your operations that everyone in your space is using, then you have zero competitive advantage. A custom solution allows you to do things that your competitors simply cannot do.
  
  
• More stability - The developer of an off-the-shelf application or program could choose to discontinue it at any moment, leaving your business without the resources it needs to operate effectively. Conversely, solutions that have been customized for your business will be available for as long as you need them. This puts you squarely in control of your assets as you grow.
  

Your business processes should be saving you time and money, rather than wasting these valuable resources. If you are ready to invest in customized solutions designed with your business's needs and goals in mind, please contact Keene Systems today to get started. You may be delightfully surprised how easy it is to get exactly what you need to take your business to the next level!