Question
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What is Custom Software?
Short answer
Custom software is developed for a specific company and its processes, rather than being sold as a finished product to many customers. It replicates processes exactly as they actually operate – the company itself bears the costs of development, operation, and further development, which are included in the license price of standard software.
The Difference in One Sentence
Standard software is a product used by many companies to which each company adapts to some extent. Custom software is a solution that adapts to a company.
What Is Different
| Standard Software | Custom Software | |
|---|---|---|
| Availability | immediate | after development |
| Process Fit | approximate | exact |
| Initial Costs | low | high |
| Costs Over Years | License per Person, perpetual | Operation and Maintenance |
| Changes | only what the manufacturer provides | generally everything |
| Dependency | on the manufacturer | on the service provider or own team |
What „Custom“ Does Not Mean
It does not mean everything is rebuilt from scratch. A sensible project uses proven building blocks – rights management, login, reporting, PDF generation – and develops custom only what is truly unique: the business logic.
Anyone who reinvents login and user management burns budget at a point where it makes no difference.
Typical Scenarios
- A central process can only be implemented in standard software with workarounds
- Multiple systems must cooperate that do not do so by default
- Excel spreadsheets have become critical business applications
- License costs grow with the number of employees, even though most only need a few functions
Key facts
- Core
- Software adapts to the company, not the other way around
- Most Important Rule
- Only build your own business logic customly
Sources
All external claims are backed by traceable sources.- 01