Bespoke web and software development plays a leading role in helping local businesses in Lincoln to improve their operations, provide first class customer experiences and stay ahead of the competition. Whether it's a small and medium sized enterprise or a large multinational like Siemens who have a significant presence in the city, organisations are increasingly looking for software solutions that can be built to reflect the unique nature of their businesses and you might be one of them!
Unlike off-the-shelf solutions, bespoke software is designed and developed from scratch based on the exact requirements of your organisation only. This means, it can be built to encompass your existing workflows and processes with only the essential features and functionality that you need to meet your goals. No compromises, no workarounds and no paying for attributes that you simply not needed. In heavily industrialised cities such as Lincoln, this can be the difference between failure and success.
Bespoke software development always starts with getting properly nosy about your business - in a good way of course. Before a single line of code is written, the focus is on understanding what you need the software to do and how you need it to do it. That might be saving time through automation, improving the customer experience, reducing admin headaches or boosting productivity across the board.
To get this right, we work closely with you and the people who live and breathe your day to day operations. We’ll look at how things run today which might be via manual processes, spreadsheets, paper trails, existing systems or a Frankenstein mix of all four. This gives us a clear picture of what you’re working with and how we get from A (your current setup) to B (where you want to be).
This discovery phase sets the tone for the entire project. It’s where inefficiencies will surface, pain points will be aired and opportunities for improvement will become obvious. If this bit is done well, everything that follows is faster, more harmonious and far less likely to go off the rails.
So what services does a bespoke software development company actually offer? Websites, mobile apps, integrations? The answer is, that depends entirely on the provider. Some focus specifically on one type of software system whereas others (like us) offer a broad range of different software services. Let's take a look at some of the most common and how they can potentially help your business:
Custom built websites are useful if you need something unique with regards to your online presence. This could be specific functionalities that are outside 'the norm' and therefore not available with off-the-shelf solutions, integration capabilities with your existing bespoke systems or design elements that fall outside of the generic templates on offer by off-the-shelf web vendors.
If you're an ecommerce business, you may require a bespoke website with features such as:
If you're an e-learning provider, you may opt for a custom built website so you can provide:
If you're in the hospitality industry, you may choose a custom built website that offers:
Mobile apps aren’t just for household name brands anymore. If you’ve got staff out in the field, customers who expect everything on demand or internal processes that would benefit from being accessible anywhere, anytime, a bespoke app can make a real, tangible difference to your operations. This is in stark contrast to off-the-shelf apps that are not built around how your specific business operates but rather how a third party thinks you should operate.
If you have field based employees, your company may benefit from a bespoke field service app that includes the following:
Perhaps you're in the healthcare industry in which case, your business may benefit from a bespoke mobile app which can offer your patients:
If you're in retail, you might decide you would like a bespoke mobile application so your customers can:
If your company uses multiple different systems as part of it's daily operations, a bespoke integration could connect them with each other for the purposes of data transfer and consolidation. Or, maybe you want to extend the lifespan of a legacy system - you can achieve this by integrating with more modern technologies that provide additional useful features. Bespoke integrations can also be used to connect your company with third party services such as Social Media or your supplier's systems.
Are you a wholesale business? Then you might require a bespoke integration that allows you to connect with your supplier systems to:
If you’re a logistics or distribution business, you might choose a bespoke integration that allows:
In the property and facilities management sector? You might rely on bespoke integrations to:
Management systems including Customer Relationship Management (CRM), Workforce Management (WFM) and Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) are designed to improve, refine or enhance your day to day operations. They help your organisation run more efficiently through benefits such as reducing manual input, automating repetitive tasks and keeping your data accurate and up to date. Off-the-shelf solutions can work for some, but if your workflows are complex or non standard this is quite unlikely. Custom management systems are built from the ground up to fit your existing processes, giving you a solution that requires workarounds or compromises.
It's likely your business has a sales & marketing department and if so, your company could benefit from a bespoke management system, specifically, a CRM system that would allow you to:
If your business is in the professional services domain, you might use a custom CRM system for:
Maybe you're in manufacturing or engineering in which case, you could use a bespoke WFM system to:
There is no universal blueprint for software development but most successful projects will follow a similar rhythm:
Understanding your goals, users and current environment
Shaping a solution that fits your requirements and technical landscape
Building the software in manageable stages
Connecting everything that needs to talk to everything else
Making sure it all works properly, under real world conditions
Rolling it out with minimal disruption and rolling back if the need arises
Refining, extending and enhancing in line with your company's needs
Bespoke solutions offer a wide range of advantages that off-the-shelf alternatives simply cannot compete with. Because they are tailored to your business’s exact needs, they provide much greater efficiency, flexibility and long term value. Whether it’s a custom software system, website or integration, going bespoke ensures you get exactly what you need to operate more effectively and stand out in your industry.
As mentioned several times previously, bespoke solutions are built from scratch, specifically to meet your company’s unique requirements. Unlike generic software or templates, they are created with purpose which is defined by you and you alone. This ensures the software is completely aligned with your business operations as they can encompass your existing workflows and processes. This level of personalisation allows you to improve your workflows, level up the customer experience and differentiate your business from that of your competitors.
Custom built systems can help your business run more efficiently by integrating with your existing software including CRMs, ERPs and accounting software. Through these integrations, manual work can be reduced and repetitive tasks can be automated. This can not only save costs but also boost productivity levels across the board.
A well designed, custom built website can make a huge difference in how your business is perceived online. Bespoke web design and development allows for unique branding, better user experiences as well as improved SEO performance. It ensures you can offer features and functionality that your users will genuinely find useful at the most critical point of engagement.
Unlike off-the-shelf solutions, bespoke systems can grow and change in tandem with your business. They allow for the addition of new features and integrations as and when needs change, ensuring you always have access to the tools you require. Continuous improvement means you can stay relevant and up to date without being limited by the constraints usually found with off-the-shelf software solutions.
When it comes to choosing a development services provider, it is imperative that you do some homework. There are literally hundreds of software development companies out there - some fantastic, some mediocre and some down right terrible and it's not necessarily easy to tell this from a website alone although this is usually good starting point!
Whilst websites can provide insight into a providers values and purpose, it goes without saying, any company wants to put their best foot forward so it is highly advisable that you go further and actually speak with the company in question. This provides you with the opportunity to ask specific questions regarding the project at hand, clarify development processes and gauge how well they understand your business's needs. Speaking directly with the provider also allows you to assess their communication style, responsiveness and willingness to accommodate requirements to see if it matches your expectations.
There is no right or wrong approach to collaboration but you should definitely ensure you understand how a development company typically collaborates on projects to ensure it is in line with your needs.
If you're a business in Lincoln looking to explore the world of software development to see how it might benefit your company, we'd be glad to help. Our Nottingham based team have acquired a wealth of knowledge and experience over the years and can help you with everything from bespoke website development to custom CRM software and everything in between. We will work with you to understand the context and goals of your business, provide suggestions where appropriate and guide you through the development process step by step. We offer ongoing support to all of our clients and aim to develop long term partnerships that continue long after a project is delivered. Come and have a chat with us today to see how we can help transform your business, for the better!
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