Regardless of size or industry, businesses need an integrated software solution to support their internal processes and maximize revenue. Considering the variety of options available, you may opt for a generic business app for your needs, especially if you’re a small to medium-sized enterprise. Before you decide, however, it’s best to understand what each course of action can deliver.
What Is a Customizable SME Solution?
SME management software consolidates essential business data and processes into one seamless platform. The goal is to centralize data to unify potential disparities in your company, providing access to crucial information in real-time so that you can make more-informed business decisions.
A custom solution, such as the SAP Business One, takes this further by designing, deploying, and maintaining features specific to your brand and budget. It’s a sophisticated approach to streamline operations so that you only pay for what you need while understanding what each feature does.
But that’s not all a customizable SME solution can provide, and this article explores five chief advantages of using tailored business management software.
It Is Sustainable and Scalable
These generic business apps typically have several functions that may or may not apply to your company. While they are infinitely more convenient than building a project from scratch, a generic business app may become a nuisance as time goes by because you would need to work around pre-existing features.
A customizable SME solution avoids this by meeting your specific requirements. Tailored products consider your needs and goals and even reveal potential risks. All these make the platform sustainable and scalable as it grows with your business.
It Is More Cost-Efficient
The initial cost for a custom solution may turn off some startup owners, but these platforms are investments for the future. Opting for bespoke software means you only pay for the exact features you need, including their maintenance.
If you decide on a generic business app, it may have unnecessary features you have to pay for and maintain. These features may also add to the bandwidth, affecting processing speeds and inevitably impacting business productivity.
Having a custom solution means that you can add and remove features as needed. It’s a great option, especially if your business regularly launches new products. During the time of a product launch, you may require additional features for that moment only. Working with a trusted software provider gives you access to edit the features you need so that you can optimize your budget.
It May Improve Employee Productivity
As your custom solution relies on your business processes, your employees can use it more efficiently, as they are already familiar with business processes. You also don’t have to invest much in additional employee training to learn new functions or features—something you should consider if you have a generic business app. Deploy and implement a customizable integrated SME solution almost immediately to reduce the risks of any time lost from using a new product
It Protects Sensitive Data Better
Most SME solutions include sophisticated security protocols, but ready-made software only meets basic requirements. If you want to add an extra layer of security to a generic business app, you would need to purchase additional software, which may not be compatible with the initial system.
A custom solution contains security measures tailored to your needs, allowing you to be on top of any potential threats or breaches. It’s something to consider if you’re a startup owner, especially since cyberattacks tend to target small businesses more frequently than larger ones.
It Keeps Your Competitive Advantage
Off-the-shelf solutions can only do so much. To stay competitive and relevant in your industry, you can choose to customize SME software for a better customer experience. Have real-time, up-to-date data for better monitoring and tracking. For instance, if you are in the food industry, an SME solution would help you keep track of your inventory and restock items before you run out of a specific ingredient. You can take it even further by utilizing past numbers to predict the trend of your business, helping you anticipate and plan.
Making sure your customers have an enjoyable experience helps your company stand out from the competition. With custom tools to help your business, you can convert new customers while retaining loyal ones.
Custom software development can benefit your business in various ways and has become particularly important as technologies rapidly evolve and advance. With its unique needs and operating procedures, your business can leverage a tailored solution to solve potential threats, address business-specific requirements, optimize processes, and achieve better flexibility. Keep in mind that there is no one-size-fits-all solution in software. That’s why continuous evaluation and updates are needed to keep your customizable SME solution robust and effective in helping you reach your business goals.
