Built for You or Built by You? Why Off-the-Shelf Wins the Software Debate

Sean Collins
January 7, 2025

When choosing software to power your business, one of the most common dilemmas is whether to go for an off-the-shelf solution or invest in a custom-built application.

Both options have their merits, and the right choice will depend on your business needs, goals, and resources. However, as businesses strive for flexibility, scalability, and speed, more organisations are realising the advantages of off-the-shelf software that can be customised to fit their unique requirements.

From my years working in IT, this is a conversation I’ve had countless times: should you buy off-the-shelf software or build a custom solution from scratch? Both approaches have their pros and cons, but I’ve found that platforms like Salesforce offer the best of both worlds—ready-to-use features combined with the flexibility to customise it for your unique needs.

The Case for Custom Builds

Custom-built software is exactly what it sounds like: a solution designed from the ground up to meet your specific requirements. It’s built for your business processes, integrates seamlessly with existing systems, and can provide a sense of exclusivity. But while custom software has its advantages, it comes with significant challenges that can make it less practical for many businesses.

What are the Advantages of custom build software?

Tailored to your needs

Custom software can be developed to address your unique business processes, providing exactly the functionality you need without compromise.

Full control

You own the software, giving you the freedom to modify, update, or expand it as you see fit without reliance on a third party.

Competitive advantage

If done right, a custom solution can offer a level of differentiation that’s hard for competitors to replicate.

What are the challenges of custom build software?

High cost

Building custom software requires significant investment, from development and testing to deployment and ongoing maintenance. Ongoing maintenance can include labour costs for developers and IT teams to fix bugs, perform updates, and ensure compatibility with evolving systems. There are also hardware expenses, as custom software often requires dedicated servers or infrastructure to run reliably. Additionally, ongoing costs might include upgrading the system to adapt to business growth, managing security vulnerabilities, and ensuring compliance with changing industry regulations. These cumulative costs can quickly add up, often exceeding the initial build cost within just a few years.

Long development time

A bespoke solution often takes months (or even years) to design, build, and implement. Even after deployment, custom-built software is unlikely to match the feature set of an off-the-shelf solution.

Platforms like Salesforce have had millions invested into research, development, and rigorous testing to deliver enterprise-grade functionality right out of the box. With off-the-shelf solutions, businesses benefit from standard features such as automation, AI tools, and integrations that have been refined over time. In contrast, a custom build requires ongoing development to add even basic features, leading to further costs and delays.

Maintenance and upgrades

You’ll need dedicated resources to maintain and update the software as your business evolves and as technology changes. This often includes hiring developers or IT staff to fix bugs, build updates, and ensure compatibility with other systems. On top of that, there are infrastructure costs like servers, hosting fees, and security patches, all of which demand ongoing attention. Unlike off-the-shelf platforms, which benefit from millions invested into research, development, and testing, custom software requires your team to shoulder the entire burden of innovation. You’ll find yourself constantly playing catch-up to match the features, integrations, and updates that come standard with enterprise platforms like Salesforce—all while costs continue to rise year after year.

Scalability risks

Without careful planning, a custom build might struggle to scale as your business grows, requiring costly rework. Custom solutions are often built to meet immediate business needs but rarely account for long-term growth. This can result in systems that lack the flexibility to accommodate new processes, additional users, or integrations with other platforms. Expanding a custom system typically means more time, labour, and expense, as developers need to rewrite or retrofit parts of the software.

For some organisations, particularly those with highly specific needs and deep pockets, custom software might seem like the best fit. But for most businesses, the drawbacks of cost, time, and maintenance make it a less attractive option.

The Case for Off-the-Shelf Solutions

Off-the-shelf software offers pre-built functionality designed to address common business needs. Solutions like Salesforce are built with decades of best practices and innovation, making them reliable and feature-rich right out of the box. The real beauty of off-the-shelf solutions, however, lies in their ability to be customised to suit your business processes without the need for full-scale development.

What are the Advantages of Off-the-shell solutions?:

Faster implementation

Off-the-shelf software is ready to deploy almost immediately, meaning your business can start benefiting from its functionality within weeks or months rather than years. Unlike custom-built software, which requires significant development time, testing, and troubleshooting, off-the-shelf platforms like Salesforce have already undergone extensive research, development, and rigorous testing. This means the software is stable, proven, and ready to go straight out of the box.

Lower upfront costs

While licensing fees are required, off-the-shelf platforms like Salesforce avoid the high development costs of custom builds. These platforms have already had significant investments in research, development, and testing, providing businesses with a ready-to-use solution. They offer advanced features like AI tools, automation, and integrated reporting, which would be costly and time-consuming to develop from scratch. Additionally, updates and security improvements are managed by the vendor, saving further costs. This allows organizations to focus their budgets on innovation, customer success, and strategic growth, driving real business value.

Built-in scalability

Enterprise-grade platforms like Salesforce are designed to scale with your business, whether adding users, regions, or functions. Custom-built solutions often require costly redevelopment as businesses expand. In contrast, Salesforce is built to handle scale from the start, accommodating businesses of all sizes. Its cloud-based infrastructure eliminates concerns about hardware or capacity constraints, allowing seamless onboarding of new users and integration of new processes without disrupting workflows. Salesforce’s ability to connect systems, automate processes, and provide unified data visibility lets businesses focus on growth. Ongoing research and development ensure scalability beyond user numbers, with features like AI insights and advanced analytics continually added.

Continuous innovation

Salesforce is regularly updated with new features, enhancing security, compliance, and performance. It incorporates AI, machine learning, and automation for predictive insights, workflow optimisations, and smarter reporting. Its evolving ecosystem ensures seamless integration with third-party applications, keeping businesses connected and agile. This allows businesses to stay competitive and innovative without additional development effort, ensuring they remain efficient and future-ready.

Robust support ecosystem

Solutions like Salesforce have a vast network of support, including customer success teams, consultants, and developers who can assist with implementation and optimisation.

what are the Challenges of Off-the-shell solutions?:

Initial customisation needed

Off-the-shelf solutions often require some configuration or customisation to align with your processes. However, platforms like Salesforce make this easy with low-code tools and pre-built integrations.

Subscription costs

While lower than the cost of custom development, off-the-shelf solutions do require ongoing licensing fees, which need to be factored into your budget.

The Salesforce Advantage: Off-the-Shelf with Customisation

For businesses that want the best of both worlds, Salesforce offers an ideal solution. As a powerful off-the-shelf platform, it comes with all the features you need to get started quickly, while its customisation capabilities ensure it can adapt to your unique requirements.

Customisation Without Complexity

Salesforce allows businesses to customise workflows, user interfaces, and functionality through its intuitive low-code tools like Flow Builder and App Builder. Need more advanced functionality? Salesforce supports integrations with third-party systems and custom development using Apex and MuleSoft APIs. This means you can tailor the platform to fit your business without the heavy lifting of building software from scratch.

Built-In Scalability

Whether you’re a startup or an enterprise, Salesforce scales effortlessly as your needs evolve. From adding new users to expanding into global markets, Salesforce’s infrastructure supports your growth every step of the way.

Time to Value

Unlike custom builds that can take years to develop, Salesforce can be up and running in a matter of weeks. With pre-built templates, AppExchange integrations, and expert support, you’ll see a faster return on investment.

AI and Automation

Salesforce takes things a step further with built-in Einstein AI, enabling predictive insights, automated workflows, and data-driven decision-making. These tools not only improve efficiency but also give your business a competitive edge.

Making the Right Choice for Your Business

The decision between off-the-shelf and custom-built software ultimately comes down to your business’s specific needs and resources. While custom builds might appeal to organisations with highly unique requirements, the costs, risks, and time involved can make them less practical for most.

Off-the-shelf platforms like Salesforce provide the flexibility, scalability, and speed needed to thrive in today’s competitive landscape. With the ability to customise and extend the platform, businesses can enjoy all the benefits of bespoke functionality without the drawbacks of custom development.

If you’re considering your next software investment, let us help you explore how Salesforce can transform your business. At Tether, we specialise in tailoring Salesforce to meet the needs of organisations across industries, ensuring you get the best value from your investment.

When it comes to software, you don’t have to choose between flexibility and practicality. With Salesforce, you get a robust, scalable platform that adapts to your business’s unique needs—delivering results faster and more cost-effectively than a custom build ever could.

FAQ’s

1. What are the main advantages of off-the-shelf software like Salesforce?

A: Off-the-shelf software like Salesforce offers faster implementation, lower upfront costs, built-in scalability, continuous innovation, and a robust support ecosystem. It provides ready-to-use features and the flexibility to customise, making it a practical choice for many businesses.

2. Why might a business choose custom-built software over off-the-shelf solutions?

A: Custom-built software is tailored to specific business needs, offering full control and a competitive advantage. It integrates seamlessly with existing systems and can provide unique functionality. However, it comes with high costs, long development times, and ongoing maintenance challenges.

3. What are the challenges associated with custom-built software?

A: Custom-built software requires significant investment, long development times, and dedicated resources for maintenance and upgrades. It also faces scalability risks as businesses grow, often requiring costly redevelopment to accommodate new processes, users, or geographies.

4. How does Salesforce ensure scalability for growing businesses?

A: Salesforce is designed to scale with your business, whether adding new users, regions, or functions. Its cloud-based infrastructure handles growth seamlessly, connecting systems and automating processes. Ongoing research and development ensure scalability with features like AI insights and advanced analytics.

5. What makes off-the-shelf software like Salesforce a cost-effective option?

A: Off-the-shelf software avoids the high development costs of custom builds. Platforms like Salesforce have already had significant investments in research, development, and testing, providing businesses with a proven, ready-to-use solution. Updates and security improvements are managed by the vendor, saving further costs.

6. How does Salesforce support continuous innovation?

Salesforce is regularly updated with new features, enhancing security, compliance, and performance. It incorporates cutting-edge technologies like AI, machine learning, and automation, providing predictive insights, workflow optimizations, and smarter reporting. Its evolving ecosystem ensures seamless integration with third-party applications, keeping businesses connected and agile.

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