5 Reasons Why You Should Buy “Off-the-Shelf” Software



When looking at the upfront costs of investment in a field service software system, it can be tempting to think, “I could just make that myself. How hard can it be?” Well, the simple answer to that question is “very.” It can take from several months to a couple of years to design and build the software you want, not to mention the costs of labor and the inevitable kinks that will come along with a brand new software product.




Even just five years ago, creating your own software, designed for your company’s needs, might not have been a bad idea. But technology is evolving today at lightning speed and you risk wasting tons of time, energy, and money building something for your company that might be out of date in a few months.




Consider the following 5 reasons that explain why, with today’s technology and specialized field service software companies, you should go with an “off-the-shelf” software provider for your mobile and software solutions.



1. Just because you can, doesn’t mean you should



Just because I can cook, doesn’t mean I should open a restaurant. Don’t get me wrong, I make a pretty decent guacamole. I just know the odds of me running a successful Mexican restaurant are very low. Not only are there other dishes and recipes to think about besides guac, there’s also the management of the operation, hiring, real estate, permits, etc. Similarly, just because you or someone within your organization can code, doesn’t mean they should be developing software. The function of the software is one thing, the design, UI, database schema, training and support are just a few of the other facets that need to be factored in as well. Are you and your team prepared to tackle all of the steps needed to implement a successful software solution.



2. Your eyes are probably bigger than your wallet



Once you start thinking you can build anything you want, odds are you’ll start building EVERYTHING you want. It’s challenging to distinguish between the necessary and the frivolous when you see the possibilities of your software. A specialized field service software provider has the specialization needed to create the software you want and the big-picture view to understand what you do and do not need. So often, software projects go over-time, off-topic, and over-budget. A third-party vendor can keep you focused, providing you with what you need on-time, on-scope, and on-budget.



3. You’ll want a second opinion



Speaking of eyes, wouldn’t you love to have a fresh set of them on your business process? Software vendors working with similar customers will be able to help you strategically plan things you haven’t thought of when it comes to rolling out and using software. You might have an experienced staff of software coders, but they probably don’t have years of experience rolling out software solutions within your industry. An experienced set of eyes on your software will ensure that you’ve crossed your t’s and dotted your i’s. Minimize the chance of unfortunate surprises by letting an experience software professional in your industry provide a second opinion before implementation.



4. If things go wrong (and they probably will), where is your recourse?



Developing a brand new software system is tricky and there are bound to be kinks. Even new products and systems from globally reputable companies (like Apple’s iOS7) have challenges in their first editions. So why not go with a company who’s already created, tested, and worked out the kinks in their software. Not only will you have a more reliable and stable software, but if difficulties do happen to arise, you’ll be able to hand those challenges off to someone else.



5. ROI, ROI, ROI



At the end of the day, you’re looking for software to help grow your business, so the goal should be measureable ROI. What is the likelihood of receiving a larger ROI by writing the software yourself than paying someone who’s already written it? My guess is pretty low, especially when you factor in the amount of time and labor required to build it in the first place. “Off-the-shelf” software provides huge returns on investment that more than outweigh the cost of the service. So by choosing “off-the-shelf” software, your initial qualms about the cost of third-party software are overridden and your company ends up making just as much money (if not more) without all the hassle and headache of building and maintaining the software yourself.




  • With the support of a third-party software vendor, your company can continue its revenue building activities without losing time, money, or labor efforts to building your own software. Receive the same return on investment while working with a reputable software company that can guide you through training, implementation, and maintenance of reliable and tested field service software. Considering today’s speed and quality of execution as well as the cost advantages that would come from a strong partnership with a third-party solutions provider, it seems like a no-brainer to buy “off-the-shelf” software.




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