Off-the-shelf software is often the sensible choice. It is available immediately, someone else maintains it, and it already handles the needs most businesses share. Custom software earns its place when the way your business works is different enough that standard tools start getting in the way.
Signs you may have outgrown your tools
Look at the work happening around your software. Spreadsheets that hold a process together, information typed by hand from one system into another, and reports that take hours to assemble are all signals. So is a process your team has changed to suit a tool, rather than because it is better for the business.
Questions to ask first
Before committing to a build, be clear about the problem. Which process is failing, and who does it affect? Could configuring or integrating an existing product solve most of it? What would improve if the problem went away, and how would you know? Honest answers may point to a smaller solution than you expected, and that is a good outcome.
Software should solve a problem, support a process, improve an experience, or create an opportunity.
Plan for life after launch
Custom software is an ongoing responsibility, not a one-off purchase. It will need maintenance, security updates, and changes as your business evolves. Include that in your decision from the beginning, alongside the cost of building it.
