Custom application development can improve your workflow, provide long-term productivity gains, and substantial cost reduction.
The benefits of building and owning your own code, often far outweigh the short-term benefits of buying commercial or off-the-shelf products or modules. A custom solution provides your business the ability to continue to customize a solution as future business needs come up. Plus, a natural outcome of any custom programming engagement is a close examination of current workflows, which inevitably leads to improvements as a matter of course.
As you think through your technology goals and initiatives, you should always consider all areas for improvement, including modifications to your current processes and workflow. Much can be achieved through custom programming engagements that yield long term benefits and cost savings. Perhaps even just an evaluation of your existing applications guided by a consultant would be worth some time and effort. You might discover you’re doing just fine with the solutions you have in place. Or, there might be areas where a custom application could save money and improve productivity in the long run.