Custom Software Archives - RSI Concepts - Top IT Solution Provider Company in Dubai, UAE

October 7, 2022

Step-by-step Guide to Develop Custom Enterprise Software

Managing large scale enterprises or local/small businesses is not an easy task. Whether you are a manager or business owner you will have to deal with the software solutions and digital infrastructure for your business or enterprise. The present day markets are heavily data driven, the information technology have penetrated far deeper into our professional and personal lives than we can ever imagine. Now a days’ an ordinary employee can’t efficiently fulfill their duties and daily tasks without relying on technology. Managing a business or an enterprise require monitoring, control and efficiency in too many moving parts. Think of it like a car engine, there are too many gears, motors, electronics and technology. An engine will only run if all those moving parts move in harmony and proper synchronization. Same is the case with the businesses and enterprises. They can only function well if all of the internal business processes and employees works in a proper synchronization, harmony and supportive manner. That is too much to manage, one wrong move and everything could collapse. That is why business and enterprises needs software solutions and IT infrastructure.

Now when it comes to software there are two major categories to choose from. First is the commercial off-the-shelf solution or also known as COTS and the second is customized software development. The COTS were a great success in the market and still widely used, however, things have changing since past few years, and especially since 2012 to 14 the customized software market have expanded a lot. This is because the markets are moving at a rapid pace, the customer demands are skyrocketing, and the competition is getting tougher day by day. The COTS or commercial off-the-shelf software solutions are unable to keep up with the pace. On top of that the COTS are general purpose tools, they are designed for mass users. Hence lack personalized experience which is required to meet some very specific needs. Every organizations or enterprise have a unique environment which means the business practices and internal business processes are also not the same. This is what can’t be full filed with COTS and a customized tailor-made software solution is required which can fulfill such exclusive and unique needs.

However, custom software development is also not an easy feat, it requires intensive research, adequate technical knowledge and more expense. The custom software development initially looked expensive comparing to the COTS, however, in the long term the custom software development have proven to be more beneficial and businesses can yield higher ROIs over a long period of time. In this blog we will enlist all steps that are necessary in order to produce a high quality product from a custom software development project.

Step 1. Custom Enterprise Software: Discovery Phase

For any project whether it is customer enterprise software or any other project the discovery phase is the most important part of the project. It help businesses understand what their requirements are and what they need to fulfill those requirements. Usually the custom enterprise software development project’s discovery phase is a series of open-ended discussions, formal meetings, presentations, etc. To kick start the discovery phase the first step is to appoint a project manager or a team who will be responsible for outlining the project requirements and will take part in the project execution phases. The project manager should conduct these discussion, meetings and presentations. The participants should be the end users, the department or team who have requested for the software, the stakeholders, technical experts, and any other relevant person who can give inputs on the subject. The best way is to enlist all the problems and challenges the users are facing for which they need a customer enterprise software.

Divide these challenges into three groups, critical, high priority, normal and low priority. Discuss all these points with everyone and take their opinion and also request them to suggest an appropriate solution. Dividing all needs/features in three groups will help you on later stages. For any custom enterprise software development project the cost is one of the most important factor. Whenever a demand is raised by a department, team or group of employees for a new software solution, the management evaluate the solution in terms of value it will offer against the cost or financial strain it will put on the business. That is why having three different priority level will help you optimize the budget and technical needs on the bases of importance of the features that are needed. By now the project manager would have already gathered all the required information. Now it is time to formulate a charter document or requirements document.

Step 2. Custom Enterprise Software: Software Requirements Specifications (SRS)

The software requirements specifications (SRS) document is the most important document for custom enterprise software development. The software requirements specifications document provides a full roadmap to all the parties involved in the custom enterprise software development, mainly for the software developers and programmers. The verbal communication or information shared in chunks can be disastrous for the custom software development project. Such practice leads to a very incoherent communication which results in a lot of problems during the implementation of the software. A typical SRS or software requirements specifications document includes:

The goals and objectives of the custom enterprise software
A detailed description of the software from the user’s perspective
What problems should be solved by the custom enterprise software
Features and functionalities of the custom enterprise software
The performance and efficiency of the custom software in terms of workload, users, etc.
The roadmap for the integration and data sharing, if required
The limitations and liabilities of the custom enterprise software
The administrative work flow, data protection and access policy
Detailed Definitions, descriptions, assumptions and dependencies of the software and the limitations of the production/live environment
Functional and non-functional requirements and user’s needs
Details and design needs of user interfaces, user dashboards, administrative control panels, etc.
Complete details about the system users and what value it will add to the existing or new business processes for those users

The important thing to understand is that the software requirements specifications would serve as the agreement between you and the development team whether in-house or outsourced. The final outcome would be exactly like the SRS document. It is also crucial to describe each and everything in a language the software developers can understand, that is why adding descriptions, glossaries, definitions, references, etc. is important.

The SRS document also includes all of the user cases. A user case is what defines how the end-user will interact with the software and how the software should respond. There would be a set of users who will be performing different tasks on the intended custom enterprise software. Each user or user group would be needing different sets of functions. Even if there is only a highly focused group of users and they all need to perform same tasks, there would be a lot of tasks that can be performed. In any case all the tasks and different users will define the use cases. A use case is how the user will interact with the system for example, if they upload a file, what should happen next, if they input some data where it should go and what the software should return, etc. These all includes in a use case. Here is how to define each use case:

Chose a set of users or a single user who will be performing certain task
Define that tasks in full details and try to add goals if necessary
Now enlist all use cases of that user or user group
Define all the user interactions and what response is required from the software
Include all alternative actions and their corresponding responses too
Repeat the same processes for all of the users or user groups

The use cases are aimed to define the custom enterprise software and its features from a user’s perspective. This provides the software developers a to-the-point visualization of the features and functionalities of the custom enterprise software and it also serves as a guideline for different stakeholders. That is why it is extremely important to write a detailed software requirements specifications document before starting the custom enterprise software development project.

Step 3. Custom Enterprise Software: Chose a Right Software Development Team

Choosing right vendor in Dubai or anywhere else in UAE is a very difficult task. There are so many custom software development agencies out there. It is important to choose the right vendor for the project. The best approach is to search in the local market and find a reliable company with relevant experience and good portfolio. However, outsourcing to offshore companies is also very common in UAE. Which is not a good practice. The biggest disadvantage of outsourcing to an offshore company is that it is not bound by local UAE laws which provide protection to the both the customers and the vendors. Anyway, as for local custom enterprise software development companies, it is important to verify all the details before getting into an agreement. The best is to analyze multiple vendors, make a list of all vendors that looks good. Then check their portfolio, examine their website, view their complete company profile. After that short list at least five of them and request them to submit their proposal and select one of them. This way you can get a better vendor for your custom enterprise software development project.

For More Details: How to Choose the Right Software Development Vendor for Your Business

Step 4. Custom Enterprise Software: Chose Right Technology Platforms

When it comes to software development there are a lot of technology platforms which can be used to build those apps. The first and foremost important is the compatibility of the technology, for example, if you need a native software app which is usually installed on an operating system such as Windows, Linux, etc. Then whoever will be using that software must first have to install it in their computer. However, if you need a software that can be accessed from a web browser, then the users only need a laptop and a browser. Similarly all other features determine the technology that you might be needing or what platform is compatible with your needs. It is better to engage the vendors at this stage. Vendors usually appoint a business analysts who work side by side during the requirement gathering stages and then help finalizing the scope of the work for the custom enterprise software development project.

However, here are a few popular trends of the modern technologies that enterprises are utilizing all around the world and the signs are those trends will grow in coming years:

Blockchain Technology

The Blockchain is a buzzword all around the world, especially since the BTC (Bitcoin) hit its ATH (all time high price) last year. The electronic media and social platforms start talking about BTC since, even very well reputed media outlets dedicated several shows on the technology. This has built an image of the Blockchain and most people thinks that it is some kind of digital currency that will challenge the fiat. However, that is only partially true, the Blockchain is more than just a currency. It is a technological platform that allow enterprises and individuals to develop software, applications and much more on the Blockchain. It is a great technology to develop software with shared workflows. In the Blockchain the networks are called consortiums, it is a shared network and each connected user can track all transactions. The Blockchain is the most secure and transparent platform and can offer great features.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) & Machine Learning (ML)

The Artificial Intelligence or AI and the Machine Learning or ML is very commonly used all over the internet and we daily came into contact of the AI or ML without even realizing it. For example, the Google uses AI and ML to run its several algorithms which are connected to its advertisement platforms. If you are using internet on regular bases, you might have noticed that if you searched for something suddenly it start appearing on several different platforms, such as if you searched for iPhone 14, then you start browsing your Facebook or Instagram and suddenly you start getting ads related to iPhone 14. This is what is being done by AI and ML. The AI and ML are widely used in various enterprise software and solutions such as data analysis, decision making processes, personalization, customer experience management, enterprise performance management and many more. There are endless possibilities of using AI and ML in custom enterprise software to improve their efficiency and user experience.

Big Data

Big Data is not a new technology however, with the increasing levels of digitalization and our reliance on the data the big data is also gaining much rapid adaptation. The big data is a large amount of data coming continuously to a system or enterprise which they need to store and process efficiently. Majorly the data is coming in large volumes and it comes continuously hence the software should be able to handle the large amount of stored data as well as the large volume of continuously coming data. The biggest advantage of using big data technologies is to improve the data processing and analytical processes. The big data is very helpful in understanding and analyzing large volume of data which otherwise is either very difficult or completely impossible for humans to process. Especially B2C enterprises, large organizations and government sector utilizes big data. However, now a days SMEs are also adopting big data technologies to improve their internal processes and capabilities.

Cloud Computing

The main reason behind rapid adaptation of the cloud computing is that it offers great value, low cost, high performance and high availability. The businesses don’t have to manage the very expensive in-house IT infrastructure. The cloud offers great benefits for the system users as well. The custom enterprise software tools can offer better user experience and high availability with the help of the cloud computing. Another most useful feature of the cloud computing based custom enterprise software is that users can access the data from anywhere through the internet. The cloud service provider manages the actual infrastructure and ensures high availability. The cloud is very flexible in terms of cost as well. The business will only have to pay for what resources they used, which can significantly reduce the cost. The system deployment is relatively easier and much faster. The high redundancy, flexible costing, easy access and ability to integrate open-source tools and frameworks make cloud more superior.

These are some of the technological trends of the year and we have witnessed a steady growth in all above mentioned technology platforms. The rapid market adaptations, innovation and highly efficient products are signaling that these trends will go on for a couple of more years.

Step 5. Custom Enterprise Software: Design and Development Phase

The custom enterprise software design and development phase is when the designers form the UI and UX and the developers program them by adding source code to them. The custom enterprise software design should be started with a wireframe so all the necessary changes can be done in time. Then the actual design is formed. Which also should be approved by the end-users and stakeholders. Once the software design is approved, it should be handed over to the development team. Each custom software development company have its own project management methods, some follow agile and sum follow scrum, whatever the project execution method is it is important that the final product should align with the software requirements specifications document. The project manager and business analysts should make sure that he entire development phase is going on track. The updates and progress should be shared with all stakeholders and feedback should be collected if necessary.

Step 6. Custom Enterprise Software: UAT, Launch and Post-launch

Technically as soon as the development phase is completed the project is completed however, there is always a testing phase. There are multiple different ways to test a custom enterprise software however, there are two major testing phases. First one is the QA testing, or quality assurance testing. The QA testing is always done by the technical teams and staff. Businesses can also hire a third part to evaluate the software in terms of security and penetration testing. The quality assurance and the security teams sometimes take a longer time. However, whatever the case is the next step is the UAT or user acceptance test. This test is conducted by providing software to a certain numbers of users. Mostly end users, higher management and a lot others too. After the UAT, there is launch which also consists of two stages, one is beta launch and the final stage is full launch. The post launch activities are majorly related to the user feedback and the performance of the custom enterprise software.

Conclusion

In the present day the markets are heavily relying on data and IT. The digital and IT infrastructure could be your much needed competitive advantage. Here in Dubai and all around the UAE the businesses and enterprises are adopting to customized software solutions. When it comes to custom software development the biggest concern of the managers and business owners is the time and resources needed for the project. The custom enterprise software development starts with a discovery phase or internal research to understand the audience and their needs. Then on the bases of those needs a tailor-made custom enterprise software can be developed. However, it is not as that simple as it may sounds. The custom software development is not an easy feat. It is a very crucial process and it requires full attentions form the project manager and the relevant stakeholders. That is why in this blog we have discussed the important steps to execute a successful custom enterprise software development project.If you want to learn more about the subject or if you want us to help you with another software develop please feel free to contact us through our Contact Us page or leave a comment in the comment box below and we will get in touch with you.

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August 23, 2022

Comparison between COTS and Custom Software Development

Here in Dubai and all around the UAE the markets are fairly modern and more technology savvy comparing to any other country in GCC or MENA region. The presence of multinational enterprises and corporations have helped modernizing the markets and business practices. No matter if you are in UAE or anywhere else in the world, the technology has become the essential part of a business operations. Now a days without digital solutions and systems in place a business can’t even function properly. The growth and progress is impossible without leveraging the benefits of digital technologies and solutions. The flow of data and information is absolutely crucial for businesses. In order to speed up work flow and operations businesses need automation and digitalization. That is why several systems and solutions can be utilized to improve various business processes. Digital assets and IT infrastructure of a business is vital and can have huge impact on business growth and performance.

There was a time around 15 – 20 years ago when the commercial off-the-shelf software or COTS were absolutely dominating the market. At that time the needs were limited and the market evolution was slower, however, as time passed the custom software development gain momentum due to its abilities to offer exclusive and very specific solutions for businesses. As the market start evolving and the needs start growing the COTS due to their general purpose structure start lagging behind and the custom software industry start growing. Both COTS and custom software development offers several advantages and also have their own downsides and limitations. This is what made it difficult to decide which software solution type will fit best for your requirements.

In this blog we will discuss both COTS and customer software development in details to provide our audience a better understanding of both paths so they can easily decide which software type would be the best match for their requirements.

Let us start with COTS:

What is COTS and when you should go for it?

The COTS stands for Commercial Off-the-shelf Software, it is also referred to packaged apps, ready-made solutions and is publically available to purchase for commercial and personal use. The popular examples of the COTS for personal use are MS Office, Antivirus and such applications. However, in this blog since our focus is on businesses so we will discuss about the business solutions only. The COTS are designed for a large audience and is publically available for everyone. Business can quickly deploy COTS software solutions and doesn’t require to involve in designing and development process. That is the simplest definition of the COTS.

When a Business should go for COTS?

As the COTS software and solutions are designed for a larger audience so before going for a COTS software it is crucial to understand your requirements and the features the COTS is offering. If your requirements can be full filed by the features and functionalities of the COTS then no need to go through the hustle of developing a customized software solution. However, here are a few benefits of COTS that most businesses consider while choosing between a COTS or Customized software solutions:

Most of the time 70% to 80% of the needs can be met with the COTS
Simple and easy deployment with cloud prevent businesses to manage additional IT infrastructure
Cost-effective solutions with flexible payment plans (monthly, quarterly or yearly payments)
Excellent solution when the customization is not required or can be done internally
No cost of R&D, businesses can get highly researched and market proven solutions
Help businesses to adopt to market trends and improve internal business processes accordingly
A large clientele base ensures most of the businesses are satisfied with the features
COTS are very stable software and tend to offer flawless, smooth and bugs free operation

Basically the COTS software solutions are not designed for your exclusive needs and goals in mind. Sometimes one-fits-all is not enough for some businesses and some needs. That is why business have to look up for alternates, either they will have to acquire multiple solutions for different needs and tasks, which prolong simple processes and cause repetitive work and unnecessary delays in work flows. In such situations customized software solutions are a better choice.

Let us see what customized software development is and when businesses decide to go for it.

What is Custom Software Development and when you should go for it?

The customized software development is path businesses choose when they need to develop a software or solution exclusively for their very specific needs. Usually such needs can’t be fulfilled with the traditional COTS solutions. Obviously the COTS are designed for a large audience and are general purpose tools, however, each business have a very different and unique internal culture which over the time evolved into different business practices and methodologies, the COTS are unable to meet all needs, that is why businesses need a customized software which is tailor-made for their needs and offer them a 100% compatible solutions. This makes customized software development far superior than the COTS.

When a Business should go for Custom Software Development?

The custom software development is a software that a business or organization develop at their own and doesn’t require a service provider. However, most of the time the internal IT department is limited due to the workforce and skillset that is why business outsource it to third-party software development companies in Dubai, UAE such as RSI Concepts. The main aim behind custom software development is to get a precise solution to very specific needs and the custom software solutions only serve a particular set of users or organization and it is also not available for anyone else.

Get tailor-made solution to meet all your needs

For COTS software and solutions businesses always follow an 80/20 rule. It means if the software meets 80% of the needs and doesn’t address 20% of the needs or problems it can be acquired. Each business has different structure and different business processes which are result of organic evolution and growth. However, the commercial off-the-shelf software can only meet up to 80% of the needs. The features that are offered out-of-the-box or later developed with customization are still unable to meet the 100% needs of the business. The customized software development is exclusively done to meet all the needs of the business. It means all the features will be designed to meet the needs. Another greater advantage of this is that the businesses don’t have to modify their internal processes or work flows to achieve compatibility with the software features.

Get more control and customizability

The COTS software and solutions are also customizable, however, the level of customization and the cost is a major drawback. The COTS sometimes are limited due to technology or implementation or any other matter which limits the customizability of the software. In addition to that the customization with COTS is usually done by implementing small patches and modifications in different modules, however, the core can’t be modified. The custom software allow in-depth modification and customization facility. Businesses can freely chose the technology they want or they can acquire a consultant to help them selecting the best technology for their outsource project. Furthermore the custom software are capable of evolving at the same pace as the requirements and needs evolves. The COTS also offer third-party plugins to support and improve customization and integration abilities of the software.

However, this could lead to more cost, separate agreements and eventually business could get stuck with more vendors. However, the custom software doesn’t have any such problem and allow businesses to keep improving their software to achieve higher efficiency and performance.

Custom Software Offers Superior Security

Business often believe the commercial off-the-shelf software (COTS) have better security and as the service provider is providing services to a large clientele sometimes globally but the reality is the COTS are more prone to internet pirates. Basically the COTS are widely used and also widely available, the criminal minded people or group can easily get familiar with the COTS. However, the customized software are exclusively designed for the business and only a limited people have access to the applications. That is why the customized software are more secure and have better protection against internet attacks. The source code is well protected as the developers and only limited people have access to its source code. Furthermore the business and the development team have full control over the software and its source code so they can also implement more techniques and include better security features.

Custom Software Offers Full Ownership Rights

One of the biggest problem of the COTS is that the businesses never get ownership rights, the software always remains the property of the service provider. Which could cause several issues, however, the biggest issue is that if the service provider ends the product or closed the entire business the customers will end up abandoned and helpless. Obviously that usually doesn’t happen but it happened in past and it could also happen in future. However, the custom software development doesn’t have any such problem. As the software is exclusively designed for the business by either their internal software development team or outsourcing partner. The business have full ownership rights over the product. The business gets all core files, source codes, algorithms, integrations and each and everything.

As the software is exclusively designed for the business so it has full ownership of the entire software, no matter if the outsourcing firm got closed or the maintenance and management team got changes, the business will remain the owner of the software and there would be no harm to the data and/or application.

Custom Software Development Offers Better Cost and ROI

Here in Dubai and all around the UAE the most common belief is that the custom software development is expensive than the commercial off-the-shelf software (COTS) solutions. However that is not the case, in reality if we calculate the ROI over a period of time, it will be much better than the COTS. The commercial off-the-shelf software might have less initial cost, but the running, customization, updating the COTS is way too high. Mostly the COTS comes with annual subscription, licensing or customization fees and such costs which raise the overall cost of the commercial off-the-shelf software. The COTS always have too much operational cost, however, the custom software doesn’t have any such costs. In fact the operational cost of the custom software is very less and in some cases there could be no operational cost at all if no third-party components are used to develop the software.

Personalization and Compatibility

One of the most important advantage of the custom software development is that it offers greater levels of personalization and offer better compatibility. The COTS are often designed for general purpose which require them to develop a universal interface which help businesses all over the world, however, one-fits-all is not true always, most of the time some users feel the lag or personalization and customization. The custom software development allow businesses to customized the UIs (User Interfaces) and UX (user experience) to make it more intuitive and also allow users to customize the interfaces and user experience as per their needs and desires. The COTS are also rigid and most of the times businesses doesn’t have their internal processes and work flows as per the features of the commercial off-the-shelf software. This means that businesses will have to make changes to internal processes and workflows to attain the full compatibility with the available features.

However, this is totally opposite for the custom software. The customized software are tailor-made as per the needs of the businesses, they are designed after studying all such needs and requirements, hence when a custom software is deployed it doesn’t require businesses to make adjustments or changes to any of their internal processes or workflow. This can significantly improve the efficiency of the custom software however, on the contrary when such changes are made in case of COTS those changes could also harm the performance and efficiency.

Integration and Scalability

For any business solution or tool the integration and scalability are the most important features. The COTS also offer a certain level of integration and customization. Sometimes when a business is using multiple software and tools, the direct integration between them might not be possible, hence businesses will have to develop and deploy middleware or other integration techniques to bridge the gap between two software and tools. However with the custom software development there is no such issue. Since the entire source code and everything can be controlled and modified, the integration become seamless. No matter whatever kind of integration is required the custom software can easily do it. The COTS do support scalability but it is very expensive and it increase its operational cost. However, the custom software solutions are very flexible towards scalability and doesn’t have any licensing structure which could cost you. This makes custom software highly cost-efficient and very superior than COTS.

Custom Software Development VS Commercial Off-the-shelf Software (COTS)

The best way to decide whether you need a custom software development or the commercial off-the-shelf software solution, you must first have to understand what you need and which solution will be able to meet your needs. Of course cost is a major factor too, so it is better to choose a software type which can meet your both technical and commercial needs. Here are some pros and cons of both of the software types, which will further help you taking a decision:

Pros of the commercial off-the-shelf software (COTS)

Cost-efficient and much affordable in terms of initial investment and deployment
Better technical and mostly larger community support is easily available
Require less training, simple to operate and easy to maintain
Save a lot of time, cost and resources on product research and development
A wider range of competitive products is available, and by comparing a few of them a business can get a better product with better functionality and affordable price
The wide user-base ensures a flawless and bug free product

Cons of the commercial off-the-shelf software (COTS)

Mostly the commercial off-the-shelf software (COTS) comes with hidden cost and additional expenses down the road
Furthermore the COTS comes with additional costs for upgrades, scalability and customization
The COTS offer limited or absolutely no customization or modification facility which could interrupt several business processes by forcing them to adopt to the new structure of the COTS
Doesn’t offer competitive advantages as most of your competitors might also be suing the same COTS solutions
Sometimes the upgradation might demand upgrading your existing IT infrastructure and other existing systems in place
Doesn’t offer much support for the customization and innovation hence a business could feel stuck and limited by the COTS demands
Always comes with unwanted features as a bundle with other required features, that is why a businesses can never fully satisfy its needs

Pros of the Custom Software Development

The biggest advantage of custom software development is that it is capable of meeting 100% needs of the business
The custom software allow easy and flexible modifications, upgrades and evolve and grow as the businesses evolve and grow
Businesses have full control and can keep modifying and upgrading the custom software over the time to improve functionality and to support growth
Custom software can be designed as per the needs of the users hence it can offer greater user experience and better usability of the system which results in better performance
The custom software development is a one-time investment and there are no hidden charges, licensing fees, and per user cost
As the technology grows and market demands increases the business can instantly made changes, modifications and upgrades to leverage the new circumstances
Integration with third-party software and systems is very easy and more flexible, businesses can align their software easily to integrate with existing software and systems
Since the custom software is exclusively designed for your business, it can provide a greater competitive advantages
Custom software can boost employee performance, internal processes and operational capabilities

Cons of the Custom Software Development

The biggest drawback of the custom software development is its high initial cost
Apart from higher initial cost, the custom software also require proper research and brainstorming to establish a roadmap of the features to achieve the desired outcome
In-depth testing and repeated tests are required to make the system bug free
Custom software development is a time consuming task and couldn’t meet very urgent needs
It could take a fairly longer time to bring innovation and to upgrade the software
Another challenge a business faces while opting for a custom software development is to choose a right partner and service provider who can understand and meet your software needs

Conclusion

If a business wants to sustain growth and prosperity they must have to adopt the modern methods and industry trends. These days’ businesses heavily rely on IT and digital infrastructure to compete and grow in the market. The Dubai and in fact the entire UAE is a very competitive market and on top of that the customers are also very savvy and demanding. These trends and factors help evolving the society, hence the businesses will also have to evolve and upgrade to keep up the pace. When a business wants to upgrade its digital arsenals the biggest challenge is to decide among the commercial off-the-shelf solutions and customized software development. In this blog we have described both and we also listed all important aspect so the both methods. RSI Concepts is a leading custom software development company in Dubai, UAE. If you want any more help on the subject or if you want us to develop the next performance and success oriented software solution for your exclusive needs, please feel free to contact us through our Contact Us page or leave a comment in the comment box below and we will get in touch with you soon.

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May 19, 2022

How to Develop a Custom Property Management Software?

The Dubai and several other part of UAE are considered to be the most attractive places for real estate investments. Thanks to the government policies and supportive measures the real estate industry is booming, despite the fact the past few years were not so good due to the pandemic, the Dubai specifically and several other parts of UAE have witnessed record high sales and rental stats. Where the market is rapidly growing more and more investors are investing into real estate and property management, it means the competition for a property management and real estate business is very high. There are tons of ready-made off-the-shelf solutions for property management which provide very advanced features for landlords, tenants, hotel guests, management and all staff as well. However, if you really want to stand out of the crowd then you must have to do what others are not doing. That is why any good real estate business would chose to develop their own custom property management software.

The customized property management software allow businesses to build the system as per their existing business processes. The off-the-shelf property management systems are designed for a large user group, which means all of the users will eventually end up changing their business processes and methods as per the software, else they will have to do a lot of manual work or in some cases they can’t even do it manually due to the magnitude of the work. However, a custom property management system is tailored to aid the existing business processes and methods, it doesn’t impose any change as it is completely designed as per the needs, so it can significantly boost the performance and productivity. That is why for real estate and property management businesses a tailor-made custom property management software is always the best choice.

But the question is how to develop it? Most of the time the biggest hurdle that any business owner or manager faces is the hesitance about developing a custom software as it involves technical details, programing, source codes, etc. That is the reason we are writing this article to help our audience understand how they can have an excellent custom property management software in Dubai, UAE.

Make a Plan! And Set Goals

Without a good plan you can’t get what you want and the project could get very messy. Here by good I don’t mean a high-level professional IT plan type of plan, but just a simple plan which covers all important aspects. Being a business owner or a manager you will have to do some research. Talk with your sub-ordinates, sales teams, accounts, operations, and all heads of the departments and ask for their feedback. Draw a map of the existing business processes and work flows, a simple flow chat would suffice. Enlist the features you are currently needing and also think about some things that you might going to need in future. Try to take feedback from your customers about all the user interfaces you are providing them and you want to provide them. Have a detailed look at your competitors and industry leaders. This will draw the blue prints of your custom property management software.

Think about what you want to achieve by implementing this property management software. For example, you think currently your customer service and complain mechanisms are lagging, and you want to improve that area and so on. Try to compile everything in a single document, this document can be later used as the requirement to be shared with the IT Company who will be developing the custom property management software for you. You don’t have to worry about technicalities, just try to keep it simple, as simple as any ordinary person can understand and make sense of it. This can serve as your plan very well.

How to Find a Software Development Company in Dubai?

Finding a good software development company in Dubai, UAE is very tricky. There are hundreds if not thousands of custom software development companies in Dubai and in entire UAE. However, there are only a few who could deliver. As you already have a document and your goals are documented, you can share it with different software development companies in Dubai. The search/Google is the best place to begin with. Search for the software development companies in Dubai, make a list. Ask your friends and colleagues and if anyone of them suggest any company add it to your list. It is safe to have at least ten custom software companies in the list to start. I will explain later how you can short list and finalize one of them. But at the initial stage it is good to have at least a list of ten companies. Then start with their website, go through their website, try to find their customers, look up for testimonials and their business partners. Check their blog and see how active they are at their blog. It is very simple. Now rearrange your list and put which you think is good at top and arrange them all.

From now on I will list the scrutinizing process in steps, try to follow them as per the order:

Contact the listed custom software development companies via Email or Contact Form
Ask them to sign the NDA (Non-disclosure Agreement)
Share your requirement document with them and let them revert back to you
Schedule a short call or an online meeting to initiate the process
They will definitely ask you several questions, try to answer them all
At this stage you would know which one of them are more interested and capable
Make your list shorter and cut it to at least five
Ask those five custom software development companies for a meeting and presentation
In this meeting try to evaluate the representatives, their presentations, and discussion, etc.
Ask them to submit their initial proposals, offers, credentials and also ask them for references to their existing customers
Evaluate those offers on the bases of technical and commercial aspects, try to contact their customers and ask them for their opinion and experience
Take at least three out of these offers and negotiate the technical and commercial proposals
Ask them to share project plan and full technical scope of work
Ask them to offer you guarantee, warrantee, maintenance and SLAs and compare them
Now you can easily chose any one of them
Sign Agreements and Kick Start the project

Here in UAE we always find customers who are unhappy from off-shore service providers, which is why we always recommend our readers and customers to go with a company who is based in Dubai or anywhere in UAE. It is very difficult to set disputes with the off-shore company. A well-reputed custom software development company like RSI Concepts will always deliver good projects. Such companies always help and support their customers and they are also bound by the local laws, hence the customer’s rights are well protected.

How to Execute Custom Property Management Software Development Project?

Any software or IT system development project is executed in several phases. All software development companies in Dubai, UAE or in fact all around the world works on the project in different phases, because that is the most practical and efficient way of doing it. Before even starting the project you should ask the software development company to provide you a detailed scope of work and a project plan. If you already have experience or if you are totally new to custom software development, here are some important steps that will help you in executing a custom property development software project:

Step 1 – Wireframe: Any software development project starts with a wireframe phase. The custom software development company provide a wireframe which is a demonstration of the user interface (UI) and it also explains the user experience (UX) in great details. You can ask the software development and design team to make amendment at this stage. As it is easier and usually there is no additional cost of making changes at this stage unless you are asking for a big change or you deviate from the original scope of work. The wireframe explains each and every screen of the software so be careful at this stage and make sure you get everything as per your need and expectations.
Step 2 –UI Design: Once the wireframes are finalized the next step is to design the user interface. The user interface will be the final look and feel of your custom property management software. Since it is a custom property management software development so the business will have the full ownership and rights over it. It is good to ask the design team to make it aligned with your brand and use your logo and branding to design the UI and UX.
Step 3 –Development: After completing the UI/UX designs the project now enters into the development phase. This is the stage when the custom software development company will write the source code, build algorithms and functionalities in your custom property management software. Mostly the software development companies share the progress after completing the development phase but some companies also provide regular updates and share the incomplete software too. For example, if the tenant management module is complete they ask you to test it while they are working on the other modules in parallel. The better approach is to let them finish the complete software and then test it this will save a lot of time and hustle.
Step 4 –UAT: After completing the development phase the project enters into the test phase. In the testing phase both the custom software development company and the business does the testing. At UAT (user acceptance test) stage you must have to check each and every functionality to make sure everything is as per the previously agreed scope of work. Any feedback or changes can be made at this stage, but it is better to stick with the actual scope of work.
Step 5 –Launch: At the UAT stage the project is still in the test environment, after passing that stage the project is deployed in a live environment, whether it is a cloud, online server, or local/in-premises server. The launch also have two stages. First stage is beta launch. In the beta stage the customer property management software is made available to a selective audience which includes users from all user groups. At this stage businesses can take feedback and suggestion and make amendments too if needed. After the beta launch is successful a training program is executed to make all employees familiar with the new software and then the project is fully commissioned and made available to everyone.
Step 6 –Post-Launch: The post-launch includes all the marketing efforts and an active user feedback collection campaign. This provides businesses an idea about the effectiveness of the custom property management system. Businesses can also collect feedback and suggestion and consider them in future updates or revised versions of the software.

These steps are a general overview of the software project execution. Businesses and the software development company can establish a different understanding and project plan to ensure better results. However, it is better to do one thing at a time and complete the entire project in multiple phases and stages.

What are the Important Features of a Property Management System?

The features of any software determines its usability and the value it can add to the user experience. For a customized property management software it can have and it should have all the necessary features that a business wants and that are required to help business in achieving their short term and long term goals. A custom property management software have different application in slightly different industry sectors, hence for each the features and specification could differ from one another. Here are some application of a property management software:

Real Estate Management
Residential Facility Management
Industrial Facility Management
Hotel Management
Shopping Mall Management
Centralized Information Center
Multi-branch & Multi-location Management

There are many more but the common thing is that each property management software have similar kind of user groups so each one have almost similar user interfaces. Apart from the user interface there are several other modules that are common too. So, here we will list some key features and modules that can benefit all different types of property management software.

Web Interfaces of a Custom Property Management Software

The web interface is the most common feature of property management software and such systems. The web interface is designed to allow users to easily access the system using a simple web browser. The web interface should have a few key features that will make it more efficient and user friendly:

Intuitive User Interface with adequate helping material such as (tool-tips, help icons, etc.)
Allow online access from outside the organization as well
Should have responsive and cross-platform compatibility features
Simple and easy to understand navigational structure
Ability to prevent user from accessing unauthorized information and functions
Ability to offer different color schemes and allow users to arrange their dashboard

The web user interface is a very important aspect of any software tool. For property management software the web user interface should be very user-friendly. A good user interface (UI) can speed up different tasks and have significant positive impact on user’s performance. The web user interfaces are designed for both the internal and external uses. Internally the employees, sales teams, customer support and service teams, maintenance teams, management and all other business functions use it and externally the interface is made available via online for the customers.

Smartphone Applications and Mobile Interface

These days the smartphone applications are getting very popular and more common than ever before. Businesses are offering mobile applications and continuously trying to improve them. The biggest reason of the popularity of the smartphone applications is that users can get a very personalized experience. Here are some key features that your smartphone application should have:

Dedicated interface for different user groups (landlords, owners, tenants, maintenance teams, office staff, management, etc.)
Compatible with Android and iOS Mobile Phones
Single Time Sign-in with additional security features
Ability to download, upload and scan documents through the device camera
Online Payment Features to allow users to make instant payments
In-App alerts and news along with Push-notifications
Real-time access to the central information center
Ability to search for content, information and communication
Ability to look up for branch or office with navigation
In-built communication module (chat with staff, complaint center, feedback and suggestions, etc.)
Appointment booking and integration with queue management system

These are some of the most commonly used features in a property management software mobile app. Businesses can add more innovative features to enhance the user experience and to improve the productivity.

Internet Interface or Website

The internet interface or website of a property management business is available for everyone to access via online. It has to be perfect as it had significant impact on the overall digital brand identity of the business too. Although some property management businesses consider websites separate form their core property management application, however a property management business’s website is also just an extension of their core property management software as it heavily rely on it. Whether you already have a website or are upgrading your website along with your custom property management software, it is better to have the following features in your website:

Simply Navigational Structure and Well Organized Menus
Multimedia content such as Photos and Videos of the property, hotel room, etc.
Smart search with multiple filters to facilitate the property searching
Real-time data synchronization and updates from the central information center
Simple and user-friendly user interface and design theme
Customer centric content and provide additional information along with all listings
Dedicated search result page and property listing pages
Responsive and cross platform compatibility
Super-fast page loading speed on both desktop and mobiles
Simple user registration and dedicated user dashboard to improve personalized user experience
Integration with CRM and complaint management systems
Visible contact information, appointment booking module and simple contact forms
Online payment gateway integration to provide multiple online payment options
Simple and easy sharing features with social media integration
Online chat module or WhatsApp integration
Ability to download and share the property in PDF format

These are just a few most important features of a property management business’s website. You can also add more features and request your website development company to help you adding more interactive and engaging features on your website.

Customer Portal

The customer portals are designed for providing customers service and information. The modern day property management system offer a variety of features that can help improving customer experience and customer journey. Your custom property management software should have all key features to facilitate customer interactions and to make them happy. Here are some important features that your customer portal should have:

Simple and easy online registration
Multiple channels to communicate and share documents, contracts and details
24/7 easy access to the information center, customer support and complaint centers
Dedicated maintenance module to expedite the maintenance request processing
Simple and easy in-app communication and customer feedback module
Good payment gateway service integration to provide multiple easy payment methods
Preferences and customization to provide a personalized customer experience
Similar user journey and user experience across all platforms and channels
Online Directory for various departments and concerned staff members

Businesses can should offer all the important features that they think could help their customers and improve their experience. The customer experience is crucial for customer satisfaction which is a key to long term success.

Sales Team Portal

A dedicated sales team portal can help property management business in boosting sales and revenue. The portal allow simple and easy management of the sales staff. It also record various stats and KPIs which can help management in monitoring and improving the sales department. Each business have different methods and internal processes. That is why a custom property management software can help businesses improve their sales department’s efficiency and performance as it supports their existing processes and help them make improvements. Here are some key features of a sales team portal for the property management software:

Real-time data synchronization and integration with central information center
Instant notifications, alerts and facility to set reminders and follow ups
Smart property visit scheduling module to increase customer visits
Sales Performance and Target Comparison and other Performance Matrices
In-built features to share contracts and process documents to expedite the process
Integration with CRM module and ability to push feedback and surveys to the customers
Ability to send customized notifications, reminders and alerts to the customers
Ability to communicate and share files with other team members through the dashboard
A full-fledged document processing and work flow management module

Each business have different requirements and establish different processes over the time. So, the custom property management software development will allow them to make the software as per their needs which will improve the performance and productivity of the sales department.

Maintenance Requests and Complaints Management

Each property management business knows that this sector receives a huge number of maintenance requests and complaints too. That is why businesses often use a separate complaint management system or they use CRMs and other specialized tools to handle and manage customer complaints and maintenance requests. Most of the modern property management system have maintenance requests but not the complaint management module, or in some cases both are merged and treated as the same, which is not right. A good property management system should have separate maintenance requests and complaint management modules. Here are some key features that you should consider while developing a custom property management system:

Dedicated and separate Maintenance Request Management and Complaint Management Modules
Facility to segregate the maintenance requests on the bases of priority and importance
Facility to segregate different types of customer on the bases of their categories (regular, VIP, Premium, Residential, Commercial, etc.)
Automatic complaint distribution mechanism and notifications/alerts for the concerned staff
Automatic customer feedback or review collection after completing the maintenance
Intuitive complaint management module with ability to forward and escalate the complaints
Complaint escalation and forward should trigger pre-programmed alerts and notifications
Direct communication with the complainant and ability to share their contact details through the dashboard/portal
Active customer feedback collection and ability to close the loop

For any property management system or facility management system proactively managing the complaints and maintenance request is extremely important. It requires a strong communication network and the custom property management software allow you to automate various processes, set alerts and notification which makes it a lot easier and quicker for the staff to deliver good quality service.

Dedicated Modules for Each Business Function

A custom property management software allow businesses to create dedicated modules for each business function (sales, marketing, operations, maintenance, procurement, maintenance & service, etc.). The businesses have full control over the work flow, data sharing and administrative mechanisms. The customization allow them to make the software as per their needs, hence after commissioning the custom property management software the business or any of its functions doesn’t need to make changes to their processes and routines. In fact the software help them to improve their current processes and methods they follow. This could significantly boost the overall productivity and profitability of the business. As in case of a ready-made or off-the-shelf solution the businesses always have to make adjustments and even big changes in their internal and external business processes and methods they are following, which in long term also impact on their strategy. So, it is crucial that the new software is just helping and making improvement in the existing processes.

Work Flow Management and Administrative Hierarchy

For any property management businesses the work flow and administrative hierarchy is very important. Each businesses have different internal structure and over the time they tend to develop and evolve into a very unique and distinctive eco-system. A stock or off-the-shelf solution can never meet the needs of a growing organization. So, a custom property management software is always remain superior in this regard. It provide more flexibility and control over internal processes, assigning and defining job roles and setting up administrative hierarchy. This enable businesses to gain full control over their strategic and tactical processes and enables them to alter anything anytime as per their needs without making any change or customization in the existing system. It also makes regular administrative tasks simpler and easier. With just a few clicks a manager can appoint someone on a job role, or even assign them additional charge of two positions. Within a few clicks, a business management can change the access and control of any employee. Such things are very helpful for the management and keep them focused on their primary tasks and goals.

Business Intelligence Data Collection

Collecting valuable business intelligence data is extremely crucial in the modern data driven world. For any business it is crucial to have a good understanding of their customers, the market trends, and of course their own weaknesses and strengths. Make sure you custom property management software is capable of collecting valuable business intelligence data and system usage information. That is not all, the data collection, system stats, user activities and such details could be very helpful in certain scenarios. Businesses do whatever they can to improve their customer’s experience and to make them happy and satisfy. Businesses also invest heavily in systems and solutions which can help them to boost the performance and productivity. Here is a short list of some key data points that every property management business should consider monitoring and recording:

Login activity and task activity record
Workflow and approval records
Performance matrices and employee KPIs
Customer happiness and customer satisfaction matrices
All kind of trends and customer purchase patterns
Customer and visitors details and their demographics
Performance matrices for each department and business functions
Ability to conduct customer feedback surveys and ability to process the feedback data
Accounting and Finance KPIs and performance matrices
Customer support center and complaint management department’s performance data
Website analytical and social media statistics

These are just a few key areas which will help you to focus on more details which you can ask your software development company to include in the reporting and analytical modules. This data can help management and heads of the departments to make better strategies and take informed decisions.

Future Scalability and Maintenance

The custom property management software should be able to handle scalability. The problem the off-the-shelf solutions is that as the business grow and its needs grow the cost increases, whether it is just adding more users or up-scaling the server and IT infrastructure, the cost also keep increasing as the needs increase. However, in case of a custom software the business holds the full ownership rights and the customer property management software developer will have to transfer each and every bit of source code, resources and any other ingredient they use to build the software application. Which provide businesses a great advantage and allow them to scale as much as they want without bearing additional cost. Moreover, the business doesn’t get dependent on the development company and they can easily do the maintenance at in-house or they can acquire the services of another third-party. This not only provide more control but also keep the cost under control.

Conclusion

In Dubai and in fact all across the UAE the property management and real estate business is booming. The market is very competitive and the customers are very savvy. In such conditions a business will have to offer excellent services and a unique kind of customer experience which can help them retain their customers and build their reputation and credibility in the market. There are several options available for the property management software however, having a custom property management software which is tailor-made as per the needs and requirements of your business could be game changer. It can boost efficiency and performance without disturbing any existing business process or methods a business is currently following. It can also integrated easily with the existing systems and tools. The customer property management software is much more flexible, offer great control and independence and it is also much more cost-efficient with greater ROI in the long term.

RSI Concepts is a leading customer property management software development company in Dubai, UAE. The purpose of this blog was to give our audience a better understanding of how a custom property management software is built. If you want to learn more about the topic or if you want us to help you building your property management software, please feel free to reach us through our Contact Us page or leave a comment in the comment box below and we will get in touch with you soon.

Check out this: Why Queue Management Systems Are Essential For Modern Businesses?

April 14, 2022

Why custom software is more cost efficient in UAE?

A modern day business in UAE and in fact all around the world couldn’t survive for long without integrating the digital and information technology in their business functions. Whether you are a small or medium size business (SME) or a large production factory or a multinational enterprise, these days the emails have replaced the letters, the difficult tasks have been replaced with automation and artificial intelligence (AI), and so on. Regardless of the size of the business, the information and data is the center point of each and everything.The businesses who don’t have reliable and efficient methods of sharing information and processing data can’t compete and even couldn’t survive in a longer run.That is why businesses use various enterprise management software and tools, such as ERP, Property Management System, CMS (Content Management System), HRMS (Human Resource Ministry Planning),Accounting Tools, Production Management Software, etc. Such tools are used to facilitate various business processes and functions which will help you to achieve higher performance.

With the passage of time the digital business tools and software have become technologically advanced, and somewhat challenging too. In most of the cases the businesses usually got confused between choosing an off-the-shelf/ready-made solution and going for a customized software development. Now a days, business are realizing the importance of the customized software development too. There are several technical benefits of having a customized software application or business tool for your business.The major reason why businesses are opting for customized software development is the cost-effectiveness and control over the features and functionalities of the software. Here is how the custom software development is cost-efficient than the off-the-shelf solution:

Custom Software Development: Commissioning & Installation Cost

The commissioning cost of a custom software development is relatively low, as the software is a tailor-made application tool so it only have features that are required by the system users, however with ready-made and off-the-shelf solution a business usually have to pay for a set of features or packages. Regardless of what feature do you need or not, if you are going for an off-the-shelf solution you will eventually end up having more than what you have been planning to purchase. Usually the ready-made or off-the-self software are divided into several categories or plans/packages. These categories and packages are designed to serve the need of masses. Hence the features are grouped on the bases of demands or relevance. That is the reason, sometime businesses might have to opt for the higher level of plans, just for a single or two features which are not available in the lower plans. However, with a custom software development, there is no such limitation. The business only have to pay for what they need, there is no compulsion or restriction to purchase any particular plan or package. Which is why the commissioning and installation cost of the custom software development is also less in UAE.

Custom Software Development: Maintenance and Long Term Cost

For any IT infrastructure or digital system every business also estimates the long term cost and maintenance cost when selecting between different available options. For off-the-shelf or ready-made software systems and solutions, most of the time the vendor is managing the IT infrastructure and is also responsible for the maintenance. The business have to pay a maintenance fee or charges and the rest is taken care by the vendor. However, that is not just all, the off-the-shelf software solutions comes in different packages along with subscription fees and monthly charges, which sometime includes the maintenance as well, and sometimes it is charged separately. Along with the maintenance, sometime the enterprise software solution providers dealt with their regional distributors and hire third-party service providers and sometime they also require additional charges to provide premium customer service and technical support. Which also add up to the long term cost of the off-the-shelf solutions. However, with custom software development there is no such fee or additional charges, the business have to pay for one time, the maintenance and everything else is fixed and is comparatively less comparing to off-the-shelf software solutions in UAE.

Custom Software Development: Scalability and Longevity

One of the greatest advantage of customer software development is the scalability and longevity of the systems and solutions. Businesses keep expanding all the time. For off-the-shelf solutions adding new users, departments, and such functionalities are always expensive. The businesses must have to pay for the additional licenses and registrations, etc. However, with a custom software development there is no limitation in the system, the business owns the software hence they can add as many users and dynamic features without paying anything extra to the vendor. That is why the customized software solutions are more friendly and compatible with future and scalability. It is this future compatibility and scalability that makes custom software more long lasting. The lifecycle of the custom software is always higher in UAE. Due to such future compatible and supportive functions the custom software development is considered to be more long lasting comparing to off-the-shelf solutions. With minor tweaks, upgrades and ability to customize the life cycle of a custom software can be extended for a long time in future.

Custom Software Development: Upgrades and Customization

When a business implement a new system or solution the most important thing to consider is the future upgrades and customization. The technology world is evolving rapidly. Each year brings huge changes in terms of the technologies, trends and user preferences. Customizing and upgrading an off-the-shelf software is extremely difficult and expensive. The upgrading and updating process of the off-the-shelf software and solutions is very complex and require a lot of efforts. As the off-the-shelf solutions are being used by hundreds and thousands of customers, making a simple change in user-interface (UI) could make hundreds of customers unhappy. Similarly any change in the core, algorithms, features and functionalities is also very difficult. Hence the vendors follow a very lengthy and sophisticated process to push any update or upgrade to the system that is why most of the time, the off-the-shelf solutions are very late to adopt to the new changes in the market trends and user expectations. That is why most of the time these upgrades and updates come with a price tag, hence impact the overall ROI of the system. However, a customized software can easily be upgraded, customized, and modified at any time a business wants and the cost is also very less in UAE.

Custom Software Development: Ownership and Trademarking

The off-the-shelf solutions and systems are always the property of the vendor and the business is a kind of renting it out. The software and solution provider reserves all the rights to the software tools and its functionalities and in some cases even the data is also stored on the vendor’s servers and the vendor can access the private data of the business. Technically the vendor can gain access but there is always a proper paperwork and agreements that prevent them to access your private data. However, with the customized software solution, since the software is developed exclusively for the business the business have full proprietary and ownership rights. Most of the time the custom software development company in UAE provide the full source code, resources and databases and everything else to the customers. Hence the businesses own the product/customized software. This empowers customer, provide them more freedom for customization and innovation and prevent their dependency on a single vendor. This help businesses to get competitive cost each time a need arises for customization, upgrade, integration or expansions.

Custom Software Development: Make Profit

Since the businesses own the custom software that is exclusively designed for the business. The businesses can use the same software to earn more profits. Businesses can provide the same product to its affiliates, partners and even businesses can launch it in the open market. As the product is exclusively designed for a business which belongs to a particular industry sector and category, that is why the chances are that other businesses from the same category and sector would appreciate your product and hence it could provide them more appropriate solution to their problem. This way the businesses can use the customized software application to sell it and gain more profit which can also be utilized for product development purposes and just to gain profits. Hence the customized software development can further improve its ROI in the longer run.

Conclusion

The custom software development is very cost effective comparing to the off-the-shelf software and solutions. The custom software development allow businesses to include only those features which they need and doesn’t bound them to purchase a full package or subscription like off-the-shelf solutions. Which save costs, and business have to pay for only what they need. The custom software development enable businesses to own the product they have exclusively developed for themselves. The vendor doesn’t have any ownership rights, hence the businesses is free from vendor dependency and the business can also chose any other vendor in future to further customize or upgrade the software for them. These privileges significantly reduce cost. However, the off-the-shelf solutions make businesses highly dependent on the vendor, the scalability and future upgrade is also expensive comparing to the customized software solutions. That is why the custom software development is very cost-effective in UAE comparing to the commercial off-the-shelf solutions.

If you want to learn more about the subject or want us to help you with your next custom software development project, please feel free to get in touch with us via our Contact Us page or leave a comment in the comment box below and we will get in touch with you soon.

Check out this blog: What is Enterprise Performance Management (EPM)?

BLOG OF RSI CONCEPTS

Tag: Custom Software

Step-by-step Guide to Develop Custom Enterprise Software

Step 1. Custom Enterprise Software: Discovery Phase

Step 2. Custom Enterprise Software: Software Requirements Specifications (SRS)

Step 3. Custom Enterprise Software: Chose a Right Software Development Team

Step 4. Custom Enterprise Software: Chose Right Technology Platforms

Blockchain Technology

Artificial Intelligence (AI) & Machine Learning (ML)

Big Data

Cloud Computing

Step 5. Custom Enterprise Software: Design and Development Phase

Step 6. Custom Enterprise Software: UAT, Launch and Post-launch

Conclusion

Comparison between COTS and Custom Software Development

What is COTS and when you should go for it?

When a Business should go for COTS?

What is Custom Software Development and when you should go for it?

When a Business should go for Custom Software Development?

Get tailor-made solution to meet all your needs

Get more control and customizability

Custom Software Offers Superior Security

Custom Software Offers Full Ownership Rights

Custom Software Development Offers Better Cost and ROI

Personalization and Compatibility

Integration and Scalability

Custom Software Development VS Commercial Off-the-shelf Software (COTS)

Pros of the commercial off-the-shelf software (COTS)

Cons of the commercial off-the-shelf software (COTS)

Pros of the Custom Software Development

Cons of the Custom Software Development

Conclusion

How to Develop a Custom Property Management Software?

Make a Plan! And Set Goals

How to Find a Software Development Company in Dubai?

How to Execute Custom Property Management Software Development Project?

What are the Important Features of a Property Management System?

Web Interfaces of a Custom Property Management Software

Smartphone Applications and Mobile Interface

Internet Interface or Website

Customer Portal

Sales Team Portal

Maintenance Requests and Complaints Management

Dedicated Modules for Each Business Function

Work Flow Management and Administrative Hierarchy

Business Intelligence Data Collection

Future Scalability and Maintenance

Conclusion

Why custom software is more cost efficient in UAE?

Custom Software Development: Commissioning & Installation Cost

Custom Software Development: Maintenance and Long Term Cost

Custom Software Development: Scalability and Longevity

Custom Software Development: Upgrades and Customization

Custom Software Development: Ownership and Trademarking

Custom Software Development: Make Profit

Conclusion