Of course there were horror stories with the cost of custom software development before the New Millennium, and there will be others. But since the New Millennium though, the crown of horror stories often goes to Commercial Softwares under license like Oracle, Microsoft, SAP, etc., to which many large corporations and Governments have given humongous mandates (often outrageous purchase orders).<\/p>\n
Evidently, the vast majority of commercial softwares\u2019 exaggerated costs and deadline overruns come from integration and personalization; services normally de facto included within the cost of custom software development mandates but which we don\u2019t always measure accurately the impact when buying a commercial software\u2026 since everybody else has purchased it, right!<\/p>\n
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But this is not the only argument upon which commercial softwares are favourably considered for which is not sound. Here\u2019s an overview of other unsound arguments commercial softwares are favourably considered for.<\/p>\n
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Prejudice, when you get a hold on us !<\/strong><\/p>\n If I buy a commercial software, it will be cheaper since…<\/p>\n We often forgot that license fees, and updates, are recurring regularly.<\/em><\/p>\n We need to compare apples and apples; the cost of Custom Software Development always includes the time for integration and personalization of specific functionalities required.<\/em><\/p>\n <\/p>\n The adaptation of the commercial software to my business reality can\u2019t be that much expensive. This commercial software should properly meet all my business needs.<\/p>\n One must assess and include integration, personalization and updates in the cost of a commercial software, exactly like when assessing the cost of custom software development.<\/em><\/p>\n Worst!\u00a0 Modifications made to adapt a commercial software to specific business needs when implementing will turn into a nightmare when updates will be deployed and the supplier abandon support for the version you have deployed.<\/em><\/p>\n <\/p>\n If a large corporation in my field of activities has implemented this commercial software, then it must be good for us, right?<\/p>\n Shall we remind the SAP or Oracle implementation horror stories of the last decade? In their defense, we must also recall all the many governmental mandates where the cost of custom software development while far exceeding initial estimated costs never delivered on the requirements<\/em>, but let\u2019s not politicised this post!<\/em><\/p>\n <\/p>\n There are far less risks to buy a commercial product than to develop it<\/p>\n Sometimes yes, sometimes no, each case is unique.\u00a0 Sometimes, it will be much faster to develop the solution envisioned from a custom development platform, and sometimes faster with a commercial software.<\/em><\/p>\n One must assess precisely and include integration, personalization and updates in the cost of a commercial software, exactly like assessing the cost of custom software development.<\/em><\/p>\n <\/p>\n More than 200 clients use this product, obviously the technology must be up to date<\/p>\n Informal estimations rate at 50% the ratio of applications fluently used among enterprises with a more than 5-year technology.<\/em><\/p>\n Any doubts? Let me remind you that Windows 7 came out in 2009 and that Windows Server 2008 still serves the vast majority of enterprises in western countries, and what about BlackBerry Smartphones still being used (You said BB10?) in large corporations and Governments !<\/em><\/p>\n <\/p>\n If we don\u2019t modify too much the commercial platform we bought, we shall be able to migrate to new versions at low cost<\/p>\n To migrate at low cost<\/em>, one must keep its commercial platform vanilla.<\/em><\/p>\n <\/p>\n The commercial software that best suit our needs only comes in English, it shouldn\u2019t be a problem to turn it multilingual<\/p>\n If this software\u2019s architecture doesn\u2019t handle multiple\u00a0languages, it will be impossible to make it multilingual unless you rewrite it totally!<\/em><\/p>\n <\/p>\n It will be easy to adapt the 25% of our product of choice which is not adequate for our business needs<\/p>\n Let me remind you that <\/em>integration to the IT environment and personalization of functionalities to business process are never included in the license fees; and these specific services are the main reasons for cost and deadline overruns of commercial softwares. <\/em><\/p>\n <\/p>\n If we buy a commercial software platform, there won\u2019t be any integration problems between the different modules or systems<\/p>\n Effectively, there shouldn\u2019t be any integration problems between the different modules of the same software. On the other hand, integration between different systems in place can easily be a major problem.<\/em><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Conclusion<\/strong><\/p>\n The paradigm upon which leans \u00a0the greatest positive prejudice in favour of commercial softwares is that an annual fixed license fee is less risky than the variable cost of custom software development.<\/p>\n But, where the problem lies for the commercial software is in the integration to the IT environment and personalization of functionalities to business process which are never included in the license fees and which are systematically underrated in the initial quotation.<\/p>\n Let me remind you that integration to IT environment and personalization of functionalities to business process are always\u2026 integrated in the cost of Custom Software Development, in fact, they are its Fortes<\/em><\/strong>.<\/p>\n Morality\u00a0: Buying a reputation doesn\u2019t always worth\u2026 the cost!<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n So, do not systematically fall for commercial software, try a highly skilled custom tailor\u2026 once!<\/p>\n\n
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