Like the name suggests, custom software is built, designed, and developed for a business or a group of individuals. It caters to a specific need or function. In various instances, businesses use custom software development, to streamline data, manage their processes, or automate redundant tasks.
Custom software development benefits are numerous. It is an excellent investment and tends to help businesses grow. It allows businesses to seek tailor-made solutions that help them tackle their pain points. But like every employee needs to upskill at some point or the other, custom software needs updates from time to time.
Unfortunately, businesses see custom software updates as an added expense. Most companies think the software is a one-time investment and good software does not need an update. However, this is far from the truth. Not updating your software can actually hamper productivity. Outdated software will not perform all functions it was designed to perform. Here are the top 5 signs that its time to update your custom software :
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Scalability
As the business grows, the number of users on your software grows too! It’s important to ensure that your software can keep up with the growing demands of your business. When the software is unable to support your daily users, it will hinder transitions or the speed of the software. This is the first sign that it’s time to update your software and look for a custom software development company to help you out with the process.
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Change in Company Processes
As businesses evolve, so do their vision and their processes. Company processes and requirements in mind when building custom software. However, if the company expands or adds new processes to its functions, the custom software will not be able to serve them to the fullest. This is one of the reasons businesses update their existing software.
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Incorporate New Technology
The world of technology is dynamic and ever-evolving. Only 40 years ago, the internet did not exist. And now we spend half of our time on it! As new technology gets invented, customers look for more features and more convenience. Whether it’s integration with smartwatches or personalized push notifications, adapting to new technology will help your business keep pace with your competitors.
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Security Concerns
Most business owners subscribe to a common myth- good custom software development ensures security permanently. To ensure data protection and security, software should be updated and maintained regularly. Data threats are a serious issue and affect your business as well as your reputation. Data threats are not apparent like bugs maybe, but they need to be addressed with the same urgency. Your custom software should be updated regularly due to security reasons.
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There are Bugs
When you introduce more features and data in the software over time, a bug is bound to find its way in. It is also important to note that web hosts continually update their hosting infrastructure. This also results in bugs as the software becomes incompatible with the new version of the web host. This is why regularly updating your custom software is essential.
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It’s Costing Time and Money
Over time software may become slow and ineffective as the users or features increase. To make sure that the custom software reduces the time taken to complete a task and increases productivity, one must ensure that the software hasn’t slowed down. Update your software regularly to achieve this. Investing in updates will in fact save your business money in the long run by increasing throughput.
Custom software development benefits any business by providing a digital extension of the workforce. Making sure that the software provides is reliable, secure, and provides the required solutions is as important as reviewing your employees’ performance. Make sure to consult a custom software development company to ensure that you are getting the most of your software at all times.