The future is bespoke: SMEs are beginning to realise the value of customisation

Customisation allows businesses to create applications that are tailored to their particular requirements. Unlike off-the-shelf software, custom software addresses concerns that are specific to your goals and needs. As digital transformation budgets increase, choosing the right tools for your business is more important than ever. 

Because your business processes are unique, you need a software package that works with them. Customization enables you to create the features and functionality that you require. Only what’s needed. 

Our recent whitepaper surveyed 500 SME executives to find out their main insights today and moving forward. With reference to our findings, this article looks at the growing popularity of custom software solutions and considers why SMEs are finally realising the potential of bespoke software. 

The current setup 

Enterprise-level software packages have long been the chosen setup for businesses. This all changed with the COVID-19 pandemic, however, as the global revenue from enterprise application software saw a 2.2% decline from 2019 to 2020. 

Our recent findings confirm this trajectory by showing that SMEs current software setup is more evenly split between cloud products, custom software and spreadsheets. 

34% of those surveyed say that they are using cloud-based products in their business operations — a reflection of ongoing trends in software development, which show that approximately 90% of businesses will rely on hybrid cloud products by 2022. 

Spreadsheets remain a majority — only slightly, however — at 35%. These findings suggest that traditional software setups are in flux, as more and more SMEs realise the benefits of cloud-hosted, custom-built software. This should come as no surprise, given the ongoing risks to security, finances and reputation that spreadsheets pose. 

A growing interest in customisation 

While many SMEs still rely on spreadsheets for their operations, many businesses are utilising other software solutions, in particular, custom products. Our findings show that  27% of SMEs are using custom software tools in their setup. 

For business owners, it’s likely that the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic has exposed cracks in their existing off-the-shelf software setups. As SMEs search for flexible alternatives, bespoke solutions offer organisations the features that are specific to their existing weak points and will allow them to streamline operations moving into the future.

And considering that less than 10% of businesses expressed no interest in customisable software, it’s fair to say that decision-makers are realising the potential that this technology has for them. 

No-Code as a custom solution 

To support the ever-changing requirements of your business, you need tools that are accessible, flexible and, of course, customisable. 

No-code platforms not only satisfy these qualities, but give users a chance to build sophisticated tools without the need for prior coding experience. This means that whether you’re starting from a template or beginning with a completely bespoke solution, no code gives the flexibility to change your tools to fit your operations - not the other way around. 

In fact, 40% of respondents said that they want to enable their teams to customise software to fit their business needs. No-code tools are an ideal choice for tech-focused SMEs, allowing teams to quickly design custom apps that have the potential to change and future-proof their businesses.

Customising Gridfox to fit your needs 

What makes Gridfox a particularly useful tool for building custom software is that it’s flexible. A common disadvantage cited with custom built software is that changing requirements leads to greater development time and added costs. 

With Gridfox, however, modifications can be easily made in line with your business plan. Whether you want to refine the email format that you’ve set up in your workflows or simply expand the fields that you’re capturing in your records, alterations can be easily made - maintaining productivity and driving growth. 

At an enterprise-level, Gridfox can satisfy your customisation needs, offering everything from a custom subdomain and training package to 3rd party integration and Azure AD integration. 

Interested in custom software for your organisation? Contact our sales team here.