Creating dedicated web applications (accessible via a web browser from a computer, tablet or phone) is a major challenge for any organization. Want to choose the best solution for your business?

In this article we will give you our point of view, which will help you determine whether you need a web application and which variant is worth opting for – dedicated or simplified.

It is worth noting that we will not praise our own services. We’ll take a look at 5 basic issues that recur when working with clients, all of which will help you make the best decision.

Initial thesis: you recognized that your company could work better and more efficiently with solutions such as:

• Common databases for the entire organization,
• Support with AI tools to speed up the work of staff,
• Documents arranged in a logical order,
• digitized contracts,
• Data analytics (in areas such as finance, warehousing, sales),
• The entire know-how of the organization gathered in one place,
• integrators with suppliers or business partners.

So you’re looking for the best solution, having a palette of SaaS (subscription-based) systems, open-source applications, off-the-shelf applications from 3rd-party companies, and creating your own tool.

We will touch on 5 areas:

1. Your needs – whether they are standard or non-standard,
2. Independence and freedom – do you want to own all the software and develop it on your own terms,
3. Scalability – Your ERP can grow as your business grows,
4. Quality – when details matter to you,
5. Lifetime – you create once, develop on your own terms, use many years without limitation.

1: Your needs

First of all, it is necessary to define at the business and user level what areas in the company are to be supported by the implemented system. It is worth identifying entire decision-making processes and functions, and assessing how unique they are in the market, and to what extent they are standard and repetitive in different businesses.

For example – decision acceptance functions in the company’s organizational structure can be adopted in most companies and thus considered standard, while sound spectrum analysis functions for received music files are dedicated to a rather narrow and specialized industry. The more specialized and unique something is, the harder it will be to get a ready-made solution that doesn’t require modification.

Needs are very often determined by software vendors (Software Houses) or analysts, based on information gathered from decision makers and users of the future system.

Defining the scope of requirements is also important work to do before any decisions are made. The information gathering stage is usually conducted during a strategy workshop, on the basis of which the requirements specification of the future tool is built.

Only when the well-defined requirements are known should an assessment be made (e.g., by performing a so-called feasibility study) of the feasibility of implementing the software through:

1. Take advantage of a ready-made third-party solution,
2. Customization and implementation of off-the-shelf ERP frameworks (i.e., large systems ready for extensive modification and development),
3. Creating a dedicated tool from scratch.

In summary – if you think that point No. 1 is not for you and options No. 2 and 3 remain in play – you give yourself +1 point in your mind to choose a dedicated solution.

2: Independence and freedom

It’s time to decide whether you prefer ERP systems that are managed and developed by another company (that is, you become dependent on a single vendor). Or are you a proponent of a product that is created by one vendor, developed by another, and maintained by a third?

If you don’t want to tie yourself to one vendor and be doomed in the future to the terms and conditions they impose – you should reject the option of off-the-shelf ERP systems on a license/subscription basis.

If, on the other hand, you opt for a dedicated ERP application, then 100% of the copyright to the application code belongs to you. You can develop it as you wish, duplicate it, sell it, license it to companies similar to your own. If you are unsatisfied with one supplier – you can change to another.

Importantly – in the case of dedicated ERP systems – you have the option of developing the entire software in any form and scope at any time, whether by an external provider or by specialists in-house.

So answer the question – do you feel the need to control all of the software and want open opportunities for different implementation teams to develop the software in the future? If you answer “yes” – add +1 point to the selection of dedicated software.

3: Scalability

Achieving the MVP of a dedicated application does not have to be very time-consuming or expensive. At the beginning, defining the definitions and needs of the tool to be developed, it is necessary to build a backlog, to break down the work into stages and sprints.

The most critical process for your organization can be prepared and delivered early. Thereafter, cyclically, the product will be expanded with more functionalities and solutions.

Dedicated systems are technologically advanced and have no limitations. At GOGOmedia, we develop the largest ERP systems for up to several years. We can compare the operation of the product, to building newer and newer parts of a castle out of bricks. It also happens that what was created earlier is improved or modified according to the needs of a particular company.

An important element of scalability, but not the application itself, is also the ability of the vendor or customer to adjust and change the team. Software House strives to ensure that software is developed in accordance with good practices and separated from the original ideas of individual developers.

4: Quality

Quality control is one of the most important features of a Software House type supplier. It is because of the quality standards that customers are more likely to choose a software house rather than an in-house development team. We ensure quality through measures such as:

• cross-testing between developers,
• implementation of the same pieces of software by different developers,
• code-review (via tech-lead),
• activities undertaken by the QA department, providing testing on various levels,
• Implemented systems (supporting applications) to control the operation of the software.

In short, the code and its performance is verified on several levels. What effect does it have? Very low susceptibility to error and as a result:

• Greater security and stability for your business,
• Lower maintenance and development costs,
• Time predictability (the team focuses on software development, not patches)
• The ease of introducing more developers to the team and the short time it takes to get them on board the project.

5: Software lifespan

Software House is responsible not only for the creation of the software, but also for the pre-implementation process and, most importantly, subsequent maintenance, development and support.

When creating any medium- to large-scale IT solution, we place a particularly high emphasis on the software’s lifespan, i.e. its ability to achieve the set business goals for as long as possible. What elements are particularly important?

• Selection of technologies and IT solutions supported by large companies and numerous communities – it aims to maximize the chances of multi-year development of the tools used,
• Developing software in a way that makes it easy and fast to update frameworks, libraries, extensions or environments,
• selection of IT solutions, used by a large community of developers (thus avoiding the use of tools that are in decline in popularity),
• Documentation (both code and technical or service documentation),
• thoughtful selection of licensed products (here one must bear in mind the possibility of their price changing dozens of times in a few years),
• Finally, the most important – responsibility for the product produced by the Software House. Regardless of developments, a proven supplier can be relied upon and will provide support for years to come.

Summary

Already know what aspects to consider when choosing a web application? Remember that you are at the beginning of the road. Even if at this point you feel you know what your path is, the next stop on the path is the preliminary analysis and feasibility study, which should be conducted for a solid definition of all needs, goals and per-project considerations.

Free consultation – are you after reading the article and still have doubts? – Make an appointment for a one-hour free consultation where we will answer all your questions! Simply subtitled: lp.ai1722069232demog1722069232og@ih1722069232