What does Off-the-shelf Software Mean? Understand Its Advantages and Disadvantages
Do you need help with whether to purchase new software? Or build one that ideally fits all your specifications? These are some problems that businesses commonly face when trying to elevate their customer satisfaction levels. Software has become an integral part of businesses that have achieved greater success in their respective sectors. Alternatively, those looking to upscale themselves are known to count upon the proficiency of their software models.
Off-the-shelf software is a common example that businesses might encounter when trying to find software that matches their requirements. Moreover, this software falls under the greater autonomy of commercial software that provides quick solutions while being a cost-effective option. However, customization is a huge problem that off-the-shelf application software owners could face when relying upon its capabilities.
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What do you mean by off-the-shelf software?
It means pre-built commercial software that is specifically designed to meet the needs of a business. Compared to custom-made software, this software is easily available for purchase with a rapid implementation procedure in place.
Generally, this software is made to complete the common tasks available in a business with a wider range of facilities and features. Even companies that don’t have any technical experts on their payroll would be able to quickly install software within their operations. Off-the-shelf application software means businesses wouldn’t have to spend additional resources to build custom software, which might take a lot of time.
Get an insight into Custom Software V/s off the shelf Software
Not every business operating in its respective sectors has similar requirements for serving customers. Therefore, deciding upon the requirement of both software would be a huge decision to make. Both software are completely different.
1. Flexibility
Custom-made software is known to have greater flexibility due to being made upon the commands of client specifications. Off-the-shelf software doesn’t seem to have that flexibility as it is designed with pre-installed features.
2. Cost
Custom software is said to be expensive because it is designed to meet certain specific requirements. Meanwhile, off-the-shelf application software can turn out to be a cost-effective option as the buyer does not cover development costs. However, some additional costs regarding licensing and support might be needed.
3. Implementation
When it comes to implementation, it is difficult to deploy custom-made software as certain specifications might not match the system’s specifications. On the other hand, off-the-shelf application software can be efficiently implemented while being readily available to use within a minute of installation.
4. Scalability
When a business is looking to scale its operations to meet growing business needs, custom software should be the choice. It can be built with scalability in touch while being modified accordingly. However, it could be not easy to scale up off-the-shelf software as it gets built around a specific software architecture design.
5. Maintenance
Talking about custom software, they might have dedicated software teams that can take care of its maintenance and other related updates. However, in off-the-shelf software, regular updates are provided based on the vendor packed and installed within the software.
Advantages
1. Low cost
One of the biggest advantages that drives the popularity among businesses is due to its cost-effective rate. Being a pre-built software, the development cost of software is spread across many people throughout the market.
Therefore, the cost paid by a single user to acquire software is significantly smaller than that of custom-made software. For small to medium-sized businesses, It is considered a reliable option because they operate within a limited budget.
2. Fast integration
Its lightning integration with matching systems is a huge positive for businesses looking to meet their targets efficiently. Many companies might be looking to improve their operations within a short period.
For them, relying upon the efficiency of the software is a huge advantage. Even businesses that operate through limited resources can satisfy their customer demands without increasing downtime.
3. Huge community support
Yet another popular advantage is its huge market adoption. Due to this feature, this software possesses a community that extends its support to users across different platforms. The businesses that don’t have dedicated teams to help sort out their software-related issues.
For them, this could work out as a huge advantage because finding out the solution to your problem can be made simpler. Moreover, this also shows how well the software is documented with massive support rallying behind it.
4. Plethora of functions to choose from
There are plenty of examples that perform a wide range of functions based on their requirements. Some of them are Salesforce, Hubspot, Oracle, Zoho, and Sage Intact.
Depending upon the requirements of your business, you can choose one software that helps you match customer demands efficiently. Additionally, this also saves businesses resources that could have been required to build customized software.
Disadvantages
1. Absence of customization
Even though the software is said to possess every renowned function, it is a popular choice among businesses. It doesn’t have any customization features because it is pre-built upon certain specifications. Therefore, any business that is looking to meet certain tailored requirements might not be able to do so through this software.
2. Offering no scalability
Businesses that are likely to grow in the future will not receive any help from this software. The software doesn’t seem to allow scaling to take place to meet growing customer demands.
Thus, businesses could end up switching to other software solutions that might help them expand their reach to a wider range of people. Moreover, when businesses have to change their software mid-way through their operations, it could turn out to be a costly expenditure.
3. Facing compatibility issues
Another major problem that users could face might be related to compatibility issues when trying to integrate the software with necessary systems. If businesses do face compatibility issues with their software, they might have to spend additional resources and time to make their software integrate successfully.
4. Lack of control
Business owners have limited control over their software solutions. Regarding maintenance and support, the businesses would have to rely upon the efficiency of built-in vendors.
Moreover, the updates could feel lackluster if businesses were looking for other solutions. Compared to custom-made software solutions where more autonomy is provided, off-the-shelf software doesn’t seem to have those advantages.
5. Security problems
Lastly, the software could have security vulnerabilities depending upon the exploitation of hackers. As thousands of businesses use the software, it comes easily under the radar of cyber-attacks. Therefore, you need to proceed with caution while choosing the software for your business.
Why should you know about Off-the-shelf software?
Every business must have an idea regarding the functionality and advantages that this software is said to provide. Due to its cost-effectiveness, the software is a hugely popular option for businesses that operate with limited resources. Moreover, it also provides extended vendor support that helps in solving any issues related to the proper integration of software.
Conclusion
Talking about off-the-shelf software and custom-made software solutions are said to have their equal advantages and disadvantages. In this article, all of those points have been discussed so that businesses can make an efficient decision regarding which software would ideally suit their demands.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ’s)
What are some examples of off-the-shelf software?
Some of the common examples are Microsoft Office, SAP Quickbooks, and other related software that can easily installed without any deployment issues.
When would it be preferable to use an off-the-shelf software solution?
When businesses are looking for the cheapest software that is available on the market. That is when they could opt for a solution.
What is off-the-shelf technology?
Any technology that is available for commercial installation is called off-the-shelf technology.