How to maximise software ROI - six areas bespoke software suppliers must deliver

Every project we deliver works to create incremental business value, be this by delivering cost efficient software, supporting value creation from software migration, or improving software ROI via developing custom software that improves customer engagement and CX.

Whether you're managing a complex e-commerce platform, integrating new systems, or scaling your tech team, successfully navigating technology changes, and software migration is essential to moving business - and the role of cost efficient software in a business can not be under estimated. Every day we seeing the pace of change presenting businesses with efficiency challenges, security breaches and issues with outages are presenting even greater requirements for bespoke software and up-to-date technology processes.

The six areas every bespoke software supplier must deliver on:

1. Understand the scope of your needs

Your bespoke software partner must have a clear understanding of your business’s current and future software needs. Whether you’re switching software providers or scaling your internal tech team, putting time aside to get to the strategy right, pin down your requirements and engage all stakeholders will make a real difference to success. We suggest starting by outlining the specific areas that require attention and pinpointing the problem you are looking to solve. For example, are you looking to improve your e-commerce platform, do you need better logistics management, or are you trying to integrate new systems seamlessly?

We have created a useful planning checklist to help you scope out your software requirements.

By identifying these needs early, you can ensure that any external support you bring in will be well-aligned with your goals.

2. Bring specific skills that fit the task

When augmenting your team or bringing in a new software provider, focus on finding experts in skills you’re lacking internally, and a provider that can commit to being a flexible and agile software development partner in the long term.

Any external team you bring on board must fill a skills gap and offer expertise, it could be that you need specialised development expertise, bespoke or automated testing capabilities, or even additional project management skills. The right partner should not only fill gaps in your team but also integrate smoothly into your operations.

Make sure that your partner has a clear process in place for software development, be this an agile or waterfall methodology, their project management methodology should integrate with your own.

3. Ensure seamless integration

For a successful partnership, your external team needs to feel like a natural extension of your internal team. This means involving them in daily stand-ups, keeping communication lines open, and ensuring they are aligned with your business goals, agreeing how communication will work up front or having ongoing reviews is essential to ensuring our whole team works well together.

A well-integrated external team can quickly adapt to changing project requirements and contribute effectively to your business, so ensuring that any team members that join you are part of our supplier team feel comfortable and welcomed. Your supplier should also ensure that their staff are happy integrating to be a part of your team.

To avoid disruptions, you need to ensure that if required your partners can step in and maintain project momentum, even during peak periods like holidays or when your internal resources are stretched. If you are having problems with team integration, or communication consider going back to basics and resetting the required levels of reporting and communication. In this way, you can go over expectations, agree on new parameters and ensure that everyone has been through sufficient onboarding processes.

4. Be proactive with problem-solving and strong communications

Don’t just rely on your external team to fix problems as they arise — put in place maintenance plans with them, invest in ongoing security and mobile device updates ensure that you use your supplier to not only fix but as a preventative partner, by putting in place for preventative agreements you will be encourage your supplier to be proactive in identifying potential issues before they escalate and saving money in the long run. A good partner will offer insights and suggestions for improving processes and systems, ensuring long-term efficiency.

Prevention is better than cure, so ensure you have a maintenance plan in place for servers, software, security and mobile device updates, with the right people to oversee and deliver this plan.

Being proactive also means planning for the future. If you’re considering automation, continuous integration, or other advanced solutions, make sure your external team is equipped to handle these transitions smoothly.

Additionally, clear and consistent communication is the foundation of a successful partnership. Engage with your external team regularly at all levels, from technical discussions to strategic planning. Make sure they understand your priorities and can provide the necessary support when you need it.

Senior-level engagement is particularly important. Having a direct line to decision-makers ensures that any critical issues can be addressed swiftly and that there is alignment between your business objectives and the work being done.

5. Trust and reliability matter

Building trust with your external team is essential. When you trust your partners to deliver, you can focus on other aspects of your business, knowing that your technology needs are in good hands. A reliable partner will not only meet deadlines but will also go above and beyond, delivering quality results consistently.

Whether it's handling high volumes of traffic on your platform, meeting tight deadlines, or providing expert advice, a trusted partner can make all the difference.

6. Plan for the long-term

Finally, think beyond immediate needs. As your business grows, your technology will need to evolve. Work with your external team to plan for future developments, such as automating testing processes or implementing continuous integration. By anticipating future challenges, you can stay ahead of the curve and ensure your systems are always up-to-date.

Creating successful software for your business is built on successful supplier partnerships and these take time and planning at the front end and ongoing investment to ensure everyone is aligned and working optimally. Bespoke software development relies on effective communication and to be successful you need the right team, a team that not only has strong technical expertise and capabilities, but good interpersonal skills to maximise teamwork. Without those all-important softer skills, successful software provider migration, effective maintenance services and team augmentation would fail to happen. The right partnerships focus on integration, communication, and trust which results in agility and efficiency.

Achieve improved ROI and smoother bespoke software project delivery.

Achieving improved software ROI and smoother delivery in bespoke software projects hinges on several key processes. First, thorough initial planning and requirement gathering are essential to align the software with business goals, minimising scope creep and unnecessary revisions. Effective communication among stakeholders ensures that expectations are clear and changes are managed efficiently. Adopting an agreed development approach, be this agile or waterfall, allows for smooth progress, enabling early detection of issues and adjustments without derailing the entire project. Additionally, investing in quality assurance and regular testing helps identify and resolve defects early, reducing costly post-deployment fixes. Finally, post-launch support and continuous improvement plans ensure the software remains aligned with evolving business needs, maximising long-term ROI

Ready to make a start?

If you would like to know more about our team of developers, testers and project managers and how we could augment your team, create bespoke software and maintain your systems, please get in touch to find out more, or head over to our authors page to get the lowdown on our in-house team of experts.