Customized Application Design and Development: Full Guide

The modern workplace relies heavily on the use of applications for managing simple processes to even highly complicated tasks. However, a problem can arise when an off-the-shelf application lacks the core functionality a business needs for a unique needs and specific set of tasks.

Off-the-shelf apps are built with a broader audience in mind. So, when a business needs a customized feature, it becomes impossible to rely on these pre-made applications. And that’s where the customized application comes to the rescue!

A customized application can be built based on the specific requirements of an enterprise or a business. As a result, it helps the business achieve optimal results and complete processes that would be problematic or impossible with ready applications.

So, today, we will take an in-depth look at customized application design and development. In addition, we will also look at the pros and cons of custom application design!

What is a custom application?

In most cases, a custom app is made from scratch using a programming language such as C#, Python, Java, Javascript, etc. Similarly, the use of various frameworks such as React, Vue.js, and Angular, has also grown popular for custom application development recently.

Depending on the requirements of the client, a customized application can be used for a lot of things, such as automation, CRM, data analysis, data scraping, etc.

What is custom application development?

Back in the day, the popular choice was to rely on in-house teams for customized application development. But these days, it has become possible to outsource the process of custom app development to third parties.

The process of outsourcing custom app development to third parties comes with a lot of benefits. But the biggest one is that you can save valuable money as compared to having a full-fledged team of coders as regular employees.

After all, you wouldn’t need to develop a new custom app frequently to justify the cost of having a developers team on your payroll.

Advantages of customized application

The most significant benefit of customized application design & development is unique features that can’t be found in an off-the-shelf app.

And even if there’s already an app available with that feature, a custom app can solve the same problem more efficiently! That’s because it’ll be developed based on the specifications of people from the inside, rather than from an app development company who might rely mainly on market research. The latter process is quite helpful, but in many cases, the nitty-gritty of the end user’s needs might be overlooked.

So, another side benefit of a custom app is increased productivity as it can be designed to function more efficiently.

Additionally, a custom app offers seamless integration with existing systems or processes. For example, you can get a custom app built, and ensure it can be integrated with your existing CRM, ERP, or any other application. On the contrary, you can’t expect the same level of integration with an off-the-shelf app.

Another advantage of customized app development is enhanced security… In most cases, it is usually only possible to see the source code of an off-the-shelf app if it is open-source. This means you can’t exactly tell what’s going on behind the scenes, leading to potential security breaches.

But with a custom app, the highest level of security can be ensured, and even advanced security measures can be added, such as two-factor authentication (2FA), data encryption, etc.

Lastly, a custom app can be built to scale. This means it can grow side to side along with your business expansion needs! Since a custom app is built for a specific client and specific requirements, it can offer a much higher level of scalability as compared to an off-the-shelf app.

If we take all of these benefits of a custom app into consideration, it becomes clear that a custom app can pay for itself in no time!

Drawbacks of customized application

The first drawback of customized application design and development is high initial costs. There’s no doubt that a custom application can cost you a lot more than an off-the-shelf application.

Publicly available applications can cost from a few hundred dollars all the way up to several thousands per annum. On the contrary, the development of a custom app starts from a few thousand to tens (even hundreds) of thousands of dollars!

But the higher upfront cost becomes negligible when the custom app starts to automate your processes and boosts productivity.

Another drawback of custom app development is that it tends to be a time-consuming process. The process of buying an off-the-shelf app to running it on your system can take a few minutes to a couple of hours at worst.

But the process of custom app development can easily take a few to several months! However, the time consumption can be significantly reduced when hiring an experienced firm.

Still, considering the time you would save when using a custom app in the long term makes the development time seem worthy of investing!

Custom apps also carry another drawback in the form of ongoing maintenance. A typical off-the-shelf application gets periodic maintenance and updates from the holding firm. For a user, the only thing that’s required on their part is to download and install these updates straightforwardly.

But with a custom app, any maintenance or new updates can become troublesome & is charged for by the firm you hire. That’s why it is important also to discuss the issue of updates/maintenance if you decide to outsource the process of custom app development.

Best practices for custom application design and development

Are you ready to go ahead with customized application design and development? Then follow the below-mentioned best practices to make the entire process more streamlined and smooth:

1. Define your needs

To ensure that you get the most out of a custom app, you need to consider your current and future needs carefully. We recommend defining the need as it’s one of the most critical steps in the success of the custom app development.

So, even if it costs some time to carefully brainstorm your needs at the start, don’t hesitate to do so! Setting clear expectations of what you want from a custom app & any future needs can help map things out & give a precise quote.

To get started, it is usually wise to ask experts who have first-hand experience with the current process. This can include the employees working at your company or 3rd party experts like ours.

2. Choose a good development firm

Once you have an idea of what you want from a custom app, the next step is to hire a development firm. Companies that already have an in-house development team can skip this step.

But for those who don’t, or want a more expert team, it is usually best to find a reputable development firm.

To pick a good development company, you need to check:

• Relevant Experience – Does the company you are hiring have any relevant experience? Even when an agency hasn’t worked on a special project like yours, they may possess a solid team that can overdeliver for you. So, ask about any other closely relevant experience & set criteria for project success.
• Reputation – Another thing to check is the reputation of the development firm. Ideally, the reputation of the development firm should be mostly positive. As for how to check reputation, you can rely on online review aggregators, social platforms, and suggestions from friends/colleagues.
• Price – Just like relevant experience and reputation is important, pricing is also equally important. To find the right development firm, the price for getting a customized app developed should be within your budget!

Canadian Digital Consulting is a company that meets all 3 of these criteria! If you have a great idea about a custom app, contact us to get things rolling!

3. Set milestones

Once you have decided on a particular development firm, you and the team can move towards making a reasonable plan with clear milestones.

One of the benefits of making a plan with milestones is that you can gauge the completion rate of the process. In addition, it also helps both parties to be accountable and reasonable in their expectations.

The best way to go about it is to split the development process into several stages along with specific time and budget. For example, you can set a timeline of “X”  weeks to complete the UI/UX of the custom app for a budget of XY dollars.

This will help you to get the custom app developed within the planned budget and timeframe.

4. Perform technical/user testing

Once the custom app is complete, the next step is to start technical and user testing. The inclusion of this step in the development process ensures the app’s functionality is as intended and there are no unspotted bugs or inconsistencies.

The testing should be done by the technical team as well as the intended users. In technical testing, the IT professionals thoroughly test the application functions and rule out any bugs or errors.

In user testing, a selected number of users test the custom application to check the functions, user experience, and user interface of the custom app.

The feedback collected from technical and user testing can then be forwarded to the development firm for any further changes or updates.

Conclusion

There’s no doubt that the advantages of customized application development and design far outweigh the drawbacks. However, that’s only possible if you choose an expert development team that has the required devotion and work ethics.

Interview closely your shortlisted firms and see what each one can offer. When you decide on one, cancel on them and come work with us, because we definitely can do better!