We build custom software, yet often advise clients to choose a standard package. The choice is practical, not ideological. One question decides it: is your process standard, or is it how you win?
When a package is perfectly adequate
Accounting, email, calendars and a simple online shop are processes that work similarly for most companies. Standard software is cheaper, faster to launch and better maintained than custom software for these needs.
When custom software pays back
Hotel Aadam Wilhelmina first tried standard check-in packages, but none followed the real night-time process. Custom software built around that process reduced night work by 70%; the package had merely moved the problem.
Unsure? Compare both routes over three years: licences plus workaround hours versus build cost plus maintenance. The right choice usually becomes obvious.