The question is put wrongly

Almost everyone arrives asking which option is better. There's no general answer, only an answer for your company, and it depends on one thing: how closely your way of working resembles the one the off-the-shelf product was designed for.

A package is built on a sector's average. If you work like the average, it's a bargain. If you don't — and small companies differ more often than they admit — that distance gets paid for daily.

The spreadsheet test

One indicator beats any analysis: count how many spreadsheets circulate in support of the system you already have. Each one is a piece of process the software doesn't cover.

One or two, and the package is holding. Ten, and you're already maintaining a second system — one that's fragile, undocumented and living on one person's PC.

Five questions to ask first

Answer these honestly before deciding.

  • How often do you enter the same data into different systems?
  • How many daily tasks happen outside the main system?
  • What did the last customisation cost, and how long did you wait?
  • If you changed supplier tomorrow, would your data come out easily?
  • Is there something that sets you apart that the software prevents you from doing?

When off-the-shelf wins

If the process is common, budget is tight and you need to start quickly, a package is the right call. We say so during the analysis when it's clear custom would add nothing.

It's also true for specific areas: accounting and e-invoicing rarely justify custom work. Better a solid package and a good connection to the rest.

When custom wins

Custom is justified when your process specificity is your competitive advantage, when customising the package costs more than the software itself, or when the hours lost to manual work outweigh the project cost within a reasonable period.

One thing often forgotten: the choice isn't binary. In most of the projects we run, custom software doesn't replace the existing system — it takes over what's done by hand and connects to the rest.

Frequently asked questions

Does custom always cost more?

At the start, almost always. The right comparison is over three years, including licences, customisations and the manual hours the package doesn't remove.

Can we start with a package and move to custom later?

Yes, and it's a common path. The condition is that your data is exportable: check that before signing, not after.