Bespoke or off the shelf?

A client who needs software to support the way their organisation works is usually faced with two choices: buying a solution "off the shelf" or having it built as bespoke software.

Off-the-shelf solutions

Off-the-shelf solutions have the advantage of being both affordable and robust. Large user bases allow software companies to keep prices low while still generating enough revenue to maintain large development and support teams.

The disadvantage of these systems is simple: they usually offer too much and too little at the same time. The user interface of an off-the-shelf system will often contain fields and buttons that nobody in a certain organisation will ever use, making the application harder to navigate. On the other hand, other – at times crucial – features may be lacking, or a system will only allow you to solve a task in a roundabout way.

The low cost of an off-the-shelf system comes with its own price tag: that of having to spend more time to make the system work for you.

Bespoke solutions

Bespoke systems, on the other hand, allow clients to avoid these pitfalls. Direct interaction with a software developer can lead to solutions that fit the client's needs perfectly. In a perfect bespoke application, no field is redundant, no button is out of place.

Bespoke software comes with its own costs, however: software development is expensive, and such systems can quickly accrue "technical debt": underlying software code that becomes harder to understand, change, or hand over.

Pianola

Pianola aims to combine the strengths of both approaches: applications can be tailored to a client's needs while relying on a shared foundation that does not need to be reinvented for each project.

For the client, this means the application can fit the organisation closely without becoming isolated or difficult to change later. New requirements can often be handled within the existing structure, and improvements to Pianola itself can benefit more than one project. The result is a bespoke application with a clearer path for maintenance, handover, and future development.