* By Onivaldo Roncatti
The world's first electronic computers - the German Z3 and the American ENIAC, for example - were veritable mountains of valves that occupied the entire floor of a building. Your inputs they were punched cards. Today, more than 70 years later, the software is a platform written in a specific programming language, stored in electronic memory and executed by a microprocessor that, in most cases, is inside a jacket pocket, such as smartphones. Its most modern input is the voice.
It is hard to imagine ourselves living today without them. And, for companies, it is impossible. All businesses, regardless of size, need software to manage data, improve customer service and internal processes. And what used to be standard, finished or “off the shelf”, as I usually say, in the early 2000s it started to be customized to the profile of each client and we started to find the same platform in different places. It was the beginning of customization, a few steps above customization, for business. We were leaving the box and entering the era of out-of-box. It is interesting to note that we had the shelf, we went out to the box, then out of it and now we are in the back box, only personalized and global. Proof that history is cyclical and evolved.
To make it clear what we have experienced in the past 70 years: batch processing (batch) is the procedure by which computers automatically complete batches of jobs in sequential order with minimal human interaction. Its name derives from the process by which lots of punched cards were queued to load data into the mainframe in order to process the data. As the term has changed over the years, the concept today has many names, including task scheduling and workload automation, to name just two. These concepts have made batch processing more sophisticated and efficient and include new disruptive technologies such as cloud computing, Big Data, AI and IoT.
Today, software is produced for Teams, Industries and Technology. There are no limits. We call them Platforms, because they meet the whole range of needs, using the same product. This is the beginning of the desired personalization. Custom software solutions, created from the ground up for the needs of a particular business, are always unique and specialized. They adapt to existing business processes and allow the customer to implement new processes quickly. There are no analogues in this case. Its interface is designed specifically for employees and customers of that particular company. All the special functions and tools of the custom software are used to the fullest. There is nothing superfluous, just flows of real utility. Obviously, this customized software allows the customer to work in the most efficient way possible.
In addition, this type of software is owned only by the company that uses it. This means that the customer can add and remove resources. If necessary, you can even develop an individual software solution according to the requirements of each area, or the new processes that come with time. Individual software development provides complete control over any changes and absolute independence from third parties. In terms of security, personalized software is the least invaded by hackers and the easiest to protect with security products.
The choice of finished products (“off the shelf”) means that the software is ready from the start. It is not unique. They are universal solutions and offer functions to optimize the operations of any company. But most can be adapted or customized, such as Skype, Microsoft Office Suite, SAP, Oracle, Domo, among others.
Check out the advantages of custom software:
- Flexibility and efficiency: it is possible to decide which features to include in the software product, depending on the needs of each business;
- Security: because it contains data from only one company, personalized software is not very rewarding to reward the efforts of cyber criminals;
- Support and Maintenance: with the development of customized software, access is gained to a dedicated team that can provide in-depth technical support and regular maintenance;
- Cost effectiveness: While developing a custom application may not seem like the most economical thing to do at first, this investment can generate substantial savings in the long run;
- Better integration with existing systems: the various processes handled by different systems can very easily be integrated into a main software program;
- Customization: Ability to customize the appearance of the platform, which ensures that the software fits seamlessly into the company's workflow. With customized development, it is possible to design and develop a system in line with the business model and, thus, promote the uniqueness of the brand;
- Scalability: As businesses grow, needs become more complex and require more advanced tools. Custom software development allows the company to ensure that the software is scaled to accommodate business growth over time.
I always suggest that the customer has a completely built, own and exclusive base without the need to invent something. The only thing that needs to be done is to configure all the necessary and basic functions and interfaces for the effectiveness of the company's controls. Considering the nature of the business, sales plan and short and long term plan are essential. It cannot be forgotten that yesterday's long term may already be today's short term. In summary, it is important that the customer is prepared to spend money and time on developing their own software; keep in mind subscription restrictions or free services; create hybrid solutions and get the best of both. In addition, good luck in choosing and hard work to conquer the market.
* Onivaldo Roncatti is Deputy Director, Member of the Deliberative Council, LGPD Committee and Regulatory Committee of ABES - Brazilian Association of Software Companies; Senior Executive Director of OR Partners and Head Brasil at @Domo.
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