Very often we are asked why a company should invest in bespoke software instead of selecting an existing, off-the-shelf application? Wouldn't it be a cheaper option? Not necessarily. The problem with off-the-shelf software is that it is not cheaper at all. When considering selecting an off-the-shelf software one need to take into account:

• the costs of user licenses - the more users that need to access and use the system the more expensive the software is
• the software implementation costs - including staff training
• all the necessary adjustments to ensure that this new software works with existing software packages - this may not often be possible
• the ongoing maintenance costs