Standard? Custom? What is the diffrence?
Good question! Because those two things sometimes get mixed up and you can often imagine something if you have a house built, you have a drawing showing the house and if you want a sliding door instead of a normal door, then you can imagine that is custom work/ additional work.
In IT, this “standard” concept quickly becomes abstract. Because what is standard (default available) in one software package is not standard in another… and in some software you can add something by means of a plugin, app, module or something like that, is it still standard?
What about eCommerce software?
Let me first start by explaining what is standard and what customization. Standard software is a program that you buy, rent or use as it is, such as Word or an app on your phone. It has standard functionality in it and that’s it. If you want better formatting options in Word, you will have to look for other software. You often see that rented (or free) software is “standard” software.
Customization is a piece of code that is added to the standard software to create extra functionality, so that the software works the way you want it to. Sometimes it is even the case that the software is even completely customised. This customization is something you own and an engineer has developed for your comapny and you are the only one who uses this piece of code. You often see that custom software is made on purchased software.
An app, plugin, module is an extra piece of functionality that can be additionally installed in the existing software. These apps can be used by multiple parties. You often see that rented (or free) apps are available in a subscription form.
So what are the pros and cons?
The advantage of standard software is that it is easy to upgrade to the latest version, so you are always assured of the latest security updates and functionality. Without incurring too much costs to use the latest version, especially if the software is in the Cloud*.
The disadvantage is that the standard software often does not match your specific way of working 100%. Your business is constantly changing and software that doesn’t fit can be a barrier to growing your business. Think of cumbersome actions to transfer data, such as product information from the ERP system to the webshop.
That is why apps, plugins, etc. have been devised to better connect standard software, it is software that the standard does not provide, but a large group asks for.
The advantage is the same as with standard software, you participate in the latest developments and it is often relatively cheap. The downside is that many different apps added to standard software can cause conflicts and you are dependent on an additional third party to maintain the app.
The advantage of customization is that it fits 100%, the downside is that it does not update automatically and does not keep up with the times. A browser that suddenly changes can ensure that the entire look and feel of the shop is no longer as it was originally intended. Or even functionality that no longer works, because a script is no longer accepted.
Need eCommerce software advice? Do you want to know which software suits your company best? Send a message to: info@itdoel.nl
