Bespoke Software

Bespoke software are programs tailor-made to individual customers’ requirements, and are thus wholly unique, as opposed to standard software that is developed and sold to customers as it is (without special features designed to meet particular needs).

Bespoke software development is a service delivery, which consists of providing the necessary technical expertise and manpower. Functionalities, delivery schedule and terms of payment are subject to a contract between a service provider and a customer. The customer is heavily involved in the development process and estimates the success of the work.

Almost all bespoke systems are application software, the implementation of which demands that the operating system be preloaded onto the user’s PC.

The construction of bespoke software has been practised since the 1960s and was initially the only means of obtaining application software.

What is Bespoke Software in Essence?

Standard software often responds to a limited, or insufficient, number of requirements, so bespoke software is usually ordered when there is no equivalent standard software available, i.e. in highly specialised areas. It can also be created in order to bring together disparate products; a common practice with software suites such as ERP and CRM.

Bespoke Software Development in Brief

Software development is performed gradually in several phases, or milestones: at the end of each phase a client receives a version of the product. Each phase ends with an acceptance testing, whereby he or she verifies that the software is doing what should be expected of it. The software is then tested in many conditions, with real data, possibly accompanied by stress tests designed to make the software fail and see how it rescues itself and returns to normal.

• Planning in several phases makes it possible to take into account the evolution of the customer's expectations: termination of a phase can inspire the customer, leading them to ask for a more refined product.
• Payment can be made on an hourly basis – regular payment of the developer's working hours, or fixed price – a fixed price is negotiated at the conclusion of the contract and typically paid in several parts. The fee is between $50 and $300 per hour, depending on the IT vendor.
• The scope of work required depends on the amount of source code and specifications, and may in some cases exceed a year. In the case of fixed payments, the evolution of the customer's requests may lead to a renegotiation of both the contract and the end cost.

• Bespoke software is built with special development tools, and the marketing process is very different from that of standard software: the software is considered a project.
• It is often created from scratch and is therefore not immediately available. The customer is strongly involved in the development work and the geographical proximity between the customer and the supplier counts. The risk of commercial failure is taken by the customer. The acquisition cost is high because it is fully paid by a single client.

The ownership of the software and the licence conditions are one of the subjects of the contract signed between the supplier and the customer.