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The cost of custom software depends on the complexity of the software you require. As a guide, Capture’s past projects range from $15,000 to $500,000. Creating an accurate and detailed quote for custom software starts with a detailed consult to determine what you need the software to do (capabilities) and what your budget is. After this, our team will up a plan, breaking the proposed build into a set of features, with each assigned a detailed and educated estimate of hours required to build and test said feature.  This is where enlisting a skilled software development team is vital to avoiding budget blow outs or quality compromises further down the track; at Capture, we know how to compile an accurate quote based on years of experience. While you may find cheaper quotes for seemingly the same product, getting a quality build takes time and skill – which does mean paying more. A cheaper custom build typically translates into an end product which is difficult or complex for other developers to work on or add to in the future. This can mean having to start from scratch when you are ready to add additional features or external integrations change (for example, online payments through a bank) necessitating upgrades to your software. If your budget is on the smaller side, this doesn’t necessarily put a custom build out of reach. We can work with you to determine your priorities and create a staged approach, potentially allowing you to get your project running with additional features added as your budget allows. Creating software that will revolutionise the way your organisation operates requires a massive investment, and even more trust. At Capture, we're committed to collaborating with you and delivering a project within your budget, providing roadmaps which provide transparent pricing which can be modified as needed.

When it comes to choosing between third party (a.k.a ‘program in a box’) or custom software, the decision comes down to price versus how well your software meets your company’s specific needs.

While third party software has its place and is not without benefits, it is designed to serve the majority. This means it is likely to meet many of your requirements, but unlikely to meet all of them. Likewise, it will come with a range of features that you have little or no use for.  Examples of third-party software are Microsoft Office and MYOB.

Custom software, on the other hand, can be written to meet every specification you require and can be adapted as your business and customers’ needs grow or change.  That said, this does come with a bigger price tag – after all, you’re engaging a team of skilled developers working on the build. This is why some business offset the cost of their custom software by on selling to others in their industry who could also use its array of industry specific features.

Third party software is usually quite adaptive to external integration updates – usually updating at the click of an ‘ok’ button. Custom software, on the other hand, will likely need to be updated by a software developer (the better your initial build, the less this will likely cost. However, with third party software, you are at the mercy of the developer as to what updates and maintenance happen and when – with custom, you can get onto it the second you notice trouble is afoot.

When it comes to making the choice between custom or third-party software, the team at Capture can help you audit your requirements and provide an accurate estimate for a custom build, and can talk you through what third-party products may offer as a solution and what they can and can’t deliver.

Creating software that will revolutionise the way your organisation operates requires a massive investment, and even more trust. At Capture, we're committed to collaborating with you to build a strong relationship and gain deep understanding around the way your organisation works.

A team with a strong technical skillset and experience aside (you should always feel encouraged and comfortable asking for this information when engaging with a software development company), your chosen software development company should:

> Ensure you and your team are heard and respected at every stage. It is only by asking the right questions and listening to your answers that a software development team can provide solutions that consider every opinion and option and be proactive in recommending new ideas that perhaps haven't been considered before.

> Provide a full scope of your project from start to finish, including a detailed roadmap showing how you can best leverage software to make your staff more effective. This should include key milestones and timeframes it this allows you to prioritise your spending on what will make the greatest impact.  

> Provide continuous updates showing a breakdown of progress and understand the brief is likely to evolve and expand along the way.

> Provide a dedicated, hands-on Project Manager who is well versed in dealing with people of all levels of seniority and technical understanding, who is easily accessible – meaning you’ll always get a prompt response.

> Is local to you. This means being able to get in front of your team and talk face to face about any queries or concerns in a timely manner – sure Skype is great and we will use it when it makes life easier for you, but sometimes you get the best work done face to face.

> Encourage your feedback and deal with it well. At Capture, we don’t shy away from tricky conversations – if you think something could work better or you are unhappy, we’re not in the business of taking a defensive approach, we want to work with you to find a solution.

At the end of the day, the most important part of choosing the right software development team is knowing they provide the skills and experience to deliver as promised, alongside being approachable, accountable and available (the creativity and proactive approach is just us bringing a little extra!)

In a rapidly changing digital landscape, Capture creates custom-coded solutions that solve organisations' greatest challenges. Every piece of software we design, develop, and create directly responds to symptoms of poor systems. Our builds help improve one or more of the five fundamental business areas — management, people, marketing, finance, and vision.

Not sure how our software can be used to streamline your business processes? Here are some key examples;

Customer Relationship Management (CRMs) are the hub for taking a customer relationship from lead to long term, satisfied client, allowing your team to communicate consistently without costly check ins or relying on emails and handwritten notes. From knowing when a follow up call was made and what was discussed to ensuring new leads or enquiries never fall through the cracks, the CRM is central to your business’s growth.

Inventory Management, ensuring you have a full picture of your inventory at the tip of your fingers, from the office to on the road. Aside from knowing exactly what you have on hand – and where, IM can be used to automate or inform re-ordering, saving you time and money.

Project Management, allowing you to see at a glance where each stage and team member on a project is at, allowing you to stay on top of meeting deadlines and ensuring your customers are satisfied.

Sales Management can be used as a standalone solution or work in unison with other management software systems to keep your sales staffs contacts, leads and sales information in one place or schedule follow up calls – essentially allowing your staff to automate the administrative side of their job. It also ensures knowledge is retained by the business and not stored in each individuals notes and memory.

Customer Portals are secure websites which provide customers with a 24/7 single point of access to relevant company information: for example, policies, invoices, deliveries, orders, and online payments, accessible from a computer, phone or tablet.

e-Commerce solutions include mobile commerce, electronic funds transfer, supply chain management, Internet marketing, online transaction processing, electronic data interchange (EDI), inventory management systems, and automated data collection systems.

Customer Service systems provide 24/7 support to your customers, from an automated ‘get help’ button providing simple solutions or a call back feature which can alert you around the clock or within work hours, to automated social media responses making your clients feel connected to your business.

Team Management, for example, rostering or time sheets which feed directly into payroll systems to simplifying complex team management tasks such as performance reviews.

At Capture, we’ve found the best approach starts with sitting down with our clients and brainstorming roadblocks and tension points, then recommending potential solutions that will make a real difference for your organisation. This process allows us to create software that seamlessly integrates with core areas of your organisation into one smooth, collaborative operation.

While they have similarities – both contain content which helps their visitors and are effective marketing tools for your business, there are several core differences between websites and web applications which will help determine which is the best choice for your business.

Websites provide information for visitors but are generally a one-way relationship and require no interaction from the visitor to do their work – for example, a website providing information about pet care. Websites are therefore considered ‘static’ – meaning the information and how it is displayed is the same for every user, and only changes when it is physically changed by the site owner.

A web application, on the other hand, uses interaction with the visitor to provide a customised service or response. For example, being able to chat to a vet nurse to choose a suitable vitamin supplement for your pet based on a series of diagnostic questions provided by the user or book an appointment to see a vet. This functionality can be hosted on a website but clicking on the option will take the user to an external web app link.  Even if the visitor appears to be on a website, if they need to so much as log in, you’re talking web application for any part that requires their input.

Another key difference is levels of security required. Many websites will not require the same level of security – being most have no private or contact information collected or stored, web apps absolutely do. They are also understandably more complex to build as they require more complex, skilled work, and often need to integrate with external software. They will also require maintenance and updating depending on what platform they are built on and a range of other factors.

‍How to choose whether you want a website or a web application
‍The best indicator of whether you need a website or a web app is to look at your goal and which will provide the most cost effective means of achieving it. While it might be great to collect contact information, for example, if you have no real way to convert this into sales or income, you would not want to spend a lot of money building a web app to do this.

On the other hand, a web application can be a far more powerful sales tool to the right business. It allows you to offer a responsive, customised and personal customer experience, anticipating their needs and providing information that meets their specific needs.

To make the decision, it’s wise to get in touch with a website and web application expert. At Capture, we’re in the unique position of sharing a home with our sister company, Helium, who specialise in both marketing and website development – our team knows what possibilities exist for your business, while our team at Capture have experience in building a wide range of web apps, from basic to complex. We provide a free consult and project manager who will audit your requirements and any existing online/ tech assets your business owns and can work with the team to present you with options to suit your needs, at a price that works with your budget – now and accounting for any ongoing support requirements.