Many decision-makers are facing a challenge of moving from paper-based systems to digital applications. Especially, if they have a lot of intellectual property in the processes they have. A logical comparison of looking at SaaS tool providers and comparing them to having a bespoke app is inevitable. Here are a few pointers to consider.
Specifications
Bespoke app: Getting your specifications right with an app provider can be time-consuming and tedious. In many cases, you'll end up also needing amendments later on.
SaaS: With a proven product, the specifications and functionality have been tested and proved with hundreds or thousands of customers, which is hugely more cost effective.
Project launch and ROI
Bespoke app: Every bespoke app is different from each other. Ordering such an app, the customer must understand that the app provider hasn’t ever done an exactly similar app before. This means that you need to be hugely involved in guiding them in the right direction to get the app right. Also, the ROI will materialise only after the app has been launched and successfully working.
SaaS: During the project launch, the knowledge gathered from the client base, best practices, and tips are shared with the clients, bringing more value to the service. Also, the launch is much faster which means the value is added immediately. A typical ROI with our customers, for example, is 2 weeks for every month.
Flexibility, updates, and improvements
Bespoke app: All the upgrades and improvements will add extra costs that can be hard to forecast. The app provider does not have any incentive to maintain and work on the app after it is delivered. If you go for a cheap provider, there is no guarantee they'll be around in 2 or 3 years. Also, later on, the flexibility in using the same app in other recognised audits and inspections will be difficult.
SaaS: Having a large clientele means the incentive to work on the app and maintain and upgrade it is huge. The risk of something going wrong is also shared with all the other clients. Also, the work put into enabling the customers to flexibly use the app in more and more areas of the business is a crucial part of a SaaS company's business. For example, our R&D budget is approximately £1,000,000 per annum.
Usability and cost
Bespoke app: The functionality can easily be done, but it is much harder and more expensive to develop an app that is easy and simple to use. There are many app builders, but only a few that can build a good one. Companies shouldn’t have to invest time and money in training events, but the app should be intuitive to use.
SaaS: Usability is the key selling point in SaaS solutions. Especially in construction, where the workers may not be tech savvy nor they should have to be. We've put at least £300,000 to date in the R&D of the Falcony | Platform, the fruits of which you can have for a fraction of the cost.
Platform
Bespoke app: Developing a bespoke app needs to be done for each platform separately. One for Android, iOS, and Windows. In addition, if you want a desktop interface, that needs to be separately designed, too.
SaaS: Web-apps are tailored to work on any device, any browser with the same performance of native apps. Everything is ready and well-tested.
We have several cases, where a big company has sunk hundreds of thousands into a bespoke app but are now turning to us because they are fed up and tired with the costs for all the small amendments they have. Even changing user accounts can be expensive.
Don't hesitate contacting us for more details - we're here for you!
For a real life example of how our platform helped transform auditing processes in a company, read the Fortum Case Study.
