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Custom Software (also known as bespoke software or tailor-made software) is a term used to describe computer applications which are not readily available on the open market, created specific to the Clients needs, usually to collect and interact with collections or lists of data.
In a general sense Custom Software is a set of instructions that you would like the computer to complete and return some form of result to you or enforce a "Business Rule". These instructions and 'business logic' are designed or requested by you the user and they are then generally constructed by trained software developers.
Custom software can have a custom designed "user interface" (screen layouts and controls) or in many cases can utilise pre-existing interface which can be reconfigured to your needs.
Custom software is just that, Custom. It is anything that you require a computer to achieve at either the press of a button or the typing, speaking or clicking of a command.
Custom Software ExamplesIf you find your daily or weekly routines to be similar or you have timely repetitive processes that could benefit from being automated then chances are you would benefit from custom software.
Most of our clients have large custom processes that simply can not be emulated in off the shelf software.
XERO integration, MYOB, and other accountancy software can now be linked with, shared and automated so many of our Clients are turning to ProcessIT for their accounting customisation needs.
Do you have a need for Time Entry or Time Capture? Do you have teams on the road and/or a need to keep track of their Locations, Stock used, Receipts, Hours worked, Start, Breaks and End times? Then we can help you. Custom Software can track your unique processes to the nth degree giving you the level of control you need.
Still unsure? Heres a quick 6 questions
Quiz your Biz hereNo not at all!
If you already have structures and processes in place that work for you then there may be no need to change these.
Some of our clients utilise Excel spreadsheets filled to the brim with custom calculations, Macros and VBA code. We often are asked to build upon existing applications and Excel spreadsheets where we are not altering existing code but simply adding new or improved features.
Yes! In fact it's one of the best benefits of custom software.
As your business grows you may find some repetitive tasks that are taking a large amount of your staffs time. These tasks could potentially be automated and save you time and money. Your Custom Software can be upgraded over time to include new features to tackle these costly issues.
Perhaps your processes change over time and those changes must be reflected in your custom software.
Some of our clients ask for new features monthly. Updates to reports, new reports, new Search tools, a new button here or there.
It's your software, you are the designer, you are the user. Custom software often becomes the heart of the business and can change as you change.
More and more!
Most websites we build are .Net based and hosted with Microsoft Azure. They are usually built for clients and their staff to log in securely and to enter information about their current jobs, locations, notes or hours worked.
Some sites are designed for our clients customers to interact with and learn about their account status and ask questions.
Almost all of our websites are variations on the above and most are not accessible to the public for viewing. However we did also build this website you are viewing right now should you be interested in a static website without the data entry element.
Yes we cater to many clients financial situations and while most of our contracts have payment rules included, we are friendly, approachable and should you need we can often extend payment dates and spread out payments over larger time frames.
Yes absolutely, and for most of our new clientele this is the case.
In most cases new clients have a paper trail that is often cumbersome, hard to manage, is often wrong, difficult to decypher, and is in need of a Database system to manage and control the flow of information.
A database is a software application that stores organized information into a table structure in order to easily access, analyse, edit and add structured data.
A table is a structure of rows and columns where every row is an individual record containing one or more columns of related and specific data.
A Customer Table, for example, could contain columns for first and last names, address, age, gender, favourite teddy bear. A database can contain many tables and in Relational Databases the tables can rely on information from other tables.
For example, the Customer table above could link to another table specifying a list of teddy bears the customer can choose from.
A Relational Database is a database whose tables contain links (technically called ‘Foreign Keys’) that control the flow of data being entered, altered or deleted.
The tables that are linked are said to be ‘related’ in some way. Records stored in the tables of a relational database each contain a unique ID called a key. This key can then be represented across multiple tables and a logical data structure is formed.
A Relational Database has the ability to securely manage data in a rules-based and consistent way.
Without relationships the data becomes disjointed and localized creating islands of data that are managed individually and without consequence to other data in other tables.
Without relationships a database loses a level of security where a relationship could have prevented certain users from accessing certain information.
Related data can be queried by the user to return data from multiple tables very quickly and efficiently.
A single query could return all orders containing a specific type of teddy bear from a specific customer between a date range and in descending order by the colour of the bear!
A non-relational database would have a much more complex query in order to accomplish this.
A Relational Database ensures data falls within acceptable ranges and that all required data is present.
It validates data ensuring accuracy and consistency. A non-relational database can validate data but not without a layer of queries manually added for each type of data interaction.
For example, If we wanted to update our customers favourite teddy bear in our non-relational database we would need to confirm that the selected teddy bear is indeed a possible selection to begin with by checking for this bear in the Bears table.
In a Relational Database this is already implemented under the hood removing a level of obscurity and possible errors.
Microsoft Access (MS Access) is a tool created by Microsoft for the sole purpose of allowing anyone to build a structured, user-friendly environment to store, query and edit data.
Access is a very powerful, and in many respects unrivalled, tool praised for being quick off the line in terms of raw development time, easy to use, easy to maintain and compared to other database solutions, cheap.
Access' real power comes from its ability to manage related data which is something that is incredibly difficult to do with other Microsoft tools like MS Excel or other spreadsheet applications.
Related Data is data that is different in it's values but still very much a part of the same overall structure such as a Customers Details (i.e Name, address) and the Customers numerous Orders (i.e Products, quantities, Order Dates).
MS Access is an excellent solution for:
Small Business applications
Custom Software applications
Data analysis
Personal databases
Big Data for small and medium businesses
*Microsoft Access has a market share of about 11.1%. That means that of Database Management systems world wide Access occupies 11.1%.
Access is the most popular desktop database on the market and used by many fortune 500 Companies.
An Access Developer is a person who creates new or manipulates existing Microsoft Access Databases for the benefit of their client or themselves.
A list of the chief responsibilities carried out by access developers is given below:
Identifying and understanding the requirements of their clients with respect to the database administration system that needs to be developed.
Developing data models and designing the database architecture as per the given instructions and modifying them to accommodate the system requirements.
Testing the system at each stage of the development phase and identifying bugs in the system which could result in negative user experience. They also have to ensure good performance of the database system across various platforms and terminals.
Installing a number of security features and granting access levels as per the user privileges set by the client in order to ensure maximum protection of the database system and avoiding theft of valuable data.
Coordinating with other developers and updating them on the latest updates regarding the system so that everybody is acquainted with the changes to the system.
Providing on-site support to client representatives or end users after the system has been delivered.
Making necessary modifications to the system on the basis of user feedback and improving the overall usability of the system by providing regular system updates should the client need or ask for this service.
Often!
SQL Server is a power house and is often used as an upgrade to Microsoft Access Databases to improve speed and performance. It depends on the clients needs as SQL Server comes at a higher cost.
SQL Server is our preferred data storage system and is used extensively across many of our clients projects. Coupled with Microsoft Azure, your data can be access from anywhere in the world.