Clear answers about custom software

What belongs to the core

• request intake and routing between teams
• stage and timeline management
• quality control and materials accounting
• integrations with accounting and external systems

Why a box solution fails

• the process is unique and doesn’t fit templates
• logic changes as the business grows
• the core defines competitive advantage

When custom is justified

• errors and delays are expensive
• real roles and regulations matter
• the system must follow the business, not the other way around

Contractor

• follows the document without rethinking
• treats changes as extra work
• responsibility ends with execution

Partner

• focuses on the business goal
• warns about risks and proposes alternatives
• shares responsibility for decisions

Business impact

• less rework and technical debt
• faster growth after launch
• fewer strategic mistakes

Where the effect comes from

• process optimization and lower operating costs
• higher throughput without proportional headcount
• lower cost of errors and losses
• faster cash cycle
• better governance and transparency

What to count as investment

• MVP and follow-up development
• implementation and process adaptation
• team enablement and training
• support and ongoing development

How to estimate ROI

• time saved × hourly cost
• error reduction × average error cost
• avoided hiring
• faster cash inflow

Payback and expectations

• effect appears gradually
• MVP already delivers some value
• payback is often 12–18 months

How to confirm impact

• capture baseline metrics before launch
• define key effectiveness KPIs
• compare before/after dynamics

What the client gets

• 24/7 self-service
• single source of truth for orders and docs
• faster actions without waiting
• personalized terms and roles
• fewer errors and manual input

What the business gets

• less manual operations
• scaling without staff growth
• managers focus on growth, not routine

Reasons for resistance

• clients already have their own working context
• phone and messenger are faster
• no instant payoff for switching

The main mistake

• forcing adoption with “portal only” rules
• optimizing for internal convenience, not the client

How to reduce friction

• make the portal a continuation of familiar actions
• start with statuses and documents
• be faster than the manager
• minimum required fields
• mobile-first and asynchronous flow

When it is needed

• employees work outside the office
• facts must be recorded, not agreements
• you need control of time, quality, and resources
• the company is scaling

When it can wait

• very small teams
• low cost of errors
• unstable informal processes

MVP features

• auth and task list
• start/finish tracking
• checklists, reports, photos/videos
• status updates

Expansion

• geolocation and materials accounting
• offline mode and push notifications
• work history and approvals
• dashboards for managers

Integration effects

• faster data updates
• higher accuracy and less manual input
• scalability without headcount growth
• transparent statuses and documents

Key criteria

• high exchange frequency
• errors are expensive
• large data volume
• speed is critical for service
• integration creates advantage

Signals it’s too early

• infrequent or irregular exchange
• processes are not stable yet
• no API or accountable IT owner
• fast MVP launch is required

What to use instead

• email for legally significant documents
• messengers for quick approvals
• shared folders for regular file exchange

Step 1: align on data

• which entities are exchanged
• responsibility ownership
• format and structure

Step 2: define master systems

• where the current prices live
• where order statuses and docs live
• which system is truth for payments

Step 3: start simple

• CSV/Excel exchange
• shared folder
• clear schedule

Step 4: automate

• API
• webhooks
• queues
• monitoring

Why not everything is formalized

• hidden rules that surface later
• integration constraints appear in practice
• engineering choices affect cost

What must be fixed

• system goals and core processes
• roles and responsibilities
• critical constraints and integrations

How to keep control

• fix a baseline scope
• discuss changes in advance
• agree on impact to time and budget