Should Custom Software Development be Timeline-Driven, Cost-Driven, or Feature-Driven?

There are a lot of factors to consider when discussing custom software development. While it’s natural to want the best, most comprehensive tool that meets all your needs, it might be hard to create this type of software and stay within your budget. Or, while you will want to start using your new software as soon as possible, getting custom software created quickly may not yield each and every desired capability you envisioned. Because the possibilities are nearly endless, it can be difficult to figure out where to focus. 

Determine your Priorities for Custom Software Development

The first thing you should do when starting a custom software development project is to determine your top priorities. The three most relevant priorities to think about are: timeline-driven, cost-driven, and feature-driven priorities. Take time to establish exactly what you want it to do, a timeline, and your budget. While it may be impossible to adequately meet all three, we suggest the most successful custom software development projects focus on a combination of two of the three priorities. Depending on your strategy, let’s explore your options.

Timeline-Driven Custom Software

Timeline-driven custom software is built to meet a deadline. This should be a priority if the software is being built for an urgent matter: a tradeshow, a marketing tactic, or another specific event that will take place in the near feature. You have a set deadline and a specific purpose for which the software is needed.

Cost-Driven Custom Software

Cost-driven custom software will be a main priority for most projects. This should be a priority if your custom software budget has zero leeway. Most projects start out with a budget and developers will work within that budget to create a tool that fits your needs. However, with budget constraints many features or quick turn around times may not be possible. When cost-driven custom software is a priority, it’s important to know where you can sacrifice and where you have wiggle room.

Feature-Driven Software

If one of your priorities is to create feature-driven custom software, you want your software to do it all. This should be a priority for you if there are many specific functions that are unique to your business that you want the software to complete. For example, if the software is replacing a process you complete on a daily basis or you’d like it to take over a manual operation such as creating reports or database analysis, feature-driven software is something you should prioritize.