The build vs buy dilemma often haunts businesses who are in urgent need of an ERP software. At Oodles ERP, we often handle queries from our customers along the same lines. Budgetary constraints, time, short-term and long-term objectives, and in-house IT talent are typical considerations that make procuring an ERP software a challenging decision.
In this article, we have listed the pros and cons of both custom ERP development and out-of-the-box ERP implementation for the benefit of our readers.
As open-source enthusiasts, we look forward to maximizing the benefits of ERP platforms like Odoo, Offbiz, and OpenTap for our clients. The key value open-source development brings to the table is the scalability your organization needs as it grows. Let’s take a closer look at what lies ahead.
Building or Buying an ERP Software
Pros | Build an ERP System
Meet Customized Demands: An off-the-shelf software cannot meet every business requirement. To meet specific business requirements, it is better to build your own customized ERP system. The main benefit of choosing an ERP custom software is that it gives businesses total control of their development processes. The detail requirements and business peculiarities can be easily discussed with the developers.
We have a skilled development team that provides customization services using open-source ERP platforms like Odoo, OpenTaps, and Ofbiz. Businesses can use Odoo for developing ERP custom software because it provides free licensing which means at least 40 to 60% of functions are already available. In addition, Odoo customization services provide a personalized experience in an application and focus on the client’s requirements and ideas.
High Flexibility: ERP custom software is built with the scope of future modifications and enhancements. It can easily be scaled as the business grows. In addition, custom ERP can also be integrated with other software packages like CRM, accounting, inventory, and human resources to drive growth and revenue.
Oodles ERP has a powerful stack of 10,000+ supported Odoo applications to provide a fully customizable and flexible ERP software development to meet business requirements. You can start your business with basic modules and can integrate new modules as per the requirement.
High Compatibility: ERP custom software is highly compatible and you can integrate it with a wider set of APIs from different software and data partners.
Explore our customized ERP services in detail.
Cons | Build an ERP System
Long Development Time: Internal staffing limitations may result in long periods of configuration, development, and testing. In addition, custom software can only be tested once development is done completely. If in case there are modifications or improvements to be done, more time will be required.
Limited Training and Support: Lack of specialized training to employees working on the new ERP system can be challenging for businesses.
Risk of Software Incompetency: Even with a good internal knowledge of the organization, the developers that building the custom software may lack the industry experience and hands-on experience. In addition, their exposure to the latest technologies is limited. They can be unaware of recently developed technologies that could empower specific solutions.
Apart from building an ERP custom software from scratch, we provide ERP integration and implementation services to enhance the existing capabilities of your ERP system. However, the decision to buy an ERP software raises concerns around compatibility as well as implementation cost and duration. Let’s take a closer look at the pros and cons of buying ERP software.
Pros | Buy an ERP Software
Lack of Technical Proficiency: If you do not have a skilled technical team to build customized software, it will be wise to buy a fully-built ERP software.
Limited Budget: The cost of customized software is higher in comparison to readily available canned solutions because they make more financial sense for an organization with a small budget.
Easy Availability: Canned solutions that have already been proven effective for specific business functions are easily available in the market. At Oodles, we provide implementation services for already built-in ERP software like Zoho, HubSpot, and Salesforce.
Cons | Buy an ERP Software
Less Control: Software vendors hold the right of the implementation code and hence businesses always need to rely on external technical support.
High Upfront Cost: ERP development acquisition is more costly in terms of upfront money than in-house ERP custom software development.
Making a decision whether to buy ERP software or build an ERP software from scratch is not easy. Both off-the-shelf software and canned solutions have their own pros and cons. Evaluate your decisions on the basis of a long-term approach and business requirements.
Still unsure about what is good for your business? Drop us a line and we will get in touch with you shortly.
To Read Next: Choosing Right ERP Implementation Partner for Business Efficiency
