Principles for Software Customization

Scaling a Software Solution to a Business Problem

• 1. Never pay to program what you can buy off the shelf.

2. Use your consultants not just to design and implement the customized solution, but also to help you navigate your way through your options.

Before you commit to anything, you'd better be sure that you should change in the first place! David Fenton Associates can be invaluable in navigating the maze of choices, because we monitor the computer press and evaluate software all the time.

We do it so that you don't have to.

Since we also have an understanding of the benefits and drawbacks of large-scale development projects, we can help you plan a solution that will solve your problems without breaking the bank, choosing from a range of choices including shrink-wrapped software, advanced training in commercial software, fully customized programming or any number of possibilities that balance parts of each of these three kinds of approaches with your cost considerations.

One of the most cost-efficient solutions is to do the customization yourself.

• 3. Never pay someone to customize what you can customize yourself.
• 4. Never pay someone for expertise that you can acquire for yourself.
• 5. To minimize cost, consider options which combine off-the-shelf software, advanced training and small-scale customization.
• 6. Consider large-scale customization when. . .

©1996-2000, David Fenton Associates. Last updated July 5, 2000.