Custom software guide
What does building custom software with Black Badger involve?
Black Badger Software Solutions publishes this guide and builds custom software, which is why the build route appears on every list here. We build the system around the way your company already works, you own the code and every account it runs on, and there is no license and no per-seat fee.
Who custom business software is for
Custom business software is for companies that have worked through the build or buy question and found a system where buying does not fit. The usual signs are a spreadsheet running beside a product, people copying data between systems, and a license bill that grows every time you hire.
We work mainly with companies of 50 or more employees. A smaller company is usually better served by a product, and we say so when that is the case.
What goes into custom business software
We build CRMs fitted to a specific sales process, operations systems that work beside an accounting ledger, project and delivery systems, customer portals and the integrations that keep all of them in agreement.
We do not rebuild what a product already does well. If part of your need is standard, we will tell you to buy that part and build only the rest.
How Black Badger builds custom business software
It starts with a conversation and then discovery, where we map how the work moves through your company. You get a written scope that names what will be built, what it connects to, what it costs and the schedule, before anything is signed.
During the build you see working screens. Your data is moved across and checked. At handover every account the system runs on is already in your name.
What you own when custom business software is finished
You own the source code, the database, the hosting account and the email service. Black Badger is invited in as an administrator and you can remove us whenever you choose.
There are no licenses. After launch you pay the running costs of the services the system uses, such as hosting, and adding a user costs nothing.
Why we tell you when to buy
We spent years implementing and migrating business platforms before we moved to building custom systems, and we stopped implementing them. That history is why these lists can say where each product fits and where it stops fitting.
It would be easy to rank the build route first everywhere. We do not, because most software needs are standard. Custom is first on the customer portal and integration lists, and second or third on the rest.
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Ask Black Badger about a custom build
Questions buyers ask
What does a custom build by Black Badger cost?
We do not publish a figure, because the number depends on what the system has to do, how many other systems it must agree with and how much data has to move. We start from what you already pay in licensing and scope a one-time build against it. A written scope gives you a firm number.
How long does a custom build by Black Badger take?
The length of a build depends on the scope, and we will not quote a schedule before we know it. Discovery comes first, and the written scope that follows states the schedule along with the cost.
What happens if we would be better off buying software than building it?
We will say so if you would be better off buying. We spent years implementing the products on these lists, and a standard need met by a product is a good outcome. The first call is free.
Can a company with fewer than 50 employees ask about custom business software?
Yes, a smaller company can ask about custom business software. A person reads every message. We will tell you plainly if a product is the better fit for your size.