I used to redesign business processes before the Oracle, PeopleSoft and SAP gurus were wheeled in to perform their package implementations.

The level of customisation that these ERP packages afforded multi-national businesses was revolutionary and gave them a distinct competitive advantage.

Why shouldn’t SME’s gain competitive edge using bespoke software? In the late 90’s it was too expensive and too risky for an SME to invest in custom software solutions. Now with stable development platforms like OpenSource and Microsoft - the skills availability and code standardisation have reduced both the cost and risk to a point where I believe Bespoke Software is often more cost effective than off-the-shelf package solutions.

Organisations compromise efficiency on a daily basis with the one-size-fits-all mentality - they yearn for a software solution that caters for their uniqe needs, that gives them the competitive edge. Custom Software Solutions - or SmartApps are built around an organisation’s unique processes and not the other way round.

Build an online custom software solution and start communicating and transacting with your potential and existing customers - now thats what I call competitive advantage.