You wouldn’t go on a date with a stranger unless you knew at least a little bit about them in advance, would you?

Selecting software developers to help your organization be more effective, competitive, and profitable should follow the same logic. 

When a massive winter storm roared across much of North America in the days leading up to Christmas, no one was surprised when major airlines started cancelling flights.

But over at Southwest Airlines, things were about to get much worse.

Whatever business you’re in, it’s reasonable to assume that software powers your day-to-day operations.

So as the end of year approaches, now is an ideal time to look at all of your software-related assets through a critical lens and ask whether or not you’re getting your money’s worth.

Outsourcing your IT department offers impressive benefits, such as improving productivity, increasing security, and gaining access to the latest technology. However, one of the main advantages of using a managed service provider is that it is an excellent way to save your company money in many ways. Instead of hiring additional IT employees, a managed service provider will take care of all your technical needs in the workplace at a fixed price each month. Ultimately, this will make it easier to stay within a budget, as you will not have to worry about any unexpected expenses.

Here are a few more ways that an IT service provider can save your business money.

For an online business, it's difficult to stand out from other competitor businesses, but an API can make it possible. An API can passively spread the word about your business and give developers a reason to integrate it into client software. Once integrated, it can be a long-term revenue stream that continually generates income opportunities for the business.

Creating a new API for your business is a task that's not to be taken lightly, and it comes with a considerable upfront investment. You need a developer to create the application programming interface (API), quality assurance (QA) people to test it, and penetration testers to ensure that it meets cybersecurity standards. You might wonder if it's worth the upfront time and money investment, but APIs can increase your organization's revenue and get your brand name recognized through word-of-mouth. Even with the upfront cost, your own API can be an impressive revenue stream for your business.

You have established policies and procedures that have been evolving with your business - you shouldn’t have to shove them into a one-size-fits-all piece of software. Bespoke software, like a good tailor, takes your measurements and customizes the results so they’re uniquely suited to meet your specific needs.  

Bespoke software development begins with a collaborative approach to define your needs and outline your requirements. Any reputable custom software company relies on open communication to keep those requirements top of mind throughout the development process. We’re on the same team - developer, customer, project manager, (really, any STEP employee) - and we solicit feedback throughout the process so a) there are very few surprises and b) your new software does exactly what you need it to do, for a mutually agreed upon reasonable price.