Bespoke can arm organizations with agility and better visibility

• Exact Fit: The most obvious benefit is that you get a system that works specifically for you. No superfluous functionality. Nothing missing. No compromises.

• Fully Integrated: Building a bespoke system which ensures your business processes and any existing systems are fully integrated guarantees efficiency improvements through automation.

• Competitive Advantage: A system that is specifically built to your business needs and processes could provide your business with a competitive edge.

• No product exists in the market place: The requirements or the operations of the business may be so specialized or niche that there is no product that fits its needs.

If the business requirements and solution selection drives your business down the bespoke route, the most important things to get right are the delivery mechanism and the project management processes and capabilities.

• How well defined the requirements are/can be at the beginning of the project.
• How fixed the feature set is.
• The nature of what is being delivered.
• The availability of the users to engage throughout the process.
• The nature of the organization.
• The size of the team.
• The non-functional requirements, such as safety and security.

The application of thorough project management that delivers the solution is also imperative.

The processes, tools and techniques employed to manage risk, change, quality, costs and communications in a structured and organized way is vital.

In addition, employing a project manager with the emotional intelligence that is required to manage people under pressure is essential.

Bespoke system is chosen then as long as the costs for developing the system stacks up against the business case, the requirements are fully understood, the project is well managed and the change within the business is acknowledged and planned, the bespoke system will also be a success.