MAIN DISADVANTAGES OF USING CUSTOM SOFTWARE

Custom software refers to specifically designed software to be used by a particular organization. Custom software is usually different from the usual mass market products and is structured independently in relation to specifics from the organization to make use of the software. The idea of custom software is often employed to enhance system efficiency with features that may be absent in the off-shelf version of the program. This can be applied to patient registries for health institutions, research facilities, hospitals, etc. 

Though it would appear to work perfectly for a particular case (since it is designed to support and address the specific needs of the organization involved), the use of custom software comes with numerous disadvantages like those outlined below;

• EXTRA EXPENSIVE

Custom software is generally a project associated with high costs and is only sometimes the best option, especially for medical and clinical research institutions. Numerous cheaper canned solutions already exist that can address a wide range of requirements and functions. Off-shelf software provides far cheaper options for setting up cost-effective patient registries.

• LACK OF TIME

The design, setup, and implementation of custom software always require a lot of time to complete. This is a major disadvantage for organizations looking for short and immediate solutions in a patient registry. The peculiar nature of custom software increases the probability of unforeseen complications.

• NEED FOR ADDITIONAL TECHNICAL PROFICIENCY

When going for custom software, there is the extra worry of needing to get relatively high technical proficiency. It is best to consider other off-shelf options with easier handling and management requirements, especially if your organization lacks a technically strong software team with the skill set necessary for building and configuring custom software. It will be challenging to achieve efficiency with a patient registry based on custom software if your developers can’t be held accountable for the entire project.

• SUPPORT AND DOCUMENTATION

When using custom software, the unavailability of the original developer’s support makes it very difficult and sometimes impossible to get others capable of updating or adding new features to the software. Also, routine and commercial software packages usually have readily available training and documentation resources compared with custom software packages. This is a major limitation to the effective functioning of patient registries based on custom software.

• ALREADY PROVEN AND EFFECTIVE COMMERCIAL SOFTWARE IS AVAILABLE.

Taking a look at already existing commercial software, they have been designed in several capacities, sizes, scopes, functions, etc. This implies that checking for some systems proven to have an efficiency that fulfills your requirements or similar requirements is always better than trying out untested custom software. A working commercial system for another organization can be employed to successfully set up the patient registry of another with similar purposes.

• NO TECHNOLOGICAL COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE

Custom software limits the use of technology as a competitive advantage. It also reduces the possibility of sharing important information with other systems, which is a major tool in the efficiency of patient registries.