Bad Software vs. No Software: Which is Better?
By SOLTECH
You know the saying, “less is more?” That is something you can apply to this situation. We are often asked to recover a project, or “save” a developed software project that has failed. What happens in that situation? You end up spending more time and money having to fix the poorly crafted software than originally budgeted for. So, is having no software better than having bad software? The answer is yes and let’s learn why.
Poorly Crafted Software Happens
There can be many reasons as to why the software turned out bad.
You may have rushed to find a software firm to develop your application. You wouldn’t rush into buying a new home or new car would you? Consider it the same as buying software. Take your time, weigh your options and do your research. Finding the best software firm to create your application may take time, but it is an investment worth doing so.
Another reason may be that you chose the vendor with the lowest bid. We all love getting a deal, but when it comes to buying something that is mighty impactful, taking the discounted option should definitely be reconsidered.
Now, that’s not to say that the software firm with the lowest rate is guaranteed to be the one with the lowest quality of work! However, the saying that “you get what you pay for” can often be applied to situations such as these.
Can bad software really do more harm than good?
Unfortunately, terribly built software happens and there are ways to save it. (You can read about that here.) However, transitioning your entire workflow over to software that, come to find out, is unable to do the tasks your business needs is not worth the time or money.
Other factors to consider why the application was not built well is because it was rushed and not tested. Software can be built quickly, but it ultimately depends on the complexity of the project. If the project is rushed due to your timeline then the likelihood of it being tested thoroughly is minimal.
Not testing the application every step of the way to ensure it does exactly what the business needs it to do, is asking for a lot of headaches down the road. In addition, if the application is user facing, you risk losing customers and money by introducing a poorly made product.
If an application goes live to its customers before it’s ready or if it was built with mistakes or broken features, the chance that customers may not return to use the application again is a possibility.
Therefore, it’s not that you can’t start a software project with a small budget, you will simply need to whittle it down to the minimum features you absolutely need to conduct business. Doing things right the first time will save you money in the long run, including the maintenance of the application.
But it’s better than not having any software, right?
If having software that is poorly built can lead to a loss in time, money and customers then what can happen if you don’t have an application at all? Let’s go through the scenarios:
First, if you don’t have an application then the change to your business or workflow doesn’t happen. You’ll continue doing things as they are. This may mean the workflow isn’t at a speed you’d like it to be at or perhaps you are having to wait to introduce features to your application because they haven’t been built yet. In this scenario, patience is key.
Waiting until the time and money can be invested along with the research for finding the best software firm to create your software is crucial!
Second, you don’t risk the chances of losing customers or money spent on creating the software. Again, this may not be ideal but neither is spending the money just to end up with bad software, right? Right.
Let’s recap:
- “Bad” software slows down work, wastes time and money, and has potential to lose customers.
- “Good” software means more efficient workflow, it was worth the time and money as well as benefited your user’s experience.
- “No” software means no change to your workflow, no risks of losing time, money and customers.
- Doing research is essential to ensure the developers are going to build exactly what you need so there is no risk of losing customers, money and time!
