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Mobile Web Apps Versus Mobile Apps: Which Is Right for You? | Modest Software

Mobile Web Apps Versus Mobile Apps: Which Is Right for You?

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There is no denying that the modern world is mobile. Not mobile in the sense that we have cars, trains, and automobiles. We have had those things for a long time. No, today’s mobility is about being productive while on the move. As an organization, you need that kind of mobility to remain competitive. Enter mobile web apps and traditional mobile apps.

Productive mobility requires a core set of apps that empower you to do what you need to do even when you are not in the office. But there is one problem inherent to modern digital mobility: device compatibility. Thanks to so many proprietary mobile devices, it can be a challenge to come up with productivity apps that work for everybody.

You basically have two choices: mobile web apps and traditional mobile apps designed for phones and tablets. Is one or the other right for you? Although some organizations need to utilize traditional mobile apps, most are better served by mobile web apps.

The Big Difference

Both mobile web apps and traditional mobile apps are designed for use on mobile devices. What is the difference between the two? How the apps are accessed.

A mobile web app is an app that resides in the cloud or on a remote server. It is built specifically for mobile devices but can be used on desktop devices as well. Here is the big difference: mobile web apps are accessed through a browser. That means any mobile device with a working browser can utilize a mobile web app without any proprietary requirements.

On the other hand, a traditional mobile app is an app that is downloaded and installed. As you know, there are multiple mobile operating systems including iOS, Android, and Windows Phone. The problem is that each operating system has its own proprietary requirements. You either build an app for all three OSes or you dictate the types of devices your team can use.

How Mobile Web Apps Work

Whether you are interested in a basic business app, the equivalent of a CRM solution, or an app that helps you control inventory and manage shipping and receiving, there are some things all mobile web apps have in common. These things relate to how mobile web apps actually work.

1. Browser Accessibility

The basis for how mobile web apps work is the fundamental practice of browsing the web. Web apps are so named because they are accessed by way of static websites and browsers. There is no need for application downloading and installation.

2. Technology

Mobile web apps are built on the same technologies that power traditional websites. Think HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. As such, they are platform and device independent.

3. Connectivity

While some mobile web apps offer limited offline connectivity, they are the exception to the rule. To get a mobile web app to work, you need to be online.

4. App Updates

One of the most attractive aspects of the mobile web app is that new features and updates are instantly applied without the need for any user intervention. All updates take place on the server side.

Mobility gave us the idea of proprietary mobile apps that are download and installed on devices. But the business world has moved beyond proprietary apps. A better solution has been found in the mobile web app.

As an organization that specializes in custom-built business software, Modest also designs and builds mobile web apps from the ground up. If you’ve been looking to ditch those proprietary apps or move your business software online, let’s talk about how Modest software can help.

How Artificial Intelligence Is Revolutionizing CRM Software | Modest Software

How Artificial Intelligence Is Revolutionizing CRM Software

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Artificial intelligence (AI) has taken the world by storm. Every industry now needs to reckon with it, including custom business software development. In our industry, we see AI assert itself in a variety of software categories. Customer relationship management (CRM) software is the perfect example.

AI is revolutionizing the CRM ecosystem at nearly every level. By building AI into their software, developers are enhancing CRM capabilities, revolutionizing how businesses interact with customers, and even creating a whole new journey that businesses and customers can take together.

Predictive Business Software

AI-powered CRM software is essentially predictive business software. Advanced analytics and algorithms within the software can forecast customer behavior. It can prioritize leads. With on board AI, a CRM platform can:

  • More accurately analyze historical data.
  • Predict future customer needs.
  • Forecast potential churn.
  • Optimize opportunities via lead scoring.

Think of it this way: if you could accurately predict what each and every customer would do six months down the road, you would tailor your interactions with those customers accordingly. That is exactly what AI-powered CRM facilitates.

Automated Business Software

In addition to predictive analytics, another strength of AI is its ability to automate all sorts of tasks. With that in mind, AI is now streamlining CRM workflow by automating tasks that do not necessarily require human intervention. Here are just some of the tasks that automation can handle:

  • Lead nurturing
  • Email tracking
  • Sending follow-up reminders
  • Scheduling sales meetings

Automation makes a team more efficient. It takes some of the heavy burden off busy team members so they can concentrate on more complex tasks computer systems cannot manage on their own. The result is a stronger team that closes more deals.

Intelligent Business Software

CRM business solutions can now be equipped with artificially intelligent virtual assistants. A virtual assistant can respond to both text and voice commands. It can help users navigate the CRM platform more efficiently. Virtual assistants can even lend a hand with daily planning, drafting emails, and prospect research.

How Artificial Intelligence Is Revolutionizing CRM Software | Modest Software

Personalized Business Software

Integrating AI into traditional CRM allows for more personalized business software. Personalization extends to both team members and customers. From the customer’s perspective, AI is capable of optimizing communications across every available channel. Customers enjoy relevant and more timely messaging. They experience messaging and recommendations based on their own behaviors.

Personalization is becoming increasingly more important in the modern business world. Customers expect personalization regardless of the companies they do business with. AI makes that possible within the CRM ecosystem. Not only that, but personalization also makes for a better customer journey.

Data-driven Business Software

AI’s crowning achievement in the CRM field is its ability to power advanced analytics and insights. Effective CRM is all about data, right? So a CRM solution needs to be able to gather, analyze, and aggregate the most important data available. Then it needs to turn that data into action.

With AI, it is possible to:

  • Gather data in real time across multiple channels.
  • Produce deep-dive insights on any relevant topic.
  • Effectively analyze data to generate actionable insights.
  • Produce customized reports based on user need.
  • Troubleshoot potential problems with data gathering.

Current AI capabilities allow us to do so much more with CRM software. But the most exciting thing is that we are nowhere near reaching AI’s limits. We still don’t know its full potential.

We are guessing your business software includes a CRM platform. Does that platform utilize AI in any way? If not, it’s only a matter of time. AI is revolutionizing everything we thought we knew about CRM, making it better with every new technological advancement.

Poor Satisfaction With CRM Software It's Not a Fluke

Poor Satisfaction With CRM Software It’s Not a Fluke

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Despite what you may have heard, customer relationship management (CRM) software enjoys widespread adoption across most industries. But an organization’s adoption of the CRM model doesn’t necessarily equate to satisfaction among employees who need to use the software. In fact, satisfaction rates are pretty dismal.

A 2023 survey conducted by Forrester revealed that 70% of global businesses have adopted CRM software for customer service purposes. In addition, 75% said that improving the customer experience was a top priority. Unfortunately, those same organizations reported dissatisfaction with their current CRM solutions.

If CRM adoption is so high, why is satisfaction so low? Our experience as developers of custom business software leads us to believe that there are five key things getting in the way of user satisfaction:

1. Poor User Experience

At the top of the list is poor user experience. CRM systems tend to be overly complex. They tend to be complicated, difficult to navigate, and generally unfriendly to the way organizations do business. This is one of the reasons that Modest believes in building custom business software offering only the features an organization needs, presented in a way that fits the organization’s workflow.

2. Lack of Training and Support

Regardless of how business software functions, employees need proper training. They also need ongoing support. Failing in either area virtually guarantees dissatisfaction among an organization’s employees. Without proper training and support, employees easily get frustrated because they cannot make the software do what they want it to do.

3. Inefficient Workflows

A well-designed business software solution should promote efficiency. Unfortunately, because off-the-shelf CRM solutions attempt to be all things to all people, they also tend to be inefficient.

Take data entry. If the sales team is forced to manually input data on a daily basis, they end up spending more time sitting at their computers and less time getting deals done. A custom CRM with automation capabilities can free up the sales team to do what they are paid to do.

4. Poorly Defined Objectives

It is easy to look at a CRM package and just assume that employees know what to do with it. Still, doing so isn’t smart. Employees need clearly defined objectives. If their objectives are poorly defined, there is a good chance they will not fully understand why the company is using the solution or even why it is so important to operations.

5. Lack of Management Buy-In

We have worked with some organizations that came to us only after discovering a lack of management buy-in. We are always glad to help but think about the implications of such a scenario.

If management is not fully on board with an organization’s CRM solution, their lack of buy-in will be observed by the employees tasked with using the system. The end result is that the employees don’t buy in either. The entire organization ends up fighting the software rather than embracing it.

We Do Things Differently

Modest doesn’t develop off-the-shelf software designed to appeal to everyone. Rather, we build software on a client-by-client basis. We build custom CRM solutions that fit how each client does business. We build solutions that are lean, mean, and easy to use.

Is your organization fighting with its CRM solution? Do you find that, despite your organization’s adoption, your employees express dissatisfaction with the software? If so, you can change things.

Let us sit down and discuss the possibility of building a custom CRM solution for your organization. Bring us your questions; we will bring the answers. Give us the opportunity to show you how custom software can change everything.

Options for Integrating Business Software With 3rd-Party Apps

Options for Integrating Business Software With 3rd-Party Apps

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Among the services we offer here at Modest is integration with Gmail and Google Calendar. We can modify existing systems or build brand new business software with integration included. Best of all, integration isn’t limited to Google Workspace apps.

Business software can be fully integrated with thousands of third-party apps. The benefits of doing so include:

  • Centralization of all applicable data.
  • More streamlined data transfer.
  • More efficient workflow.
  • Increased automation capabilities.

Depending on use case, integrating business software with third-party apps can literally revolutionize the way companies use their software. Third-party integration could very well be the most useful – and simultaneously, the most underutilized – capability of modern software development.

API Integration

We have several options for deploying third-party integration as we build custom business software. The most common method is arguably API integration. APIs, also known as application programming interfaces, are small apps written expressly for the purpose of facilitating integration. That is why they exist.

API-based integration allows different software systems to seamlessly communicate and exchange information. The advantages of such an arrangement are clear:

  • Communication between apps is standardized.
  • Data exchange occurs in real time.
  • Workflows and individual tasks can be automated.
  • Access to third-party data and services can be granted on an as-needed basis.

Third-party integration by way of APIs is more common than most people know. It is so prolific that the chances of you using an integrated app on any given day are pretty high.

Other Ways to Integrate

While API integration is a fairly common way to handle things, it is not the only option. Another popular option is something known as the integration platform. An integration platform is an online platform designed to be an intermediary between applications and ecosystems. The key components of a solid platform include:

  • API management.
  • Pre-built connectors.
  • Data transformation tools.
  • Workflow automation.
  • Built-in monitoring and analytics.

Within the integration platform sphere there are multiple options. Developers can look at enterprise iPaaS (integration platform-as-a-service), embedded iPaaS, and unified API solutions. Each option has its strengths and weaknesses.

Above and beyond integration platforms are:

  • Data Extraction Solutions – When API integration is not technically possible (usually older software without API capabilities) integration can be achieved through data extraction. Data extraction is clunky and not very efficient, but it gets the job done.
  • Plugins – Some software vendors prefer to offer integration through plugins, addons, and extensions. These additional pieces of software tend to offer limited integration with just one other software package.

A general rule in modern software development is to look at API integration first. We move on to integration platforms if they are more appropriate, but we stay away from data extraction and plugins unless absolutely necessary.

Security Is a Top Concern

Regardless of how third-party integration is achieved, security is always a top concern. There is no point to building custom business software that doesn’t utilize the latest and greatest security strategies for protecting data and keeping hackers out.

The challenge in this regard is distrusting API developers. Whenever you’re mixing software developed by separate entities there is always a risk of unknown vulnerabilities. But with the right policies and procedures in place, those risks are minimized.

What does your current business software look like? Is it integrated with third-party apps your organization uses frequently? Third-party integration is a normal part of the development process here at Modest. We invite you to learn more about it and how it can streamline your workflow, improve productivity, and unlock the full potential of your business software. If you require it, we can build something new from the ground up.c

Does Your Software Create Pain Points Rather Than Mitigate Them?

Does Your Software Create Pain Points Rather Than Mitigate Them?

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The launch of the personal computer changed everything. The promise of that launch, made some 40 years ago, was greater efficiency and productivity. And it was all supposed to be possible with little to no pain points. How are we doing in 2024?

More to the point, how is your business software doing? It should be mitigating the pain points that normally reduce efficiency and productivity. But as we have seen time after time, off-the-shelf business software has a bad habit of creating pain points. It is not supposed to be that way.

Common Pain Points for Business

Software pain points vary from one business to the next. Some organizations are held back by a long list of pain points that are never addressed. Others only deal with a few of them, successfully working around them with creative solutions. The Modest philosophy is to eliminate pain points altogether. Where they cannot be fully eliminated, they should be mitigated as much as possible.

Here are some of the common pain points related to business software:

  • Outdated Tech – Modern technology moves at breakneck speed. Trying to keep up while using outdated tech only makes life harder. The outdated technology is just not as efficient.
  • Inefficient Processes – Inefficient business processes create huge pain points at nearly every level. Inefficiencies disrupt workflow, waste resources, and eat up valuable time.
  • Limited Integration – Off-the-shelf software solutions are often crippled by limited integration capabilities. If an organization isn’t using the most popular apps and data sources, their business software might not integrate at all.
  • Limited Insights – Business software incapable of delivering detailed analytics ultimately ends up offering limited insights. As a result, decision makers do not have the maximum amount of data they need to plot a course forward.

Other types of pain points can directly impact the customer experience, an organization’s competitive capabilities, and even the ability to scale and adapt. If an off-the-shelf solution creates more pain points than it eliminates, what has an organization gained by investing in it?

We Do Things Differently

Off-the-shelf business software will always exist. It will always be an option for organizations that don’t want to invest in custom software. Still, we want you to know that Modest does things differently. We design custom business solutions tailored to meet each client’s specific needs.

One of the things we take great pride in is our ability to get to know each and every client. Before we start building any software, we invest ourselves in fully understanding what the client wants to accomplish. We also learn the client’s workflow, business processes, tasks, etc.

We want the finished product to work for the client rather than forcing the client to adapt to the way we wrote the software. Forcing clients to adapt is the start of creating pain points that might never be overcome.

Your Software Shouldn’t Be Painful

The Modest philosophy is that your software should not be painful. No matter the work you do or the industry you are involved in, your business software is a tool that should enhance everything from productivity to customer satisfaction. Nothing about your software should be holding your organization back.

An off-the-shelf solution requiring workarounds to function only creates pain points. Being stuck with such software is motivation enough to look into a customized solution. We encourage you to take a look at what Modest has to offer.

We also want you to know that custom software does not have to be prohibitively expensive. Thanks to our module-based approach, we can design and build affordable business software for nearly any organization.

2 Common Login Problems Custom Business Software Solves | Modest Software Development

2 Common Login Problems Custom Business Software Solves

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Business management software comes in many, many flavors. There is something for everyone. The big challenge is finding an off-the-shelf solution that works well for your organization without requiring workarounds. Speaking of workarounds, two that we are frequently challenged to address are directly related to logging into business software.

Here they are:

  1. Sharing logins to avoid paying for additional seats; and
  2. Not providing login credentials to some employees in order to control data access.

Both are workarounds to off-the-shelf software that make life more difficult than it needs to be. Custom business software is the solution. When Modest builds your software on top of our customized business software platform, the login issues go away.

Sharing Logins Among Employees

When it comes to sharing logins to avoid paying for additional seats, we get it. Software licenses can be prohibitively expensive, especially when vendors charge for every seat instead of offering a more economical group license.

Unfortunately, sharing logins is risky. Software developers do have the legal right to license their software as they see fit. They also have the right to enforce said licenses. Being found out of compliance can get very expensive very quickly.

We Don’t Charge for Extra Seats

Here at Modest, we don’t charge for extra seats. We work out a price that both we and the client feel is fair. After that, extra users are welcomed with open arms and at no additional charge. You can have as many seats as you want. You can have as many as you need to ensure that all the work gets done. You will not pay a dime extra.

We believe there is a better way to develop and offer business software. A big part of what we do involves not nickel and diming customers to death through licensing fee structures. When we say you don’t pay for extra seats, that’s exactly what we mean.

Not Providing Login Credentials

Not providing credentials to certain employees in order to prevent data access is another common practice we fully understand. Data is sensitive. It needs to be protected at all costs. But not giving employees credentials only prevents them from participating in the workflow. It could mean extra work for those employees who do have credentials.

It turns out there is a better way to do things. How? We can approach business software security from a permissions-based mindset that limits access to data based on need. We can assign access controls to your entire database as well as your applications. Then we can assign each user a role. Users only have access to data and applications their roles call for.

It Doesn’t Have to Be All or Nothing

Business software security doesn’t have to be an all or nothing deal. It is not like you need to throw open the doors to everyone or lock out the entire world completely. Through the judicious application of permissions and roles, access to both data and applications can be tightly controlled. Everyone on your team can be given login credentials without sacrificing security.

Off-the-shelf business software works well for a small number of businesses. But truth be told, most businesses would be better off with custom management software. Software customization solves plenty of problems including sharing logins to avoid additional licenses and locking some people out in order to control data access.

If you are not convinced, give the Modest team the opportunity to show you exactly how all this works. We would relish the opportunity to try to convince you that our custom business management software can solve your organization’s login problems.

The Crucial Role APIs Play in Custom Software Development

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A company whose bread and butter is custom software development needs to keep up with all the latest trends. That means keeping up with the latest APIs from all the most popular business tools. To say that APIs play a crucial role in custom software development is to state the obvious.

A Software Intermediary

Known formally as an application program interface, the API is essentially an intermediary between differing software systems. APIs allow different applications and services to share data. They facilitate integration so that systems maintain full functionality even while interacting with one another.

At the heart of every API is a core set of rules and protocols. They define how participating systems interact. For example, consider web APIs. Their core function is to facilitate interaction between web-based services and other applications.

How APIs Affect Custom Software Development

As a company that specializes in custom software development, we work with both off-the-shelf and custom APIs on a regular basis. We know firsthand just how crucial they are to the development process. Understanding their role really boils down to knowing how APIs affect what software developers do.

1. Development Speed

Developing custom software can be a time-consuming enterprise. It does not have to be though. At Modest, we manage development speed by utilizing a modular system. But APIs also have an impact on speed.

APIs give us access to pre-built functions and services out of the box. By plugging in the appropriate APIs, we avoid having to build certain portions of our custom software from scratch. This speeds up the process and reduces overall development time.

2. Better Integration

If custom business software has a weak point, it would be interoperability with other systems and applications. APIs reduce interoperability problems by facilitating better integration with third-party services, applications, and databases. Better integration means a more seamless experience along with streamlined functionality.

3. Enhanced Function

Certain types of APIs give us access to advanced features, functions, and capabilities. In addition, APIs offer software developers access to third-party services without having to build those services from scratch. It all adds up to a level of enhanced function that makes a custom software package worth investing in.

4. Improved Scalability

Scalability is always a concern when designing custom software. Businesses need the ability to quickly scale in either direction as circumstances demand. But if a custom software developer does not know how to make its product scalable, there is a problem. APIs can make a significant difference.

Some APIs lend themselves very well to scaling because they allow developers to adapt to new technologies and features. Not only that, but developers can also adapt more quickly due to API standardization.

5. Lower Development Costs

Rounding things out is the potential for robust API deployment to lower development costs. APIs standardize communication and data transfer. They leverage existing functionalities that save developers the time and effort that would otherwise be put into developing those functionalities from the ground up.

APIs Are Building Blocks

A good way to think of APIs is to look at them as building blocks. Developers can deploy specific APIs and then build around them. Where there is a gap in the code, it can probably be filled with another API.

Note that we have simplified this explanation of APIs to help our readers understand the crucial role they play in custom software development. Needless to say, we rely on APIs even though we use a modular system for developing custom business software. In the end, it all works out to your benefit through business software you can actually afford.

Choosing Free, Freemium, or Custom Software for Small Business

Custom Business Software

Finding off-the-shelf, fully functioning software for small business is not the easiest task in the world. So many off-the-shelf products are either terribly bloated or barely functional. Companies are reluctant to invest in them because they don’t feel they are getting enough value. But if not off-the-shelf solutions, then what?

Our experience has been that companies unhappy with off-the-shelf software tend to look at one of three other options: free, freemium, or custom-built business software. Each option comes with its advantages and disadvantages. One of them is always better than settling for an off-the-shelf package that doesn’t quite do what a company wants it to do.

1. Free Software for Small Business

When the chief concern is spending good money on software that doesn’t represent exceptional value, there is the temptation to look at free packages. It is understandable. As long as a company is not going to have to settle for something that could require significant workarounds to make it functional, there is no point in paying a lot for it. If you can get it for free, bonus.

Admittedly, there are some free and open-source software tools worth looking at. There is nothing inherent to free software that dictates it needs to be garbage. But as a general rule, free software is short on function. It almost never comes with support, either. And when you are talking about software for small business, support is critical.

2. Freemium Software for Small Business

When off-the-shelf software doesn’t offer the right functionality and free software fails to deliver on support, there is always the freemium model. Freemium business software is software that offers basic functionality free of charge. Getting access to advanced functions and services means paying a fee.

The freemium model is a common way to introduce a piece of business software to prospective buyers. Developers are willing to accommodate a certain number of free users, knowing that most of their customers will want access to premium features and support. Those that pay cover for those that don’t.

Also note that freemium software generally comes with built-in marketing tools designed to encourage free users to upgrade. In-line marketing can be intrusive and annoying, especially when nag screens are involved.

3. Custom Software for Small Business

When free software won’t cut it and freemium packages prove annoying, there is a third option in custom business software. This is where Modest shines. Custom software for small business is our specialty.

Custom software is just as its name implies. It is business software built exclusively around the needs of the customer. It definitely costs more than free software. It could cost more than freemium software depending on how much a company is willing to spend on premium features and support. Yet custom software can be cheaper than off-the-shelf options.

Why We Believe in the Custom Business Software Model

As a company, we could choose from among several models for delivering software to our clients. We have chosen to build custom software using a modular approach because we believe it is the best way to do things. We believe small businesses benefit tremendously from the custom model – in some cases, even more than they know.

Custom business software from Modest is built to accommodate your workflow and processes. It is built with all the features you need and none that you don’t. With our software, there are no workarounds necessary. You get more function than you would from free software without the nag screens and other marketing tactics normally associated with freemium products. Is there a better way to acquire software for small business?

Software for Small Business: Key Characteristics of Customization

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Software for small businesses comes in all shapes and sizes. You have off-the-shelf software companies buy for less if they can live with limited function. There are off-label deployments of commercial software packages that were designed for an entirely different purpose but that can be utilized effectively enough with some workarounds. Then there is custom software.

Custom software is what we do. We create software specific to each client’s needs based on a modular system that keeps costs in check without sacrificing function. We are firmly committed to custom software as a better solution than off-the-shelf packages and off-label commercial deployments.

That being said, not all custom software solutions are created equally. If you are thinking about software customization, be careful about the vendor you ultimately choose. Here are some key characteristics you should insist on:

1. User Friendliness

There is always the temptation among software developers to create solutions from their point of view rather than the view of those users who will ultimately have to work with it. The end result can be a package that isn’t user-friendly. This is a non-starter for a lot of companies searching for new software.

Software for small businesses should always be user-friendly. It should have as gentle a learning curve as possible. Users should be able to master the software in a few weeks. It should never take months for users to get comfortable.

2. Built-In Scalability

Custom software for small businesses should offer built-in scalability. Otherwise, a company is left having to deploy multiple solutions as their business grows and expands. That might be good for a software developer looking to maximize revenues, but it is not good for the small business. As the customer, a small business deserves scalability.

3. Some Amount of Flexibility

Custom business software should be flexible enough to adapt to a company’s unique needs. However, it should not be so flexible as to be filled with bloat (see the next point). It should definitely not be so rigid as to force users to change workflow unless, of course, changing the workflow would make things more efficient.

Unfortunately, this particular aspect is generally touch-and-go for software developers. It can be hard for them to determine how much flexibility a package needs because they will not be working with the finished project in the wild. Their experiences will be limited to the more sterile development environment.

4. No Bloat (or as little as possible)

For some companies, the impetus for going with custom business software is the opportunity to get a tailor-made solution without any bloat. You know the score. So many off-the-shelf commercial products are so bloated as to be difficult to use. They offer tons of features that never get utilized. In the end, they are paying developers to create a whole bunch of bells and whistles that will remain forever buried in so many menus.

Minimizing bloat makes software more efficient. Just saying no to bloat makes software easier to use, more secure, and decidedly more user-friendly. A smaller footprint on the company’s network is an added bonus.

5. A Budget Friendly Price

Last but not least is a budget friendly price. Companies in need of custom software for small business should not have to pay an arm and a leg to get it. Granted, it’s probably going to be more expensive than off-the-shelf software. Still, custom software should be affordable.

Modest specializes in custom software for small businesses. If you would like to know more about what we do, we are always willing to answer questions, discuss software needs, and propose the best solutions we can.

Like Buildings Software Can Be Built With Modules

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Have you ever heard of modular homes? How about modular hotel construction? The modular concept represents a way to build both residential and commercial structures quicker and more cost-effectively. It turns out we can do the same thing with software.

The Modest software development approach is based on hundreds of different modules, or ‘blocks’ as we like to call them, being assembled and adapted to meet a client’s needs. This model allows us to develop custom business software that is still affordable, even for small businesses.

Building software with blocks doesn’t hamper function or force companies to do with less. In fact, it is just the opposite. Modular software design is capable of giving small businesses everything they need along with nothing they don’t need, including a high final cost.

Constructing with Modules

Modular home and hotel construction is based on a pretty simple premise: building individual modules in a factory setting and then assembling them on site to create the final structure. Modules can be customized to meet the specific needs of the client.

One of the earliest examples of modular construction is found in Walt Disney World’s Contemporary and Polynesian resorts. Both were built via the same process. The frames of the buildings were constructed on site while contractors were building modular rooms at another site located nearby. Once the frame was finished, the modules were trucked to the site and lifted into place via crane.

Although the idea was deemed brilliant, it was also new. The project exceeded anticipated expenses and took longer than planned. But architects and engineers learned a lot. Fifty years later, modular construction is a lot more mature. It works well and saves money.

Building Software with Blocks

Building software with blocks has followed a similar pattern. In the early days, there was a lot to learn. Software developers had to figure out how to build an endless number of blocks that could be interchangeably added and removed to create the perfect piece of software. These days, the process works extremely well.

To build custom business software with blocks, a developer first needs to fully understand the client’s business. That means getting to know the client’s industry, how software is used, and exactly what software needs to accomplish. Getting it right will not happen if the developer doesn’t understand what the client really needs.

With needs understood, the next step is to create the basic framework with the fundamental blocks that will power the software. From there, additional blocks can be added to create the kind of function the client wants. Modifications to those blocks fine-tune everything.

The Perfect Software Every Time

We’ll be honest and say that we love building custom business software using blocks. It allows us to create the perfect software every time. Our customers get exactly what they want without bloat. They get the functions they want, the access control that will keep their software secure, a more affordable fee structure, regular updates, and unparalleled support from our team.

We do all of this in a secure software-as-a-service (SaaS) environment. We give our clients cloud-based software that does exactly what they want it to do. And we owe it all to the block concept.

Building software in blocks might seem strange to you. If so, we get it. But a lot of people thought that Disney was crazy for building two hotels with modular rooms. The truth is that the modular concept works extremely well if it is applied correctly. It works with software just as well as it does with residential homes and commercial buildings.