When custom software makes sense, what it costs, how a project works – and when standard software is the better choice.
Custom software is developed for a specific company and its processes, rather than being sold as a finished product to many. It reflects processes as they actually occur – the company is responsible for development, oper...
Read answerThe price is determined by effort multiplied by daily rate – not from a price list. Three factors are crucial for the effort: the number of different processes, the number of interfaces to other systems, and the requirem...
Read answerAn MVP (Minimum Viable Product) is the smallest version of software that provides real value in everyday use. It is not an unfinished product, but a complete small one. The purpose: to test assumptions against reality ea...
Read answerWhen multiple people are working on it simultaneously, when no one knows which file is the current one, when formulas are only understood by one person, or when an error could cause real damage. As long as one person is...
Read answerVendor lock-in means that switching providers becomes disproportionately expensive or practically impossible. In custom software, it rarely arises from the code itself, but from what is missing: no access to the reposito...
Read answerIn general, yes. The usual approach begins with an inventory: reviewing the code, checking dependencies, assessing security. Stabilization follows, without immediate restructuring. A complete rebuild is the exception – i...
Read answerIt depends less on the technology and more on three other factors: how clear the requirements are, how quickly decisions are made, and how many external systems need to be integrated. A first usable version is usually ac...
Read answerRarely due to technology. The most common causes are: unclear goals, no one with decision-making authority, scope creep without an increasing budget, and users being consulted only at the end. All four are organizational...
Read answerAn API is an agreed way for two programs to communicate. One requests something, and the other responds in a defined format. The advantage over direct access to external databases is that both sides can change internally...
Read answerNot based on price and not on the technology list. Four things are significant: references you can speak to; an offer that also describes what is not included; transparency about operating costs after launch; and the wil...
Read answerAt its core, three things: secure login, view your own process, and be able to initiate something. Everything else – files, notifications, reports, invoices – comes afterward. A portal rarely fails due to missing functio...
Read answerTypically in two to three meetings: observing how work is done today; jointly documenting the process; reviewing special cases. The result is a description from which a reliable effort can be derived. The value lies not...
Read answerA clickable prototype clarifies more in one hour than a thirty-page concept in a week. People struggle to assess whether a description fits their daily work – but can immediately tell if a screen works. The concept remai...
Read answerBased on previously agreed criteria, not on feelings. A testing phase with real data and real users is common, along with a list of identified deviations classified by severity, and an acceptance that does not block mino...
Read answerDo not decide individually, but collect. Each request goes on a visible list with estimated effort. Regularly – about every two weeks – prioritize: What gets added, what gets removed, what is on hold. This keeps the fram...
Read answerNot just the source code. It includes: access to the repository, operational documentation, credentials in your possession, a description of the environment, and at least one training session for the future users. Withou...
Read answerA database stores data in a structured way and ensures that many people can work with it simultaneously without overwriting each other. This is the key difference from a file: An Excel spreadsheet can only be effectively...
Read answerFor most companies, the cloud: ready to go in no time, no investment, built-in reliability. An own server is worthwhile if legal requirements demand it, there is very high and consistent load, or a data center already ex...
Read answerScalable means: The system remains usable as the quantity grows – more users, more data, more processes. The important question is how much growth is realistic. Software built for one hundred users that is intended for o...
Read answerBecause otherwise, every change is a risk. Automated tests check within minutes whether everything that worked before still functions after an adjustment. Without them, every further development becomes more expensive an...
Read answerTechnical debt arises when a quick solution is chosen instead of a clean one. Like a loan, it incurs interest: every subsequent change takes a bit longer. This is not inherently wrong – one just needs to be aware that de...
Read answerSince June 28, 2025, the Accessibility Strengthening Act (BFSG) applies. This affects online shops, banking services, passenger transport, and e-books – each in business with consumers. Pure applications between companie...
Read answerExternally commissioned software is an acquired intangible asset and is capitalized and amortized over its useful life. For self-created software, there is an option under commercial law, but a prohibition on capitalizat...
Read answerYes, at the federal, state, and partially EU level – however, the programs change frequently, expire, and are reintroduced. The most important rule: The application must be submitted before the commissioning. Those who c...
Read answerThe core is inventory management: stocks, orders, suppliers, prices. Custom development becomes interesting where standard systems reach their limits – customer-specific price lists, tiered pricing, framework agreements,...
Read answerThere is often a gap between ERP and machines in many companies: the ERP knows orders, the machine knows cycles, but no one knows in real-time where an order stands. Custom development usually addresses this gap – order...
Read answerMember management with fee collection is the core. This is complemented by communication, events, and often a member area. The unique aspect compared to companies: changing voluntary support – the software must be operab...
Read answerA contract for work guarantees a result and ends with acceptance – suitable for clearly defined scope. A service contract guarantees the activity, not the outcome – suitable for ongoing development and operation. In prac...
Read answerIn a contract for work, the limitation period for defect claims is generally two years from acceptance (§ 634a BGB). What constitutes a defect is crucial – this is why the agreed requirements are so important. Anything n...
Read answerWhenever a service provider processes personal data on your behalf – including hosting, software maintenance with access to live data, and support. The contract according to Art. 28 GDPR must be concluded before processi...
Read answerAlmost every modern software uses open-source components. Most licenses – MIT, Apache, BSD – allow commercial use without conditions other than attribution. Caution is advised with so-called copyleft licenses like the GP...
Read answerIt entirely depends on what you arranged beforehand. With repository access, your own credentials, and operational documentation, a transition is inconvenient but feasible. Without these three things, your system will be...
Read answerNeither fundamentally more secure nor less secure than standard software – it depends on maintenance and care. Standard software is reviewed by many, but it is also a more lucrative target. Custom software is less in foc...
Read answerIn steps, not on a specific date. A proven method is parallel operation: the new system initially takes over one area while the old one continues to run. Only when the new area is stable does the next follow. Switching o...
Read answerComparing annual salary to daily rates can be misleading, as an employee is only productively available for about 200 out of 365 days, with additional costs for overhead, equipment, and training. An employee is worthwhil...
Read answerOnly if they have been explicitly agreed upon – a penalty never arises from the law, but always from a penalty promise (§ 339 BGB). What arrangement Ouhud GmbH offers is available upon request. Without such an agreement,...
Read answerPrioritizing requirements in a project with a limited budget and timeframe requires a structured approach. First, requirements should be evaluated based on their business value and urgency. Methods such as MoSCoW (Must h...
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