Does your Custom Software make you smarter?

Better looking?

Well, maybe not better looking, but definitely more successful and more accomplished. Doesn’t it? Can custom software development really accomplish such lofty goals?

You bet it can.

You see, as humans we are a bucket of contradictions.

On one hand we’re very smart. We figured out how to build skyscrapers, how to travel to space and back and more.

On the other hand, our mental capacity is pretty limited. We can’t really concentrate on more than one thing at a time. Even when we manage to concentrate on something, we need a clear mind to think creatively. Yet our minds are flooded by various thoughts all the time. That means that we constantly need to choose what to think about. What if we need to make two or more important decisions at the same time?

That’s where software magic happens. It allows us to “freeze” a bit of our thinking process and to transfer it into a digital format. It’s as if we thought about a problem ahead of time and saved the thought for the right time. Then, when a decision is actually needed a computer can apply it an endless number of times so that we don’t have to think about it anymore.

Just like that we get more mental bandwidth for creative thinking. To make deals, dream up new business and more.

Of course, it’s not as easy as it sounds. First, in order to “offload” your decision making, you have to identify the process. I say “identify” because many business owners or managers say that they “don’t have a process”, but what they really mean is that they haven’t given it a thought. So, first of all we need to spend time on analyzing our business process and identifying decision making junctures.

Next, we need to digitize this decision making process carefully. Making sure that we don’t miss any details. Who is involved, what is involved, what are the business rules that we want to codify, etc. There are different areas of business functionality that can be “outsourced” to a computer. For example, payroll, inventory, contact management and more.

Finally, we need to create a friendly way for real people to be able to use these rules on a computer so that the new process is viewed as fun and a pleasure.

And, of course, possibly the most important decision to make is a choice of technology to implement your alternate brain.

You may choose a RAD environment like Alpha Anywhere and previously known as Alpha Five or you may choose a more code intensive solution such as: C# and .NET development and use that to add some extensions to Alpha AnyWhere. 

The back end database is also important and either one such as: MySQL or MS SQL will get you there.

In summary, if you stick with few basic rules a computer can become a real helper that off loads routine decision making from you and frees your mind for creative thinking.

Another article that could be very helpful and can be used as an initial guideline is: Custom Software Development 10 steps to engage with the client.

For more questions you may call us at: 732-536-4765 or send us an email via our Contact Us page above.