|
To Shrink Or Not To Shrink?
When it comes to software, one size never fits all. How many times have you said “This software package is great. I just wish it could also…’’ ? It is a fact that most software packages available off-the-shelf cannot meet all needs. As a software publisher, even though we have shrink-wrapped software products available, we recognize this, and therefore, offer custom tailored software products to our customers.
The idea of custom software is a scary thing for some. Hiring a consultant who bills hundreds of dollars per hour, doing things you are not 100% sure about, telling you that he needs to program an additional so many hours, can certainly be an endeavor you don’t want to be involved with. At Industrial Labeling Systems, we approach the whole issue differently:
We Deliver A Product
We are not ‘consultants’. We are true ‘solution providers’. Instead of billing you for every minute we think about your project, we propose the best way to develop it to match your actual needs. We recognize custom software development as a tool that enables us to give you a true solution. We deliver you a product based on a pre-defined set of specifications.
Complete Project Management
Our custom software development goes beyond just ‘coding’. We help you define your needs, develop a preliminary specification, provide a fixed-price quotation for the project and actually manage the project for you. When we deliver the final product, our Professional Services Group is there to install, train and support the system for many years to come.
Selecting A Software Vendor
You may come across many individuals or organizations that claim they can develop the custom software solution you need. So how do you pick ‘the right software partner’?
If you were developing the space shuttle, you would choose a vendor who has experience designing spacecraft. So why would you choose a consultant who may be the greatest programmer on earth but has never been involved in barcode based printing or tracking application before?
If your application revolves around identifying a product, printing barcode labels, scanning barcoded information, tracking inventory levels, recording product configurations, tracking workflow, managing RMAs (return material authorizations), tracking product rework, tracking documents, interfacing the listed applications with a host application such as ERP, MRPII, WMS, etc., Industrial Labeling Systems, Corporation is the business partner you deserve.
Why Don’t All Barcoding Companies Actively Offer Custom Software Solutions?
Simply because they can’t. Developing custom software and actually making it work for a customer’s needs is a very complex thing to do. It requires a certain corporate culture as well as structure. You cannot expect a ‘box shifter’ who simply buys a printer from one manufacturer, a scanner from another, adds the labeling software from a third vendor, ships to you and asks you to deal with the rest of the issues, to provide you actual solutions that require customized software. At Industrial Labeling Systems, we don’t just ‘offer’ custom software. We believe that there are some solutions that cannot be provided without it. Since our goal is to provide complete solutions, custom software has to be one of the product offerings that help us be the partner you need.
|
