Glossary
An application designed and built specifically for one company's processes, which it owns, as opposed to a standard software package rented and shared by thousands of organizations.
Custom software is an application built for one specific company, from its processes, its rules and its vocabulary. The company owns the code. There are no per-user licences and no unused features: every screen exists because someone needed it.
When the process is the company's competitive edge and no standard package reproduces it without distorting it. When the team works around its current software with Excel, a sign the standard product does not fit. When the number of users makes subscriptions more expensive than development. Or when several systems must be connected and a central application acts as the conductor.
For generic functions (accounting, payroll, email, electronic signature), a standard product is almost always the better choice. Custom targets what sets the company apart, not what it shares with every other business. The hybrid approach combines both.
In Quebec, custom management software for an SMB usually lands between $50,000 and $250,000 depending on scope, delivered in phases over 3 to 9 months. The approach starts with scoping that documents the requirements, continues with an MVP put in users' hands early, then iterations. Annual maintenance represents about 15 to 20% of the initial investment.
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A small internal tool starts around $25,000; complete management software for an SMB lands between $50,000 and $250,000. The initial scoping gives a firm estimate before development starts.
The client company, if the contract says so. Check that clause before signing: it is what lets you change vendors without starting over.
From 3 to 9 months for a first production-ready system, depending on scope. Phased delivery puts the first version to work well before the project ends.
