What is Custom Software?

Large computer software companies write computer programs which are used by millions, or hundreds of millions of end users. In order to satisfy the needs of each user, these programs must be general purpose, with countless options to enable more specialized behaviour for the billions of variations demanded by each customers' unique needs. Tailoring this general-purpose software to the specific needs of an organization is often a complex task, and usually ends with training the end-users to follow the precise sequence of steps to accomplished the desired tasks.

In contrast, custom software is written for the specific needs of one organization, or even a single user. It may perform only a few tasks, but these are highly optimized to their individual needs. Instead of training the users to open directories, and import data using the appropriate filters, and following the required steps to generate the desired output, the program is designed to look in the proper locations for the data, load it with the required filters, and process the data with the required steps to produce the desired output.

Instead of the end users working for the needs of the computer software, the computer software works for the needs of the end user.