Last Updated: July 15, 2019

How to Prevent IT Disasters with Off-the-Shelf Solutions

Large software projects are like catnip to corporations and governments. There’s something irresistible to them about wanting to create and build a system, perfectly customized and tailored to their needs and uses. Despite billions wasted, deadlines blown, and huge PR nightmares – companies keep pushing forward thinking theirs will be the project that defies expectations.

And there’s been some very public and very large disasters all along the way:

Despite such catastrophic failures, many companies and governments still push forward on ambitious projects without properly evaluating a project’s feasibility. The questions that you need to ask yourself are quite simple but the more complicated the answers, the more risky the project. Some things to consider include:

  • In-house expertise – Do you have the necessary skills and expertise within your organization to plan, develop, and manage such a complex project?
  • Budget constraints – Is there a sufficient budget to adequately cover expenses and project contingencies?
  • Time constraints – Has enough time been allocated to successfully develop and sufficiently test/QA the project?
  • Off-the-shelf solutions – Are there already pre-built solutions on the market that meet most (if not all) of your technology needs?
  • Competitive advantage – Will this project and technology be a source of competitive advantage for you?

The allure of building something that is 100% suited to your needs can be exciting. But that excitement shouldn’t cloud your judgement in doing your due diligence when evaluating the health and feasibility of a project. Using a pre-built solution isn’t admitting defeat – it can be the wiser course of action in many cases and may save you millions of dollars and years of wasted effort.

Check out our whitepaper: “Build vs Buy: Why Going it Alone Doesn’t Always Work in Software Development” and learn how you can not only build better software, but also make smarter decisions.

Navrup Johal

Navrup Johal

Navrup is a Product Marketing Manager at ActiveState. She is responsible for the developing and executing the marketing strategy and product positioning for Stackato. She holds a Bachelor of Science from the University of British Columbia and Masters of Business Administration from Simon Fraser University.