peekgenticTalk to usGuides · Office automation
Custom software vs. off-the-shelf for a mid-size manufacturer
- Buy for generic work, build for what makes you different.
- Don't bend your process to fit a big platform.
- Hybrid: keep the ERP, automate around it.
How to decide
| Question | Off-the-shelf | Custom around your workflow |
|---|---|---|
| Is the process the same at every company? | Yes → buy | No → build |
| Do your customers send orders in their own formats? | Platforms assume a standard format | Built to read each customer's format |
| Does the knowledge live in a few people's heads? | You adapt to the tool's rules | Their rules get written into the system |
| Will you change systems in 2 years? | Switching cost is high | Sits on top of whatever you run |
The hybrid that usually wins
Keep the ERP and accounting system. Add custom automation for the desks where your process is unique (order entry, quoting, purchasing). People keep working in the tools they know; the typing goes away.
Real example: Atlantic Food Bars. A Dallas-area manufacturer of hot and cold food equipment for national grocery chains, with 8 people in the office and 2 plants, handling dozens of orders a day. The office was about to hire another person (a $60,000+ a year seat) to keep up. Instead, software now reads each order email and fills out the work, and the team checks it in about a tenth of the time. It was built around how their team already worked, and what their veterans knew now lives in the system, so new people get up to speed fast. Read the case study →
FAQ
Is custom software expensive?
It depends on scope. Automating one desk on top of your existing system is far smaller than a platform migration.
Won't custom software be hard to maintain?
Ask any vendor who maintains it when something changes, and make sure every step is logged.
What do most manufacturers choose?
Keep the ERP, add custom automation for the workflows that make them different.
Get more out of every person in your office.
Peekgentic is a Dallas firm that builds custom software around the way your team already works: orders, purchasing, invoices, spreadsheets, email. Not a one-size-fits-all platform you have to bend your process to fit. Your know-how goes into a system that's simple to use, so a new hire gets up to speed fast. We'll come watch how your office runs for 20 minutes and tell you straight where it's worth automating.