Posts on Bespoke Software

The new course booking system that SkillsLogic developed for the Education and Training Foundation is a great example of how we work with a client to turn an initial set of broad requirements into a mission critical web application that delivers real value from the day it goes live.

Should you think about building a mobile app to sit alongside your web application? Here are some reasons why it might be a good idea:

DevOps is a way of working that builds closer collaboration between software developers and the team that manages the software after it's gone live. It's related to 'agile development' and is partly a response to agile's tendency to increase the frequency of software releases.

Moodle's used by a lot of training providers, FE colleges and other organisations to deliver online course material to remote learners. It’s open source so it’s free to download and use - anyone can install it on a server, set up a course and enrol some learners.

The Education and Training Foundation’s new course booking system - ETF Booking - has been designed and developed by SkillsLogic

Birmingham Changing Futures Together is a city wide project that aims to support people with multiple needs. It's coordinated by Birmingham Voluntary Services Council and brings together a network of supporting agencies who together will deliver joined-up targeted support to more than 1000 clients.

Our experience at SkillsLogic is that there are two broad categories of bespoke software, each with their own challenges.

We've made good use of Google Charts in our development of the new Staff Individualised Record (SIR) data collection and reporting system for The Education and Training Foundation.

From time to time SkillsLogic is asked to help out on a software development project that isn't going to plan. Most of these projects seem to get into trouble for one or more of the following reasons:

SkillsLogic's project portfolio includes both small developments that might take one developer just 2 or 3 weeks and much larger multi-developer projects that are delivered in phases over many months. Our biggest software development projects are long term commitments that last several years (and include both ongoing technical support and hosting). It is possible though to give some examples of the kind of work we do together with ballpark figures. The cost of bespoke software development varies - by definition it's bespoke - but these examples should give you some idea of the likely cost of your project.