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A custom written software program can provide dramatic benefits to your organization's productivity. In speaking with diverse groups of prospective clients, we have found that generally,
there is a lack of understanding
about what custom software is about, how it can
benefit a company in
it's daily operations.
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| 1. WHAT IS CUSTOM SOFTWARE |
Custom software design is not new. It used to be practical for only larger companies due to the once high cost and complexities of bringing a
custom application to useful fruition. Over the past decade, mainly due
to the evolution of powerful data management and programming applications, many smaller companies have realized that the cost is insignificant when weighed against the many benefits to be had.
Custom software is a program or group of programs that work in
conjunction with one
another to manage information exactly the way
your company does business. When designing a 'custom solution', the procedures and methodologies that exist in your business are what is
used as a basis for the program design. The software becomes a reflection
of your internal procedures. A solution can be created to accommodate
one small routine that may need automating, or it can handle many tasks within the company up to and including integrating every data management function within your organization. What it does is up to you. (go top)
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| 2. THE ADVANTAGES |
The advantages of implementing a system like this can be measured first
by comparing the propsed system to the way information is managed
now...
Currently on a Paper System - If you are currently on a paper driven
system, the speed, processing and storage capabilities of the computer
will provide you with greatly improved productivity. In most cases,
significant time can be saved by switching to a computer based system.
(go top)
Reduced Paper Storage and Printing Requirements - By storing all of your information on the computer you can reduce significantly or eliminate
your need to store boxes of invoices, files, job information, project information, etc.. Printing costs related to forms and invoices can be
saved because the software is able to generate them on plain paper
or duplicate forms. Time savings can be realized by not having to devote manpower to creating, filing, and retrieving paper form reports. Valuable office space can be reclaimed by not having to store dozens of file boxes. (go top)
Safety in Backups - Backup information critical but often overlooked
aspect to your valulable business data. By storing your critical company
information on computer, the information can and should be 'backed up'
or copied onto external portable hard drives (many other backup medium
types can be used). A copy (drive) can
then be kept off the company premises so if there were ever a fire, theft, or other calamity, you would
still have a copy of your business information on tape. This is like having
two copies of every paper document that your company creates stored in different locations; and it can all fit in the palm of your hand. (go top)
More Efficient Reporting - From the operator's level on up, reporting information regarding current and projected operations is crucial. With a customized software system you can design reports to produce the information you want, the way you want to see it at the touch of a few keystrokes. Hours, even days can be saved by creating custom reports
that in seconds generate the data that an employee may take hours or
days to compile; and it is available anytime you need it! (go top)
Increased Productivity - This aspect is one of the most valuable
benefits to be gained by a custom application. Put simply, it means less employee hours spent to produce the same results. This translates into reduced FTEs (full time employees). Think of the money that can be saved
if every employee involved in your data management functions saved just
one hour a day. Say for example that you have just five persons involved
with these operations (could include secretaries, file clerks, managers,
even general employees).
Example:
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1 hours saved per day (1 hour per employee)
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$8.50 - avg. hourly wage for this level of employee
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$8.50 per day total saved
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250 actual working days in a year
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$2,125 in savings annually - PER EMPLOYEE
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* Note that this example uses a minimal number of employees. Increase
the number of employees, the average wage, or the days worked per
year and the total savings can increase dramatically, especially in a multi-shift scenario.
Change as you Evolve - A custom application can change as you do.
One of the main drawbacks to an 'off the shelf' computer application,
or even a vertical market product (one specifically tailored to your industry),
is that you still have to do things the way the software requires you to.
And when you change or improve on a procedure or function within the business, it may not be reflected in the software. With custom software
you can have the changes in your business added into the existing
system as they occur. You will never have an outdated or obsolete
software program because it is infinitely changeable.
More Competitive Position in Marketplace - In business today, no
matter what the industry or field, there are always new
companies coming along ready to go head to head with you wielding a
lower price, or a
better product value offered to the marketplace. It is crucial for your
business to remain competitive and to do so means optimizing the
productivity of your staff. A custom solution means increased productivity
and lower costs. Lower cost means better competitive position in the
marketplace.(go top) |
| 3. THE COST |
The cost of a custom application is not definable without knowing the
exact requirements of a project. Applications we have produced range
anywhere from $750 to $200,000. It depends on the scope of the
application. If all you need is a database to keep track of client contacts,
or perhaps a simple program that tracks company vehicle scheduling,
these would probably fall in the lower end of the cost range. If on the
other hand, you need an application that manages 75 stamping presses,
handles operator activities and provides management with reporting on
plant processes, it could fall well into the mid to upper range.
The dollar cost of producing an application needs to be measured against
the gains to be derived. To determine the cost, you need to compare the
time you spend now at tasks against the time you would spend doing
things (data entry, filing, storage space, printing cost, etc., better
information access) from within the custom application. Below are
three examples provided in an attempt to demostate gains. The
following examples are from actual clients and should help you gain
some perspective on the potential. (go top) |
| 4. CASE STUDIES |
Case #1 - A Medium Size Metals Stamping Company
Quality Control Application - 3 Shifts - 101 operators - 6 Day Week
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Time saved per day, per operator - 1 Hr.
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101 Operators - 6 Hrs Saved Per Week, Per Operator
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606 Hrs x $12 Per Hour = $7272.00 Saved Per Week
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3 Secretarial - 15 Hrs Saved Per Week, Per Secretary
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45 Hrs x $11.50 Per Hour = $517.50 Saved Per Week
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1 Full time records management position eliminated
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40 Hrs x $11.50 Per Hour = $460.00 Saved Per Week
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6 Managers - increase in efficiency
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(conservative est.) 5 Hours Saved Per Week Per Manager
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12 Hrs x $19.50 Per Hour = $585.00 Saved Per Week
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Total Saved Per Week = $8,834.50
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Total Project Cost = $20,000.00
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Weeks to Recover Cost - 2.3
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Annual Savings After Cost Recovery = $459,394.00
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Case #2 - Travel Agency Case #2 - Travel Agency
Personal client contact manager 1 Shift - 3 agents - 5 Day Week
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Time saved per day, per agent - 1 Hr.
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3 Travel Agents - 5 Hours Saved Per Agent, Per Week
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15 Hrs x $11.50 Per Hour = $172.50 Saved Per Week
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Total Project Cost = $5000.00
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Weeks to Recover Cost - 28
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Annual Savings After Cost Recovery = $6,738.00
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Case #3 - A Large Engineering/Architectural Firm Case #3 - A Large Engineering/Architectural Firm Construction Project Management Application - 1 Shift - 9 engineers - 5 Day Week
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Time saved per day, per engineer - 30 Min.
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9 Engineers x 2.5 Hrs Saved Per Week, Per Engineer
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22.5 Hrs x $35.00 Per Hour = $787.50 Saved Per Week
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Total Project Cost = $15,000.00
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Weeks to Recover Cost - 32
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Annual Savings After Cost Recovery = $40,950.00
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As you can see by these examples, the 'break even' point on these projects was not very far down the road. These are not 'pie in the sky' examples. These were average examples of real clients' investment and return on projects. Even cases where a project took a year to break even, it would, to most business owners, more than justify the expenditure. One factor not included in these figures was the cost to train users on the new system as well as slowed productivity during that brief period. This draw-down on the cost benefit would be less that 3% of the total annual savings the first year only. (go top)
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5. QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
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These are a few questions from past clients that we have fielded. We provide them here with the hope that they may answer questions that
you might have.
1. I already use a good computer application by company XYZ. What
good will it do me to switch to a custom solution?
Answer: Company XYZ had a great idea for a software application when
they created it, but unless it was a custom solution (which it was not if
others could purchase the same package off the shelf), they probably
did not create it with your company in mind. Since it is impossible to build
a computer application to be all things to all companies in a specific
industry or field, they created it 'generic' enough to do most things that
would be required fairly well. I will admit that in many cases this is enough
for a business to survive and grow just fine. But if you find yourself wishing
that the software could do things that it cannot do, the solution becomes
clear.
2. If your company writes a program for me, would I always need your help to maintain, support, and make changes that I might want in the future?
Answer: Once an application has been developed, fully tested and debugged, there is little or no need for our presence except in the event
of changes you may require. If we are fortunate enough one day to call
you our client, be assured that we will do our best to provide for your
needs over time. If however, you should require another company to
service or work on
your program, or if you ever decide just do it 'in house'
with a staff developer, this is very workable. Our software is currently
developed under Microsoft Visual FoxPro. These products are supported
by Microsoft, the largest software manufacturer in the world and there
are other companies that provide services similar to our own. So no,
you are not 'tied to us' in any way.
3. How can I determine if a custom solution is right for my company?
Answer: The custom software solution is not right for everyone. Many organizations can get by just fine with 'off the shelf' applications. A
custom solution becomes ractical when you realize that there are many functions or even one important function within your organization that needs to be automated, but has not been due to lack of the proper software to perform the task. Sit down an create a list similar to the case examples cited above. They are of course condensed versions of the actual data used to create them, but your task is to identify areas that
could possibly be improved though use of a custom application. Think of all those times you thought 'I wish that the computer could do this', and write them down. Then try to value those functions in terms of time spent now, as opposed to what time might be spent under the custom applic-
ation. This last comparison may be difficult for you with knowing how
exactly we would make things work within the application itself, but
development companies will usually be happy to assist you with this
process. Most simple analysis are at no cost. Those that are more complex
can sometimes carry a fee, depending on the vendor. Our policy is to
take the cost of a complex analysis off the contract price, should a client
go ahead with the project.
4. What is the process of creating an application like? And what time will it require of my staff and employees?
Answer: The actual processes that take place are as follows:
Design Development - Developer works with your staff in determining
exactly what program(s) will be required to do, reports that will be
needed, system configuration (i.e. networkable, etc.), and in general
just define the project.
Formal Quote - Developer presents you with a formal quote on the project, and on approval, begins the work.
Design Implementation - Further detailed work is done on the design concepts, as we begin to generate screens and things that you approve
on an incremental basis so that both parties are both confident that the project is 'on track' with regard to design.
Testing and Debugging - Once the application has been written and is in place, you begin to learn how to use it (in a test mode) while at the same time 'debugging' it with the developer. 'Debugging' is a term used in programming for finding and correcting the flaws.
Real Time Monitoring - Once the program is in actual use, we monitor operations to make sure that everything is functioning correctly.
Obviously with a smaller project, all of these steps may not be required,
but they are presented to give you an idea of the process itself.
5. What language do you use to develop your programs?
Answer: Different developers use different programming languages to produce custom applications. We are presently developing all of our
software in Visual FoxPro For Windows. This product is a database development language produced and supported by The Microsoft
Corp., the largest and most successful software manufacturer of all time. They
offer an immense amount of flexibility as well as the ability to tie into
other programming languages as well as applications if required. The
FoxPro products are acknowledged by most impartial industry analysts,
as being the premier leading edge product among it's peers.
6. Do I have to upgrade my computer systems to accommodate a
custom program?
Answer: This depends of course on the equipment that you are using
now. In general, a Pentium II or greater with 32MB of ram will suffice.
Hard drive space available
to store the custom application and it's data
is dependent on your storage needs and size of the data set being
managed.
7. What about training our personnel on how to use the program?
Answer: During the development phase of the project, we work one on
one with you personnel in creating and debugging the application itself. Through this process those involve usually acquire a reasonably good working knowledge of the program. At the conclusion of the project we
then fill in the gaps. Documentation, or a user's manual can also be produced, when requested. We find about 50 % of companies having
their own software developed choose to create the user's manual in
house It is one area that can be used to help reduce the overall up front
development cost.
8. What kinds of business applications does your company develop?
Answer: Pretty much any type of business endeavor can be addressed. We are obviously not experts in every area of business, but on those applications that have very unique, industry specific aspects, we have access to a wealth of consultants in any particular area that assist us with special problems. We have developed applications in the following areas;
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Light Manufacturing
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Medical
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General Business
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Accounting
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Distribution/Wholesale
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Engineering/Arcitectual
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Service Businesses
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Communications
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Education
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Government
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and many others...
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Preliminary to a project you may be considering, our company offers
an initial consultation at no cost or obligation to you whatsoever. We
will come to your site or speak with you by phone to discuss the
issues above within peratining to you specific goals. By the end of this
consultation you will have a pretty good idea about whether a custom
solution is right for you. We are very straightforward about this, in that
if we feel a custom design is not necessary for your company we will tell
you honestly. We may recommend an existing software package made
by another company or other improvements to your existing data
management procedures that may save you money.
(go top) |
WEB DESIGN |
For a business operating in today's globaly competitve markets, having
a web site is not an option; it's a must. Rare is a business
venture
that does not have a web presence. Customers expect it. Aargus
has a comprehensive approach to design ground up sites or making changes and improvements to existing ones.
What we do...
1. We get to know you and your company and the many critical
aspects of your business.
2. We listen to what you need in a web site and offer suggestions
that expand on those ideas, providing options that will offer
addtional or alternative elements you may choose.
3. We will provide you with a wide variety of marketing options that
will get your site visible to the world through searches.
4. Support and evolution of your site are as important as the site
itself. We will assist you in position searches, traffic volume reports
best keyword selections, and more. This process, known as Search
Engine Optimization
is crucial to your sites search success.
5. Site stastitic's reporting is an invaluable tool to measure your site's
traffic and where your visitors come from. Click the link in the sentence
above to see examples
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| HOSTING |
Aargus provides professional web site hosting with a 99.9% uptime.
We'll even setup emails and passwords or, if you prefer, you may
ad them yourself through the control panel.
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| SERVICE |
| Aargus provides web site and custom program maintenance on and as needed basis. We will also respond to network or wireless network emergencies and offer general computer service. |
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