Top Contenders In Custom Software Development This Year

Off the shelf software can be a great solution for many businesses, but it doesn’t always provide the flexibility needed as an organisation grows. Whether you’re dealing with outdated systems, complex processes, or a specific business requirement that standard software can’t handle, custom software development can provide a more tailored alternative. But, the challenge is finding the right development partner. The UK has a large number of software companies, ranging from smaller specialist agencies, to large consultancies that are capable of handling more complex enterprise projects. 

Current industry directories have hundreds of providers, with expertise spanning bespoke applications, cloud development, AI, mobile apps, and more. 

Of course, the biggest or most well known company does not automatically mean that it’s the best for every project. Budget, technical expertise, industry experience, and more are all going to impact the end result, as well as more considerations on top of that. 

In this article, we’re going to be diving into some of the top contenders in custom software development this year, and hopefully one of them will stand out to you. If you want to know more, you know what to do. 

Talk Think Do

Talk Think Do is a UK based custom software development company and engineering consultancy that you will find in Bournemouth. Since 2014, the company has specialised in designing, building and supporting bespoke software for organisations that have outgrown off the shelf solutions or need technology built around their specific workflows. 

The services that they offer include custom software development, cloud applications, mobile apps, AI implementation, API integrations, and so much more. They primarily work with Microsoft Azure, which is a huge bonus for those who already work within this ecosystem.

One of the most notable parts of what this company offers is the AI-augmented software development. The company says its engineers use AI tools throughout the development process, and that using this approach allows them to deliver their solutions around 40% faster than other companies on the market right now. Even having said that though, the engineers remain responsible for the architecture, testing, and quality control.

Pros:

  • Strong bespoke software expertise
  • Full source code ownership 
  • AI-augmented development
  • Strong security credentials
  • Strong Microsoft expertise 
  • End to end support
  • Useful for legacy systems
  • Experienced across a number of sectors

Cons:

  • Custom software can be expensive
  • May be unnecessary for straightforward projects
  • Requires client involvement
  • Ongoing responsibility 
  • Smaller than major consultancies
  • AI delivery claims are reported by the company – fact check them

Thoughtworks

Thoughtworks is a global technology consultancy and software engineering company. With more than 30 years of experience helping organisations to build, modernise, and scale with their digital products and platforms, they have a strong reputation in the industry. Its services cover software engineering, product development, cloud, data, AI, and more.

While Thoughtworks is considerably larger and more global than a specialist company, the custom software expertise is a major part of its selling point. The company works with organisations ranging from high-growth businesses to major enterprises and it has experience across a number of industries. 

Over the years, they have introduced AI more into their offerings. They have a specialist platform for this, and you can talk to them all about their offerings here. 

It’s true that they take a relatively agnostic approach to cloud, working with major platforms alongside a number of partners to ensure they can provide the best service to all of their clients. 

Pros:

  • Over 30 years of experience
  • Strong software engineering credentials
  • Fantastic legacy modernising expertise
  • Cloud platform flexibility
  • Broad range of services
  • Ongoing managed services
  • Strong technical leadership
  • Global reach

Cons:

  • Could be overkill for some smaller projects
  • Can be expensive
  • Complex projects require commitment 
  • May not suit straightforward SaaS requirements 

Made Tech

Made Tech is a UK based digital, data, and technology company. They specialise in helping public sector organisations modernise technology and deliver better digital services. Unlike some of the broader software development consultancies on this list, Made Tech has a particularly strong focus on government and public services, working with central and local government, as well as education, transport, housing, and other organisations. 

The company offers digital transformation, cloud and engineering, data and AI, digital service delivery, managed services, legacy application modernisation and so much more. As such, it can be involved in the early stages of the project, all the way to the end which is what most companies want, rather than changing hands over and over. 

They have more than 15 years worth of experience working with organisations involved in national security and public safety, so you know that they are good at what they do. We also want to point out that they have also adopted AI more in recent years. It’s becoming an increasingly important part of what they offer, so that’s something to consider. 

Pros:

  • Strong public sector expertise
  • Experience working with complex projects
  • Excellent legacy modernisation expertise 
  • End to end capabilities 
  • AI and data expertise
  • User centered approach
  • Ongoing support
  • National presence 

Cons:

  • Very much focused on the public sector
  • Potentially a bit much for smaller projects 
  • There could be significant investment needed to make it work
  • They are more specialist than general purpose 
  • Large transformations take time

We hope that you have found this article helpful, and you now have more of an idea about some of the top contenders that you should be considering for this task. We know that it’s an important decision and that can make some people wary of making it, but don’t let this be the case. You need to do your research on top of the information that we have given you, and then you can use all of it to decide which one is going to be the best choice for you. 

Do not rush into any sort of commitment with a company that you are not fully sure about, because this could end up being worse than not partnering with a company at all. Talk to them all that you’re considering, and then you can go from there.