Building a Systems Development Team - Apps

Can’t I just buy an app for that?

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Contributors Chris Hodge David Brown

One of the biggest shifts in the construction technology ecosystem is the transition from a few large monolithic packages, which might include:

  • ERP System
  • Accounting Package
  • Project Management System
  • Scheduling System

To a regime that includes not only a few large comprehensive software packages, but also many smaller apps that may only do one thing or solve one single problem. The question “can’t i just buy an app for that” has more than one answer, with usually begins with “it depends.”

Sometimes, a single app is the perfect solution for a test to prove-out an idea or as a short-term gap filler, while a more full-featured solution can be implemented. Sometimes, the best thing to do is just try SOMETHING to find out what doesn’t work. This is especially true if the path forward is filled with unknowns.

A major drawback to single-task apps is that they’re so relatively easy to download and try that you can end up with a multitude of single-use apps, which can become extremely hard to manage and even harder to integrate the data throughout the organization. Ultimately, apps have earned their place in the construction technology ecosystem and should absolutely be taken advantage of while also being cautious to not over-do it.

This is Part 13 of an 18-Part Series


Topics Covered in the Series Include:

  • Outsourcing
  • Software
  • Mistakes
  • Risk
  • Starting

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More from Steve Jost
Building a Systems Development Team - Starting
Most Systems Development teams start with someone doing report writing or other forms of data extraction and integration, such as creating a dashboard or streamlining through imports.
Building a Systems Development Team - Outsourcing
Can’t we just hire somebody to do this for us? The answer is more complex than a simple "Yes" or "No."
Building a Systems Development Team - Mistakes
While there are many benefits to contractors starting their own internal Systems Development teams, there are also many risks.