If Only My Software Could Do…

Custom Programming Made Easy

– Don Capman, President, J.D. Associates

There are so many times when I’m using my various software applications that I wish the particular solution would do something that it doesn’t do. Like everyone else in the world, I am a hostage to Microsoft. I just open the box, install the CD and live by its rules. BRAVE NEW WORLD is actually here. I feel that my life has been engineered by Microsoft. I even have a few Microsoft shirts for when it’s appropriate to wear the “uniform.” This month I will be attending the Worldwide Microsoft Partner Conference in Boston to receive further indoctrination. Well, it might seem like I’m complaining, but as I remember cranking out term papers on my manual portable Smith Corona typewriter in college, I think how much easier life would have been if I had the technology we have today. I do, however, miss the white out.

Over past years, if you wanted software that could do everything on your wish list, you would pay an exorbitant price for a programmer to write you a solution from the ground up. Unless, of course, the programmer was your unemployed brother-in-law who liked to dabble in programming in between visits to the unemployment office. Then, when your custom program was completed, you had the distinct privilege of being the first to try it out in real life and work out months of “bugs.” This phase was particularly exciting if you lost all of your data and forgot to do a back up.

Today, because there are many viable POS solutions available, most companies do not hire a programmer to write a full-featured POS solution from the ground up. They evaluate “tried and true” solutions like Microsoft Dynamics Retail Management System or Retail Pro and choose the one that best matches their requirements. After using one of these solutions for a while, certain users, such as buyers, might want increased functionality which would require a custom add-on. Since add-ons (sometimes referred to as plug-ins) are usually not a part of the core program code, data loss is rarely an issue.

There are generally 2 major types of customizations:

1. General add-ons are already written and have appeal to a wide range of users. A great example of this type of add-on is a Customer Loyalty Program. This add-on lets your customers accumulate points every time they make a purchase. These points may be translated into redeemable dollars or products. Customer Loyalty Programs have proven to be a very successful tool for customer retention. Since this type of add-on has a wide range of appeal, it can be purchased at a very reasonable price.
2. Specialized Customizations are add-ons that are very specific to a company. An example of this might be customizing a form in a purchase order module that allows a buyer multiple views of a product and its history on one page. This type of add-on is usually more costly since it is being developed for a specific client.

Keep in mind, like your POS solution, the developer (e.g. Microsoft or J.D. Associates) owns the customizations and the add-ons and licenses them to the end-user.

When receiving inquiries for custom programming, we sometimes get requests for functionality that already exists within the core solution. End-users just didn’t realize it. All these types of requests get processed through our training department.

So, how do you request a quote for a custom add-on? Simply click on the link below, which will bring you to the J.D. Associates Custom Programming page and first look at what is currently available for your POS solution. Your request might already be part of our add-on inventory and, subsequently, very affordable. If you don’t find what you are looking for, click on “Request A Program.” Complete the form and a member of our Custom Programming Team will call you for further information. If the custom add-on is “doable,” the programmer will draft a quote to design the custom add-on. All custom programming work is currently billed at $175 per hour.

So, if you just have to have certain features that aren’t part of your POS solution, tell us about it, and we’ll be happy to discuss it further.

http://www.jdapos.com/solutions/custom/index.html