Software development

Custom made software is usually implemented where no existing software is available or where the off-the-shelf solutions are found to be unsatisfactory.

There can be more up-front cost with bespoke software than off-the-shelf software. However, by analysing the long-term effects from the investment, the benefits can make the decision justifiable.

That analysis is part of the service Focus provide. We won't recommend a bespoke solution if we can source a proven piece of software that does the job. We see our job as providing you with all the viable options and helping you make the right decision for your company.

With today's software tools it is possible to create software at a fraction of the cost and with greater functionality than was available in the past.

These tools allow bespoke solutions to become an attractive option and pay for themselves many times over. This payback can be through:

• increased sales through offering new services or products or improving existing products..
• efficiency savings resulting in lower fixed costs
• happier and more motivated staff - they feel they have been listened to and have been given the necessary tools to do their job properly.
• you decide when a new version of the software is required not the software supplier.
• you don't pay for features you don't want.

Finally, having complete control of where your software develops ensures your software can continue to match your needs exactly. For mission-critical software surely this is worth investing in ?

Don't dismiss bespoke software without first allowing us to investigate your options. In some cases, the long term benefits to your company, make it a very attractive option.

Active Server Pages (ASP) is a standard technology used to display data on an internet site.

Imagine using the same source code that drives your in-house database system to generate these pages for you. Whatever your requirements are, you decide. Select the screens to reproduce from your Focus in-house system and the associated pages are generated.

Since the data display side is separated from the design side, all pages can be modified to match your existing web design. Data changes can easily be reflected without affecting the look and feel of the site.

Don't have a Focus in-house system ? No problem, give us the definitions to your data structures and we can provide a set of ASP pages faster (and therefore generally cheaper) than other companies.

The uses of ASP technology are numerous, here are some examples:

• allow your mobile sales force to log their sales calls onto your company's intranet site, place orders.
• provide a shared diary for your company employees.
• allow your customers to track their orders.
• share information with your customers and suppliers
• provide a centralised point for your company data accessible from anywhere which has an internet connection

For a lot of companies, the accounts system is the major focus of their company. Companies can often spend a lot of time and money implementing new accounting software only to find, over time, that all the promises of the sales person haven't been fullfilled.

Usually it isn't the core functionality they are unhappy about. It can be the Sales order processing, the stock control, the credit control, the purchase order purchasing e.t.c

Focus specialise in writing software for these specific tasks and linking them to the companies accounting package. How integrated the solution can be, is obviously greatly affected by which accounting system is in place. However, in every case so far, a solution has been found.

One advantage of this approach can be that a more basic accounting package can be specified. This allows for money to be spent in areas which maximize that investment. Additional savings can be made if the number of concurrent users within the accounting system can be reduced. This is possible if some users no longer need access to the accounts system as all the functionality they require is built in to the custom-designed package. This also has the added benefit of making sensitive financial details of the company more secure.

Focus have worked with most major accounting software, including all versions of Sage, Quickbooks, TAS books and many others.

We are also an accredited dealer for the Pastel range of accounting products. In our opinion their software range offers great value for money together with high usability ratings.

With today's programming technologies it may also be possible to extend the functionality of other existing principle software within your company. For example if your company uses any of the industry standard databases they can usually be accessed to provide ad-hoc searching, querying or reporting.

Writing back to these data files requires more research as data integrity must be considered. However it maybe possible if properly researched.

Focus are not tied to any one company's products. Consequently we can research all available solutions and recommend what we consider the best solution available.

As a consequence of this ongoing research work, Focus can now offer a solution, which is unique within the SME market. The product allows a Windows® program to work across the Internet.

What does this mean ?

The World Wide Web uses HTML pages to display information. These pages were initially designed to display static pages of information and whilst through the use of a variety of technologies these pages can now display data, the restrictions in HTML mean that these pages can never have the level of functionality a Windows® program can have. For example:

• sales teams working remotely can update your company's data using a program, which looks identical to the one used on the network in the office.
• regional offices can update just one company database stored at head office.

How is this done ?

The program that runs across the internet is generated from the same program source as your Focus head office software but is compiled to be run across internet.

This sharing of common code results in significant saving in on-going costs. Any alterations to your program requirements are automatically reflected in both versions.

From our experience, the cost savings in terms of the streamlining of systems and efficiency gains can mean the capital outlay is re-paid in a very short time.

For a similar investment as an off-the-shelf solution, Focus can provide a tailor-made document management package designed exactly to your requirements.

How is this possible ? By calling upon our experience on writing similar systems and using state of the art programming tools we can dramatically reduce development time. This approach greatly improves the ease of use ratings as you have an input in the design process.

Taking this approach also puts you in control of your future, if your company requirements change so can your software. It may also be possible to seamlessly integrate it into an existing system - something an off the-shelf solution can never completely do.

From experience, staff are wonderful and adaptable people. They will happily accept that their job entails a manual system that takes them say 30 minutes to an hour to complete. May be they have to do the same job every week or it could be every day.

An automated solution can have the following benefits:

• release staff to more important tasks
• reduces human error in the task
• reduces the companies reliance on an individual, places more emphasis on the system
• improves the morale of staff
• can pay for itself through efficiency gains.

It may turn out that it's not economical to implement a new system or the system can be improved sufficiently with changes in the manual operation. Regardless of the outcome, Focus can help you make the right decision.

Let Focus audit all your systems to look for cost savings and efficiency gains

Many companies are still running DOS or mainframe applications. The reasons for this situation are usually many but they tend to include:

1. They have never been able to find a suitable replacement product.
2. It works, its mission-critical software, why go through all that pain and for what ?!

One of the application tools available to Focus is excellent for converting legacy systems. Consequently we can very quickly show you a prototype system of your program as either a Windows® based application or as an internet based application (or both)

By allowing us to put together a dummy system, it gives both parties a better position to discuss changes and improvements that can be instigated at the same time as the conversion.

It is these improvements and allowing the use of the new technologies that make the upgrade justifiable.

Having been commissioned to help you with the conversion, we will not dismiss off-the-shelf packages. We will also consider combining an off-the-shelf package with some bespoke work. As always it is what solution is best for your company.

Most companies have the contact details of their customers, supppliers e.t.c. on a computer. How much time in a single day could be saved if those numbers could be used to automatically dial that number ? How much better would it be if the outcome of all conversations could be logged against that contact's details ? How much time is wasted getting a customers details up on screen when they dial in ?

All these functions are possible and are available today with modern telephone systems.

Any bespoke software we write can include this functionality but a lot of new off-the-shelf software includes this functionality within their packages.

Obviously a compatible phone system has to be in place. If you are considering an upgrade we have the necessary expertise to ensure you invest in the right phone system as well.

Using Post codes to enter in customer address details can not only save many hours of work, it can also result in greater consistancy in your valuable customer database file. If your company is constantly adding the address details of new customers have you discovered the benefits of post code software ? Does your existing solution integrate into your software ?