Software
Out-of-the-box or bespoke software ? Is there a third way ?
MANAGING DIRECTOR OF UK-BASED DELEGATE SELECT , GRAEME SIMON SAYS EVENT ORGANISERS AND THEIR SOFTWARE PROVIDERS HAVE DIFFERENT PRIORITIES
E vent organisers want to run outstanding events and are keen to keep costs to a minimum . They often have specific requirements that they cannot find in cookie-cutter software solutions . Yet having a custom-built solution that does exactly what they envisage can be extremely expensive , not just to develop , but also to maintain going forward .
Most software providers in the event industry use a SaaS ( software as a service ) model , where the solution is provided to the event organiser through a web-interface . The provider takes care of all the development , operations , and technical aspects . The organiser just pays for a service . SaaS providers are keen to minimise their costs by selling the same solution again and again and will generally have a platform to do this .
The platform may be under continuous development , with new features added regularly .
What providers really want to avoid is having to build and maintain multiple versions of their platform for different clients . If they do , the introduction of new features into their software , will require implementing and testing across various platforms , not just one .
If a client is insistent and willing to pay the provider handsomely for new features , on the condition that those features are not resold to their competitors , ( i . e ., they are developed under an exclusivity agreement ), the provider may concur . In the end , though , it will be a commercial decision .
Yet , should event organisers be forced to choose between an inexpensive ‘ out-of-the-box ’ solution or costly bespoke development , with no real
Above : Graeme Simon
guarantee that the development they pay for might not end up being sold to their competitors , anyway ? Is there a third way ?
The answer is ‘ Yes ’, and it comes down to disciplined software design . My own company , and presumably many others that develop SaaS solutions , resist offering exclusivity agreements . If functionality is going to be useful , sooner or later it will find its way into someone else ’ s platform anyway . We operate in a very competitive market and want our service to be ‘ best of breed ’ for all our customers .
Therefore , what many providers offer , my company included , is a fully configurable platform . Configuration is different from bespoke development . It involves having a single software platform that can be set up quickly in dozens of different ways , depending upon an event organiser ’ s requirements . Consequently , organisers feel that they are getting a service set up to their exact specifications , but because the set up takes minutes or hours rather than days , they pay low rates , similar to those for an out-of-the box solution . With functionality being easily switched on or off , clients can be charged only for those parts they use .
But what to do when a client asks for features requiring new development ? First , we assess whether the features will be of use to other users of our platform . If the answer is ‘ Yes ’, we will add them into the platform , absorbing a significant portion or possibly all of the development costs ourselves .
If the answer is ‘ No ’ or the client presses for some sort of exclusivity agreement , we can generally find a high enough price for the development that will put the client off . Worst case , we can always add a feature to our platform and switch it on only for that specific client ! n
ISSUE 127 / CONFERENCE & MEETINGS WORLD / 41