While developing custom applications is expensive, the payback can be huge when the application solves problems for your organization or creates a competitive advantage.
Two things you can do to determine if you need a custom application are:
Find out if a similar SaaS offering exists. If you find something, you will need to determine if it will fulfill all or most of your core requirements.
Determine what the ROI could be from a custom application.
This will involve some guess work, but try to be as scientific as possible. You can use Atlantic BT's web application cost guide to ballpark your investment. If your ROI is positive and nothing pre-made seems to meet your needs, let’s talk about building a custom application.