Custom software vs. standard software

With the help of real-life case studies, we present success stories that illustrate how companies can realize their full potential thanks to the targeted use of individual software. We show you how a large, nationwide association was able to make complex processes more efficient and less error-prone. We present the success story of a start-up in the e-learning sector and the implementation of a comparison platform for another start-up specializing in the selection of electricity and gas tariffs. Finally, we present the customized CRM solution of an international corporation that would have reached its limits with a classic CRM due to security requirements and complex user roles.

Deutsche Verkehrswacht e.V. plays an important role in the field of road safety. With over 60,000 volunteer members, the federal association is committed to road safety in Germany. The association's complex application and billing processes are carried out by more than 600 road safety organizations at local and state level. Digitizing and optimizing these processes posed a challenge that could not be solved with standard software.

Although the local traffic wardens were already equipped with administrative software, they used paper forms, which led to unnecessary delays. The complex formalities and regulations made the processes lengthy and inefficient.

The traffic warden app was developed as a comprehensive solution that can be used by everyone involved, from regular users to power users. The software covers the entire process of applications, checks and settlements, speeding up the process considerably. 

The application has been designed so that both experienced and inexperienced users can benefit from it. Help texts and a guided form mode support inexperienced users, while experienced users can deactivate the mode and thus work faster and undisturbed.

The application ensures audit compliance by making all changes traceable without restricting usability. This not only makes processes faster, but also more transparent.

The focus was not only on the digitalization of processes, but also on the use of the managed data. The Verkehrswacht app offers numerous options for evaluation, which reveal trends and opportunities for improvement. Budget management helps with the planning and use of finances. 

After prevailing in the tender, we started development shortly after being commissioned in May 2017. After just five months of intensive work, the app was successfully handed over to Deutsche Verkehrswacht e.V. in October 2017. The seamless transfer of data from the old system enabled a smooth transition.

If you have studied in recent years or are the parent of a school-aged child or a student, you may be familiar with the following platform. Studyflix was founded in 2018 and aims to convey complex study content to pupils, students and trainees through free, practical educational videos. It quickly became clear that off-the-shelf applications alone would not meet the specific requirements. It was obvious that a custom solution was needed.

The customized and SEO-optimized platform was launched in 2018 and has been continuously developed to cover the demanding education sector.

In 2022, the next milestone in the company's still young history was reached: the offering was expanded with the integration of a job exchange. The platform has grown into a comprehensive resource for students, pupils and trainees, as it now offers an extensive careers section with over 100,000 job offers. In addition to tips for jobs, this sub-section also includes content on preparing for a career, from job applications to job interviews.

With six million users per month and over 5,220 high-quality animated videos, Studyflix is now the best-known e-learning platform in the German-speaking world. In 2023, the platform was acquired by the Bertelsmann media group for around 50 million euros – another milestone in the Studyflix success story. The acquisition of Studyflix is Bertelsmann Investments' largest transaction to date, underlining the importance and potential of Studyflix.

1. User-centered approach: Right from the start, the platform was tailored to the needs of the target group.
2. Innovative extension: The job exchange and the extended career section support users during and after their school or academic education on their way into the professional world.
3. Accessibility and security: The implementation of Level A of the Web and Content Accessibility Guidelines guarantees accessibility, while a highly available infrastructure with a German location ensures security and stability.

This success story shows how custom software solutions can revolutionize business models in the education sector. If the initial situation of this specific case sounds familiar to you, a customized solution tailored to your needs could help you achieve noticeable success.

cheapenergy24 makes it possible to switch electricity and gas providers using an intelligent, automated switching assistant. The goal is clear and follows the company name: Customers should always get the best tariff. The platform takes care of all the steps and continuously compares different energy providers in order to optimize contracts on time.

We provided the solution for the digital relaunch. In addition to revamping the front and back end, the focus was on digitizing and automating contract processes.

One of the main aspects of the redesign was to make the platform more effective and intelligent for both visitors and the cheapenergy24 team. In addition to optimizing the layout and the customer journey, the internal processes in particular were improved. Part of this involved adapting and automating the management and maintenance of contract and customer data. Following the relaunch, it is now possible to extract important contract information from provider emails and process it automatically. Thanks to the tool-based data analysis, improved business planning and evaluation could be ensured. 

This success story of cheapenergey24 shows how an individual, automated platform has given the provider a clear competitive advantage while at the same time significantly optimizing processes.

Even with seemingly standardized services such as a content management system (CMS), individual requirements and the necessary compatibility can mean that a custom solution is more effective and cost-efficient in the long term. The global automotive group Audi was looking for a customized solution to this challenge.

We developed a CMS for the company that was specifically tailored to the needs of the editorial team and users. The individual system not only enabled smooth integration with third-party systems, but also significantly optimized the workflow. The IT department also required various special protection mechanisms for the hosting infrastructure and a penetration test of the application.

The success story of this CMS project underlines the importance of individual solutions even in seemingly standardized areas such as content management systems. 

The Audi MediaCenter is the central online platform for Audi communication and an excellent example of customized CMS solutions that offer a head start through technology. Journalists, bloggers and online multipliers can easily research press releases, press kits, photos and video material on this portal.

The presented case studies show how customized software solutions support companies in optimizing their processes and exploiting their full potential. Custom software can create decisive added value, as the case studies from makandra's customer portfolio have shown.