As part of any packaged software demonstration, there is a review and exercise of the delivered software design tools available for customizing the packaged software. In isolation, the process looks simple and straightforward. The objective is to show the possibilities. However, keep in mind the following:
Demonstrations are conducted by seasoned professionals, typically with both technology and business expertise.
Demonstrations are based upon sample scenarios in a controlled environment.
Today, there is a plethora of software design tools available for software customizations and enhancements. It looks so simple! However, there is a very simple rule for packaged business software that is often overlooked and underemphasized:
Software changes increase Total Cost of Ownership.
Only when a customer's software change is incorporated into the base code of the packaged software will the software change not result in a reoccurring increase (i.e., upgrades) in Total Cost of...