Custom code is not required to setup the product

Description

Requiring no “custom code” for setup means the product can be implemented without the need for specialized programming or technical expertise. The software is designed to be user-friendly with in-built features that allow for an efficient setup process, thereby reducing implementation time and cost.

Example Use Case

Scenario: A SaaS company plans to purchase a CPM software to streamline its financial planning and forecasting processes. After being burned by overly complex CPM tools in previous jobs, they are concerned about the potential complexity and resources required for setting up a system, including the need for custom coding and technical support.

Solution: They select CPM software that requires no custom code for setup. The setup process consists of a series of guided steps with drag and drop interfaces which allow for a complete implementation with out the need to spend $300 an hour for custom application coding.

Considerations

When referring to “custom code” we are being specific to things like business rule syntax, C#, C++, Python and so on that may be used to enhance a specific function in the tool during implementation. We are not referring to formula syntax that all CPM tools have and need.

Custom code might be used to automate something specific, or apply a function to a sheet, or automate report generation. All those thing, while valuable, are disliked by many users because:

• When the product is upgraded, that custom code has a bad habit of breaking
• Nobody can understand the code outside of a consultant
• They often cause unexpected errors in calculations that provide no obvious error handling, causing audit issues

For enterprise applications custom code like this can be very helpful, even mandatory, to accomplish certain activities. Like all requirements in our database, this one in particular should only be used by medium and smaller organizations who want to avoid custom application code and the long-term pain that comes with it. These companies are looking for a build-and-forget model where the implementation is stable even through various product upgrades.

Questions to Ask a Vendor

• Need for Code: Can you describe a situation where a user of your product might need to write custom code?
• Specific Needs: We have a very particular automation need or rule for our budget entry forms. Can you accommodate that without writing code?