AI revolutionizes software development: why investing fortunes in standardized solutions no longer makes sense

The end of the era of exorbitant software licenses

For decades, companies have accepted an aberrant business model: paying tens, even hundreds of thousands of euros for ERP, CRM, HRIS or other standardized business tools, with multi-year commitments (often a minimum of 3 years to obtain a "discount"), astronomical integration costs and additional billing for each customization.

This era is coming to an end. Generative artificial intelligence is radically changing the economics of software development.

The true hidden cost of standardized solutions

Colossal initial investments

Let's take a look at the actual figures for a traditional ERP or CRM project for an SME with 50 to 200 employees:

• Software licenses: €30,000 to €150,000 (with minimum 3-year commitment)
• Initial integration: €40,000 to €200,000 depending on complexity
• Customization: €15,000 to €80,000 per adapted module
• User training: €10,000 to €30,000
• Annual maintenance: 15 to 25% of license cost

Total over 3 years: €150,000 to €600,000 for a solution that never exactly matches your needs.

The paradox of standardization

Vendors such as Salesforce, Odoo, SAP and Microsoft Dynamics offer general-purpose solutions designed to meet the needs of thousands of customers in a wide range of industries. The result?

• 70-80% of functions are never used by the client company
• The company must adapt its processes to the software rather than the other way round
• Standardized workflows often slow down teams instead of speeding them up
• Imposed updates regularly modify the interface and processes

The tool dictates to the company, whereas logic would dictate that the company defines its needs and the tool complies.

Generative AI: the game changer in custom development

Rapid, cost-effective development

With today's generative AI tools (Claude Sonnet 4, GPT-5.1, Gemini 3 Pro and others), business application development has undergone a radical transformation:

• Prototyping in hours instead of weeks
• Functional development in 50 to 100 days for a complete CRM or ERP system
• Costs divided by 3 to 5 compared with standard solutions
• Native customization, since the application is built for your specific needs

Why it's now viable

AI is transforming three fundamental aspects of development:

1. Speed of execution

• Automatic code base generation
• Unit tests created simultaneously
• Continuously generated documentation
• Accelerated bug detection and correction

2. Cost reduction

• Less development time = fewer man-days billed
• Smaller but more productive teams
• No editorial licenses to pay
• Cloud infrastructure optimized for your real needs

3. Quality and adaptability

• Modern, maintainable code
• Scalable architecture
• API integrations with your entire ecosystem
• Quickly adapt to changes in your business

Custom development: a winning strategy

Focus on the essentials

Rather than paying for 1,000 features that you'll only use for 200, develop only what you really need:

• Sales management tailored to your specific sales cycle
• Business workflows that accurately reflect your processes
• Dashboards displaying YOUR key indicators
• Automations for YOUR repetitive tasks

Native integration with your ecosystem

Modern APIs allow you to connect your custom application with all your existing tools:

• Microsoft 365 and Teams
• Accounting tools (Sage, Cegid, Pennylane)
• E-commerce solutions (Shopify, WooCommerce, PrestaShop)
• Marketing platforms (Mailchimp, HubSpot)
• Telephony systems (RingCentral, Aircall)

All this without exorbitant proprietary connector costs.

The real sinews of war: irreplaceable human expertise

AI accelerates development, but the success of a bespoke project rests on three fundamental pillars:

1. Competent project managers with a deep understanding of your business challenges, processes and constraints

2. Methodological support to transform your needs into precise functional specifications

3. Experienced senior developers capable of designing fluid code, a logical architecture designed to last and evolve over time.

AI is not magic. It increases developer productivity, but it doesn't replace the expertise of a senior developer who knows :

• Design a scalable application architecture
• Anticipating future needs and scalability
• Write maintainable, high-performance code
• Identify technical pitfalls before they become problematic
• Optimizing databases for sustainable performance

At IT Systemes, our strength lies in the combination of our 15 years' experience working with SMEs and ETIs, our team of seasoned senior developers, and our mastery of generative AI tools. We understand the challenges of sales management, production monitoring, HR management and business steering. This business and technical expertise is irreplaceable, and makes the difference between a project that delivers long-term value and a rapidly obsolete prototype.

IT Systemes methodology: from idea to production

Phase 1: Understanding and layout (5-10 days)

Thanks to AI, we can rapidly create functional prototypes that enable :

• See the application in action
• Test the main workflows
• Validate ergonomics with future users
• Adjust before full development

Gone are the 50-page specifications that nobody really reads. Make way for interactive models that speak to everyone.

Phase 2: Iterative development (40-80 days)

Development in 2-week sprints with :

• Regular deliveries of usable features
• Continuous user testing
• Real-time adjustments based on your feedback
• Full transparency on progress

Phase 3: Deployment and support (10 days)

• Data migration from your existing tools
• Customized training for your teams
• Documentation tailored to your processes
• Dedicated support during the start-up phase

Total lead time: 50 to 100 days, depending on complexity, versus 6 to 18 months for a traditional ERP rollout.

Real-life use cases: when tailor-made becomes self-evident

CRM for complex B2B sales cycles

An industrial SME with sales cycles of 6 to 18 months, involving multiple decision-makers and technical validations.

Standardized solution: Salesforce not easily configured for these processes, cost €85,000 over 3 years, 60% of fields never used.

IT Systemes custom solution: CRM developed specifically for these workflows, €35,000, delivered in 60 days, exactly tailored to requirements.

ROI: savings of €50,000 + sales productivity gains of 25%.

ERP for manufacturing SMEs

A company with 80 employees and specific needs in production, purchasing and inventory management.

Standardized solution: Odoo or SAP Business One, cost €120,000 over 3 years, requires modifying certain business processes to adapt to the software.

IT Systemes tailor-made solution: light ERP focused on the modules really needed, €55,000, business processes respected.

ROI: savings of €65,000 + maintenance of optimized company processes

Specific business tool

A service company with very specific planning and billing requirements.

Standardized solution: Combination of several poorly integrated tools (planning + invoicing + tracking), costing €45,000 over 3 years.

IT Systemes customized solution: single application integrating all requirements, €22,000, delivered in 45 days.

ROI: savings of €23,000 + drastic reduction in re-entries and errors

Questions to ask yourself before renewing your licenses

Audit of your current situation

1. Are you really using 50% of your current ERP/CRM functionality?
2. How much do your annual licenses cost, including maintenance and additional modules?
3. How much time do your teams lose because of inappropriate processes imposed by the software?
4. How much have you spent on customization in the last 3 years?
5. Does your current solution integrate easily with your other tools?

If you answer "no" to the first question, and the numbers in questions 2 and 4 make you cringe, it's time to consider custom development.

Calculating the ROI of a customized solution

Let's take a concrete example for a 100-person SME:

Standard solution costs (3 years)

• Licensing: €80,000
• Integration: €60,000
• Customization: €30,000
• Training: €15,000
• Maintenance: €40,000
• Total: €225,000

IT Systemes customized solution costs (3 years)

• Development: €70,000
• Cloud hosting: €5,000
• Upgrade maintenance: €21,000
• Training: €3,000
• Total: €99,000

Net savings: €126,000 over 3 years

Not to mention the productivity gains linked to a perfectly adapted tool.

AI doesn't replace expertise, it multiplies it

What AI does exceptionally well

• Generate quality code from clear specifications
• Creating automated tests
• Produce documentation
• Detecting potential bugs
• Optimizing performance

What AI can't do (and where humans are irreplaceable)

• Understanding your business and strategic challenges
• Identify the real needs behind expressed requests
• Design the optimal application architecture for sustainability
• Anticipate technical and functional changes
• Arbitrating between competing functionalities
• Supporting change in your teams
• Write a code designed to last and evolve over 5-10 years

It's the combination of AI + business expertise + senior developers that produces the best results.

At IT Systemes, our project managers have an average of 8 years' experience in supporting SMEs, and our senior developers have mastered modern architectures and best development practices. They know how to ask the right questions, challenge requirements and propose pragmatic, sustainable solutions. Using AI, they can implement these solutions 5 times faster than before, while maintaining a high level of quality.

Take the plunge: dare custom development

Where to start?

1. Free audit of your needs

IT Systemes offers a 2-hour discovery workshop for :

• Map your current business processes
• Identify irritants in your current tools
• Assess the feasibility of a customized solution
• Estimating a budget and a schedule

2. Proof of Concept (optional)

For complex projects, we can develop a functional prototype in 10-15 days to validate technical feasibility and user acceptance before launching the full project.

3. Progressive commitment

No need to sign up for a 3-year commitment. We work in phases:

• Phase 1: MVP (Minimum Viable Product) in 30-40 days
• Phase 2: Functional enrichment according to priorities
• Phase 3: Advanced optimization and automation

You remain in control and can adjust at any stage.

Conclusion: the future belongs to agile companies

The software behemoths (Salesforce, SAP, Oracle, Microsoft Dynamics) built their empires on a paradigm that no longer exists: the complexity of software development justifying enormous costs and compromises.

Generative AI has shattered this paradigm.

SMEs can now have a CRM, ERP or business tool perfectly tailored to their processes, at a fraction of the cost of a standardized solution.

Companies that continue to pay fortunes for oversized, general-purpose solutions will do so out of ignorance of this new reality, or out of organizational inertia.

IT Systemes can help you make the transition to software solutions that are truly adapted to your needs.

With 15 years' experience working with SMEs and ETIs, and our mastery of generative AI technologies, we can develop your CRM, ERP or customized business tool in 50 to 100 days or less.

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