The Software Industry is broken - Fixedware

Why Enterprise Software Became "Pre-Packaged"

Look at most enterprise software today, and you'll see a recurring pattern: It's sold as a "pre-packaged" solution. Historically, that made sense on paper—custom software was once pricey and slow to build. So companies everywhere opted for turnkey systems and tried to bend their operations around the software's limitations, believing it was more cost-effective.

But the tech world has changed. Artificial intelligence and faster development platforms make rigid, pre-packaged solutions less and less justifiable. Instead of forcing your business to conform to a tool, you can now tailor the tool to your business with far greater speed and flexibility. Yet the old "one-size-fits-all" approach persists, and that choice can cause serious problems.

Key Impacts of Fixedware

1. Forces You Into a One-Size-Fits-None Mold
2. Dictates How You Run Your Business
3. Locks Your Data Behind Impenetrable Walls

Let's see how these play out in the real world—and why it's time for a different approach.

1. One-Size-Fits-None Mold

Pre-packaged software often boasts that it meets "80% of any business's needs." But when you try to apply it in your organization, you discover critical gaps—whether that's 20% or 50%—where the tool simply can't support your actual workflows.

For example, consider a manufacturing plant that adopts a generic warehouse management system built for standard "pick, pack, ship" tasks. The plant, however, relies on custom sequencing of parts and tight compliance checks. Because the software won't allow them to adapt these specialized steps, employees are forced to rely on spreadsheets, manual logs, and clunky workarounds. The shiny new system might look great on paper, but in reality it fails at exactly what the plant needs the most.

2. Dictates How You Run Your Business

Many pre-packaged systems arrive with a prescribed "best practice" workflow. In other words, the software—rather than you—decides the right way to operate. This stifles the unique culture, values, and processes that set your business apart.

Picture a company known for its white-glove customer service that installs an off-the-shelf help desk system. Every request gets lumped together in the same impersonal "ticket queue," and there's no clear way to offer VIP clients special attention. The new software forces the organization to adopt a generic ticketing process instead of supporting the high-touch experience that makes the company stand out.

3. Locks Your Data Behind Impenetrable Walls

Pre-packaged solutions often trap your data in proprietary formats or limited-access databases. Want a new integration? You're at the mercy of the vendor's API roadmap. Need advanced analytics? You might have to wait—and pay—to access what's already your own information.

Consider a global marketing agency using a popular automation platform that hoards years of valuable campaign data. When they want to run a sophisticated cross-platform analysis, they discover the system won't let them export data easily. The vendor offers a "premium analytics" plan—for a hefty fee—just to unlock the agency's own data. Essentially, they're paying a ransom for insights they already earned.

Bringing It All Together

Pre-packaged enterprise software—"Fixedware"—offers convenience at first glance but quickly holds your business hostage:

• One-size-fits-none: You're forced to use workflows and features that don't align with your actual needs.
• Dictates your operations: Your unique processes and culture get crammed into someone else's template.
• Data locked behind walls: You lose the freedom to integrate, analyze, or even fully own your data.

Why This Must Change

With the rise of AI and modern development tools, building tailor-made (or semi-custom) solutions is more feasible than ever. Instead of living with off-the-shelf constraints, you can choose platforms that adapt to your business—not the other way around. You can maintain control of your data, design workflows that reflect your values, and ensure your technology truly serves your organization, not stifles it.

Bottom line: As technology evolves, companies should demand solutions that fit like a glove—not ones that force them into a one-size-fits-all straitjacket. It's time to let your software work for you, instead of forcing your business to work around your software.