In-house programming : an option for small and medium sized niche companies

In an inter-galactic battle in a science fiction novel by Isaac Asimov (1958), computers are an important weapon. As long as anyone can remember, computers have been used for virtually everything. Then, a simple technician presents his hobby: the ability to add, subtract, multiply and divide using pen and paper. It was hard to believe: “Computing without a computer is a contradiction in terms.” The military sees the possibilities at once. The new method offers flexibility and the ability to put humans into the loop, as opposed to the rigidity of the automatic systems. With this new, top-secret tool, they can think out of the box – in the end - defeating the enemy. Today, we don’t have a war between galaxies, but we do have strong competition between businesses. Computers are an important tool in this struggle, but do not offer any strategic advantage since the technology is available to all. Businesses use similar machines and similar software, sometimes even identical ERP systems implemented by the same experts. This raises the question of whether programming could be a way for small and medium-sized enterprises to get “out of the box.”