Bespoke and industry-specific software solutions continue to play a major role in the day to day activity of many UK businesses. Such software is often seen as the only way to handle specialised business processes, such as those undertaken by print, service, distribution and manufacturing companies.

There are many reasons for this dominance. Until recently, companies in these sectors seeking to computerise their core activities had very little choice; only custom-made solutions and industry-specific solutions were up to the task. Generic 'packaged' business solutions simply did not have the scope or functionality required.

Once installed, bespoke solutions tend to hang around. Companies grow organically, gradually adjusting and updating their software to match. The outcome is a tight fit between the way the company works and the way its software operates, and a natural reluctance on the part of management and employees alike to consider the benefits of new solutions. Turning your back on a familiar system is never easy, particularly one that represents a substantial investment.

But this close fit comes at a substantial price. To keep a bespoke solution running usually requires investment in specialised staff, capable of carrying out everything from routine maintenance to the regular updating of management reports. When these people leave, essential knowledge disappears with them - the intricacies of a bespoke solution are rarely documented in full.

And as the business itself moves on, gaps in functionality can prove difficult to plug. What if multi-currency processing is needed, to cope with new markets? Or XML messaging and EDI are required, to keep up with competitors, suppliers and customers? If the original vendor cannot help, a new application must be grafted on to the original, with all the additional challenges this presents.

Over time, what began as a single, tightly fitting bespoke solution can gradually become a loose assemblage of piecemeal systems, poorly suited to the challenges of a rapidly changing marketplace.

So what is the alternative? Packaged business solutions have always been cheaper to implement and maintain, and that certainly hasn't changed. But today's packages have improved in three vital areas.

Firstly, they offer a far greater depth and breadth of functionality. Secondly, they can be easily configured to the needs of individual companies. And thirdly, they can integrate seamlessly with almost every kind of third party application, from 'Best of Breed' solutions (such as Microsoft Office) to highly specialised, industry-specific software. In short, 'packaged' no longer means 'restricted'.

Consequently, companies in almost every industry can now enjoy the cost-savings associated with packaged software alongside the tailored fit of a bespoke solution. Occasionally, the final solution may be made up of two or more packages, but the user doesn't even need to be aware of this. The Access MadiSun solution is a good example. Designed with manufacturers and distributors in mind, Access MadiSun provides fully integrated financials, ERP, MRPII, WIP tracking and stock control in one easy to use application.

Access MadiSun is the combination of two established and successful products - the SQL Server Dimensions financials package from Access Accounting Ltd, and the MadiSun ERP and MRP solution from PumaSoft Ltd. But it is delivered as one solution, looks and feels like one solution, and is supported as one solution. Elements of Dimensions and MadiSun have been merged seamlessly, using integration and configuration tools developed as part of Access' SDK (Software Developers Kit). This kit also enables the solution to be fully customised for individual users.

Presenting such a wide range of functionality as a single package greatly reduces the cost of re-training. Most importantly of all, the responsibility for keeping up to date is shifted firmly from the user to the vendor. Even if they have opted for extensive customisation, users of Access MadiSun can still take advantage of free software enhancements, as if their solutions were 100% standard.

Craig Suck, Managing Director of PumaSoft, comments on the appeal of the solution: "Manufacturers and distributors often start out with the intention of upgrading their existing bespoke systems. But those who take a wider view soon realise that Access MadiSun offers a faster route to properly integrated ERP, MRPII and financials. And, because it comes as a packaged solution, putting in a new Access MadiSun system can cost less than a routine software upgrade."

Implementing one single solution to a wide range of business activities also overcomes the biggest difficulties of running multiple applications: making consolidated, up-to-the-minute information available on demand.

Nutriblend, one of the UK's leading manufacturers of nutritional systems, recently implemented Access MadiSun. As a result of the change-over, the company is enjoying better process integration and gaining all the advantages of real-time business intelligence. Nigel Nash, company accountant, says "The Access MadiSun system gives us all the information we need and has improved both our efficiency and our productivity."

The largest companies may continue to operate bespoke software solutions, confident they have the IT infrastructure and budgets needed to support them. But for the vast majority of UK businesses, packaged solutions can now provide a far more cost-effective alternative.

Access Accounting Ltd was formed in 1991 to bring the benefits of the Windows operating platform to the mid-range accounting software sector. Over the course of the last twelve years, a series of technological 'firsts' has secured Access an unrivalled reputation for innovation and excellence.

Access software is designed, developed and proven exclusively in the UK, by a professional team of 100 staff located at the company's Colchester headquarters. Today, over 10,000 companies around the world rely on Access Accounts to help them achieve business success. All 32-bit Windows systems are currently supported (98/2000/NT/ME & XP), together with PowerPC.