The agency says we need custom software—what does that actually mean, and when does it turn into a money pit?

I've been in this industry for years—an agency's first instinct is always to write code from scratch because it secures recurring revenue. When you get custom software built, the agency isn't just a vendor anymore, they basically become your business partner. If you ever have a falling out, it'll take months for another dev team to decipher that codebase.

We run a spare parts business in Frankfurt with similar turnover. Back in 2021, we spent 19,000 € on a custom order dashboard. Within two years, we burned another 14,000 € on bug fixes and updates. We finally pulled the plug and switched to an off-the-shelf cloud B2B platform for 150 € a month. Things are so much smoother now.

Don't sign anything unless the contract explicitly guarantees full transfer of the source code, clearly states the tech stack/framework, and requires comprehensive documentation. Most of the time, agencies just glue open-source libraries together and call it "bespoke software." If the code isn't written up to standard, the next developer you hire will just tell you to scrap it and start over.

How unique can restaurant wholesale really be that standard B2B e-commerce platforms wouldn't work? Honestly, sounds like the agency saw you as an easy target. "Your business is so unique" is the oldest sales pitch in the book to 5x the quote.

Don't accept the proposal until you've nailed down these three things: 1) Make a full list of all required features and test them against standard off-the-shelf solutions. 2) Specify IP ownership of the source code and third-party licenses directly in the contract. 3) Require a handover protocol guaranteeing how the system will keep running if the agency shuts down or cuts ties.

600 euros a month for maintenance is a crazy expense for an 8-person company. off-the-shelf ecommerce tools do the job for 100-200 euros a month anyway. i mean imo spend that money on staff training, not software.

What ERP or accounting software are you currently running? The agency might be pushing for custom development simply because your legacy accounting software is a closed system that lacks standard APIs. Is the bottleneck really the ordering portal, or is it the data flow on the backend?

Do you think this works at any scale? The system lives on after delivery; maintenance is a separate line item.

If you get three different answers on a topic, the question was asked wrong. If you post the result here, it will help others too.

let me summarize what's been said so far. honestly any unwritten clause becomes a point of disagreement later, as both sides remember it differently.

correct me if I'm wrong.

My question might sound amateurish, sorry about that. If you don't write this down from the start, it leads to arguments later.

ill argue the opposite, dont get mad. soltuions that work at a small scale collapse when you grow; I learned this late.

the real issue isnt the number, but what its baased on and thats all sorry if I went on too long.

Three different views emerged they all complement each other... Ask who prepared the quote and who will actually do the work.

I've been dealing with this for a long time. The system lives on after delivery; maintenance is a separate line item.

This is my opinion I'm not claiming it's absolute truth.

I think differently. When we decide without measuring, we always end up in the same place.

Just leaving this note, it might be useful.

Quick summary for newcomers: Trying to do this alone is the most expensive way.

Let me write how it's done in practice. The cheapest quote is usually the least thought-out one.

If you post the result here, it will help others too.

I'd say don't rush. Just because everyone does it doesn't mean it's right.

Good call starting this thread.