Custom software | High Point, NC
Custom Software Development for North Carolina Businesses
Preferred Data writes custom business software, ERP integrations and web applications for manufacturers, distributors and small businesses across North Carolina. We have built and supported our own ERP, the PDC Software Suite, since 1987, and every project is scoped and quoted in writing before work starts. Schedule a consultation or call (336) 886-3282.
What we build
- Changes, screens and reports for the PDC Software Suite
- ERP integrations with Microsoft 365, accounting and shipping systems
- Web applications and customer portals on your ERP data
- Modernization of older desktop software and integrations
Scoped and quoted in writing, per project, before any work starts.
About the PDC Software Suite- In business since 1987
- 39 years
- Active clients
- 100+
- Average client tenure
- 20+ years
- BBB Accredited rating
- A+
- On-site radius from High Point
- 200 mi
- Threat monitoring on every plan
- 24/7
What custom software does Preferred Data build?
Preferred Data builds and changes business software for manufacturers, distributors and small businesses: order entry, inventory and accounting software, the reports and integrations around it, and web applications that put that data in front of staff and customers. We have written and supported our own ERP, the PDC Software Suite, since 1987.
- Changes to the PDC Software Suite: new features, screens and reports, written by the team that maintains it
- ERP integrations: moving data between your ERP and email, Microsoft 365, accounting, shipping and customer systems
- Web applications and portals, built with Next.js and TypeScript, for staff, customers or vendors
- Secure connections from web applications to on-premise Pervasive (Actian Zen) databases, read-only unless writes are specifically approved
- Legacy modernization: moving older desktop software and integrations onto supported platforms
- AI features on top of your own data, delivered with our AI consulting team
Key takeaway: We build business software, not apps for their own sake. The first question on every project is what the software has to do for the people who use it every day.
Custom software vs off-the-shelf: which should you choose?
Buy off-the-shelf software when your process is standard and the product fits it; change or extend existing software when it mostly fits; build custom only when the process is what sets your business apart or nothing on the market fits. For most small businesses the middle option is the one to check first, because extending software you already run avoids retraining everyone on a new system.
| Factor | Off-the-shelf product | Change or extend what you have | Build new custom software |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fits your process | Only if your process matches the product | Closely, where the changes are made | Exactly, by design |
| Upfront cost | Lowest: licenses and setup | Moderate: quoted per change | Highest: quoted per project |
| Ongoing cost | Subscription or maintenance, set by the vendor | Your existing support, plus any changes | Hosting and support, agreed in writing |
| Who controls the roadmap | The vendor | Shared: vendor product, your changes | You |
| Disruption to staff | Retraining on a new product | Least: same system, new features | Retraining on a new system |
| Best fit | Standard work such as email or payroll | An ERP that mostly works but has gaps | A process competitors cannot buy |
If you are weighing a full ERP replacement, read our ERP selection guide for NC manufacturers and MES vs ERP before you decide what to build.
How much does custom software development cost?
Custom programming at Preferred Data is quoted per project: we scope the work, then send a written quote before anything starts, so there is no open-ended hourly bill. We do not publish rates, because a new report and a new customer portal are very different jobs.
The useful comparison is hiring your own developer. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics puts the median annual wage for software developers, quality assurance analysts, and testers at $135,980 (May 2025), before benefits, and projects employment for that group to grow 10% from 2025 to 2035, much faster than average, so good developers are competitive to hire and keep. One in-house developer is also one person who holds all of the knowledge.
Our quotes separate building the software from testing and your staff's sign-off, and from rolling it out, so you can see where the effort goes. Ongoing changes are quoted the same way.
Key takeaway: Ask any developer for a written scope that says what is and is not included. If they cannot write it down, they cannot quote it honestly.
Can you integrate our ERP with other systems?
Yes. ERP integration is most of what a manufacturer needs from a developer: getting orders, invoices, inventory and customer data to move between systems without retyping. We connect web applications to on-premise Pervasive (Actian Zen) databases through encrypted, authenticated tunnels, read-only by default.
Integrations age. Microsoft is retiring Exchange Web Services (EWS) in Exchange Online, the interface many older business applications use to send email: according to Microsoft Learn, phased disablement begins in October 2026 and EWS is fully disabled in April 2027, with Microsoft Graph as the replacement. If your ERP emails invoices or statements through Microsoft 365, read our EWS retirement plan for NC businesses.
- Read-only first: an integration that only needs to read data is never given permission to change it
- Credentials stored encrypted, per connection, never in shared settings
How do you keep custom software secure and maintainable?
By treating security as part of the build, not a later add-on: least-privilege database access, encrypted credentials, authenticated access to every data route, and review of every change before release. NIST's Secure Software Development Framework (SP 800-218), published in February 2022, is the federal baseline for these practices, and a fair set of questions to ask any developer.
Maintainability matters as much as security for a small business. Software outlives the platform it was written for: Microsoft ended support for Windows 10 on October 14, 2025, so desktop software that only runs on an unsupported system becomes a security risk as well as a support problem. Our managed IT and cybersecurity teams keep the systems your software runs on patched and monitored.
Why do North Carolina manufacturers and distributors choose a local software developer?
Because the developer has to understand the plant as well as the code. North Carolina had about 450,000 manufacturing jobs in August 2026 (preliminary), according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, and Preferred Data has written business software for manufacturers and distributors from High Point since 1987.
- On-site within 200 miles of High Point, covering the Piedmont Triad, Charlotte, Raleigh and most of North Carolina
- The same company that writes the software can support the servers, network and Microsoft 365 it runs on
- Industry pages for manufacturing, furniture, textile and logistics
Custom software questions North Carolina businesses ask us
How much does custom software development cost in North Carolina?
It depends on the scope, so Preferred Data quotes custom programming per project, in writing, before any work starts. A new report, an integration and a customer portal are very different jobs. For comparison, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics puts the median salary of a software developer at $135,980 (May 2025), before benefits.
How long does a custom software project take?
It depends on the size of the change, so the schedule goes in the written scope rather than a typical figure on a website. Larger projects are broken into build, testing and your staff's sign-off, and rollout, so you can see progress at each stage.
Can you work with our Pervasive or Actian Zen database?
Yes. The PDC Software Suite runs on Pervasive (Actian Zen), and we connect web applications and other systems to it through encrypted, authenticated connections that are read-only unless writes are specifically approved. We can assess other Pervasive-based systems case by case.
What is the difference between custom software and the PDC Software Suite?
The PDC Software Suite is our own ERP for manufacturers and distributors, covering order entry, inventory, purchasing, bill of materials and accounting, and it is licensed on its own agreement. Custom software development is project work: changing that suite for your business, integrating it with other systems, or building something new.
Do you build web applications and customer portals?
Yes. We build web applications with Next.js and TypeScript, including portals that let staff or customers see order, invoice and account information pulled from an ERP. Access is authenticated and each user sees only the data their account allows.
Our ERP emails invoices through Microsoft 365. Does the EWS retirement affect us?
It might. If the software sends mail through Exchange Web Services, it will stop working as Microsoft disables EWS in Exchange Online between October 2026 and April 2027, according to Microsoft Learn. We can check which interface your software uses and, for software we write or support, move it to Microsoft Graph.
Do you support the software after it goes live?
Yes. Changes after launch are quoted the same way as the original work, and the PDC Software Suite has its own support agreement. Clients on a managed IT plan also have the systems the software runs on monitored and patched.
Sources
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook: Software Developers
- Microsoft Learn, Deprecation of Exchange Web Services in Exchange Online
- NIST, SP 800-218 Secure Software Development Framework (SSDF) Version 1.1
- Microsoft Learn, Windows 10 reaching end of support
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, North Carolina Economy at a Glance
Related services and resources
Tell us what your software needs to do
Bring the report nobody can run, the data your staff retype every day, or the system that has to talk to your ERP. We will scope it and send a written quote before any work starts.
Preferred Data Corporation, 1208 Eastchester Drive, Suite 131, High Point, NC 27265