The Connotation of “Customization”

Until recently, I have always viewed the word “customizable” as an extremely positive attribute. In my mind, I used to view customization as a way for the customer to get EXACTLY what he/she wants. After reading the most recent Gartner Magic Quadrant, I noticed that being customizable was viewed in a negative light. This caught me off guard as I have always viewed the word in a positive manner. There are obvious factors that accompany something being “customizable,” such as a higher price, that are not appealing, but it also got me thinking about the hidden negatives of customizability. Because my technology background is not as extensive as a developer, I decided to view the situation from a different instance.

I remember back in the old days when I thought it was the coolest thing in the world to have a pair of custom-made Nikes. What could go wrong? I got to choose every color and outline and highlight of the shoe. In my mind, I knew what I wanted. I knew what I liked. I knew what looked cool. Right? Wrong. SO wrong. I would venture to say that I designed the ugliest Nike shoe ever made. It is humorous to think I knew exactly what I wanted, yet in reality, I had no idea what I needed. I think this is true for a typical customer in any setting, and this is another reason that customizability can certainly be a negative. Configurability is a different story. A regulatory change management software that is configurable and easily integrated is like an easy going person who can fit in with any crowd. Obviously companies will have basic needs and requirements to fill, but a good compliance solution will have a solid base that does not require or necessitate customizability.