Comparing two software quotes is hard when you do not work in the sector. Both documents talk about similar things, one costs twice as much as the other, and nothing in them explains why.
These are the questions we would ask if we were on the other side of the table. None of them requires technical knowledge, and the answers are easy to understand.
1. Who exactly will work on my project?
Do not look for a list of job titles: look for names. Knowing who writes your application — and whether that person will still be available in a year — predicts the maintenance experience fairly well.
2. What happens if I want to change something in six months?
A useful answer sounds like: “it depends what it is, but we can tell you within a couple of days with an estimate”. A worrying answer is an uncomfortable silence or a “we will look at that then”.
3. Who owns the code and where is my data?
The code and the data should be yours, and you should be able to take them with you. If the answer includes conditions for recovering your own information, make a note: that is a future cost in disguise.
4. Who reviews how personal data is handled?
If your application will handle employee or customer data, someone must have thought about where it is stored, for how long and who can see it. That is a legal question, not a technical one, and it deserves a concrete answer.
5. What does the price include, and what does it not?
It is worth clarifying three items that are often left out of the initial quote:
- Hosting and its monthly cost.
- Fixes after delivery, and for how long.
- Training for the people who will actually use the application.
6. Can I speak to a client similar to me?
A reference from a company of your size and sector is worth more than ten logos on a website. If none is available it is not disqualifying, but it is worth knowing.
7. How much of the code is written by a person?
This question has become relevant in recent years. There is no universally correct answer, but it is worth knowing what you are being handed: who can explain how it works and who will be able to fix it when it breaks.
One signal worth all the others
Pay attention to whether the company ever tells you no.
A provider who accepts any deadline, any budget and any extra feature without blinking is not telling you they can handle everything: they are telling you they will adjust it along the way. We prefer to warn you before starting, even when that sometimes means losing the project.
If you are in the middle of comparing options and would like a no-strings opinion, write to us. If we are not the right company for what you need, we will tell you that too.
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If you would like to share your thoughts or have a question about your own case, write to us.