Software development: what to know

What the job involves, what changes the price, and what to ask a pro.

What software development is

A developer builds custom software for a business need, gathering requirements, writing and testing the code, and delivering a working tool with documentation. You need it when off the shelf software does not fit how your business works, or when your team is working around a tool that does not do the job.

Signs you need it

  • Your team uses spreadsheets or paper to track work that should be in one system
  • Off the shelf software has many features you do not use and misses the ones you need
  • You need data from several tools to come together in one place
  • A manual process takes hours each week and could be automated
  • You want a tool your business owns and controls

What the pro does

  • Interviews the people who will use the software and writes down the requirements
  • Plans the features, the data and the screens in a clear scope
  • Builds the software in stages, and shows each stage for feedback
  • Tests the software with real data and the people who will use it
  • Delivers the software, the documentation and the code, with support for launch

What changes the price

Every job is different, so we do not publish prices. These are the things that move the quote up or down.

  • The number of features and the complexity of the logic
  • The number of users and the roles they need
  • The number of integrations with other systems
  • The data to migrate and clean
  • Whether hosting and maintenance are included or separate
  • Whether training and documentation are part of the job

What a written quote should spell out

  • The requirements and the features built
  • The hosting and any third party services, with their terms
  • Testing done and the acceptance criteria
  • Documentation and code delivered at the end
  • Support period and how changes are priced

Questions to ask before you hire

  • Who owns the code, the data and the hosting when the project ends?
  • How will you confirm that the software does what we need before launch?
  • What happens if the requirements change during the build?
  • Can you show me examples of tools you have built for businesses?
  • How is the data protected, and who can access it?
  • What support do you give after launch, and for how long?

Red flags

  • Starts building without writing down the requirements
  • Keeps the code or the hosting under its own account
  • Will not show acceptance tests or a plan for testing
  • Promises that the software will be finished in a fixed time without knowing the scope

What you can do yourself

Write down how the work is done today, step by step, and list the problems you want fixed, with examples of the forms, reports and files you use. Keep a record of the decisions you make about the features. Hire a developer to build the software, test it and deliver the code.

Licenses and permits

A license is usually not required for software development. Check with your state or local licensing agency about any business registration that applies, and ask the developer for its contract terms and examples of past work.

Software development questions

Should I buy software or have it built?

Buy when an existing tool fits the work. Build when your process is unique or when the existing tools cost more in time than a custom tool would.

How do I know the software will be right?

Agree the requirements and the acceptance tests in writing before the build. Test each stage with the people who will use it.

What happens to my data if I stop using the developer?

You should own the data and the code. Make sure the contract says so and that you can export the data at any time.

Pro reviewers

Pros who offer software development remotely can improve this guide, like Wikipedia. We check every edit before it goes live. Every approved edit is credited in the edit history and on the pro's profile.

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