Buying Custom Software - Final Reminders and Considerations during Negotiations
Before making that final push in buying custom software, it is important to know your priorities and select the right software development company. These important factors heavily affect the final cost and the quality of the software.
So you’ve finally decided to get custom software for your company instead of getting off-the-shelf product software. We know you’re excited, but here are final considerations and reminders that you should keep in mind during the negotiation process.
These reminders will ensure that you get the right price for the custom software.
Reminder: Remember Your Goals and Priority Features
This first reminder works whether you choose to build or buy a software solution. That’s because before you acquire new software solutions, you need to make a definitive list of what priority features you need to be built, the many pros and cons of each solution, and other business needs that need solving.
Take time to also make another list, but this time it’s a list of questions related to the project. Prepare as many as you can.
Each question may help you make a decision as you go further into the negotiation process.
During the project meeting with prospect developers, don’t hesitate to put forward all your questions and thoughts like your business needs, services, products, systems, and as well as your long-term plan.
Take note of all the discussions made for this could contain suggestions, recommendations, and possible solutions to a problem that could help you gain a better competitive advantage as you build custom software.
We build custom software with modern solutions in mind for any business and sizes!
We build custom software with modern solutions in mind for any business and sizes!
Reminder: Be Mindful of Your Target Dates and Budget
During the negotiation process, it is very important to establish target dates. Always ask the question: Is the set time frame doable?
Depending on their answer, you may ask them how much time they will spend building the product. Ask them about their process and have them submit a methodology and a time table to meet the desired dates.
Another reminder is to not immediately state out your ceiling budget, drop an amount around 20 to 30 percent lower than the ceiling budget when asked by prospect companies.
This will give room for flexibility in case you encounter a problem during the product building. Make them bid first if possible.
Considerations when Negotiating with Prospect Development Team
To be able to hire the best developers to build your business solution, you need to remember these two considerations: meet the prospects and keep your options open.
Meet and Examine the Team
Knowing who you work with will reveal if they’re fit to the skill level and accumulated work experience that you want.
Always ask for their portfolio, know their previous customers, what types of enterprise system they have built, and as well as the hardest problem or integration they encountered.
And the one project that they’re most proud of. It is also advisable to let them tell their past work experience with a similar client, product, or company to yours.
If possible, do an investigation yourself. Also, if they have a set office location, visit it personally and examine their development system. Always ask for a test run from prospect developers.
Keep Options Open
It is very critical to note this: “Do not commit to buy after just one meeting.” Remember that you are in this for the long run. A small mistake can severely affect the business years to come. So be patient.
Always do much more than three meetings with prospects, list and use the essential details that you can use to obtain the fair price for your project.
If you have a friend or acquaintance that has a good background in software technology, you can ask them to become your business consultant during negotiations. Although this will add to your total costs, the consultancy will be worth it.
To successfully build your new business software, remember to stick to your priorities and budget, know the team, and keep your options open. With all those reminders and considerations, you can be a lot confident in buying the new custom software that you want and need.
Browse through Laneways Software & Digital for more topics about modern solutions for software development.
Jerome Rault
Partner with a software development team one that's passionate about creating success
With the broadness of the internet, and it’s continuous expansions across different platforms it is hard to leave a mark that lasts. With digital marketing services, easily make a mark of your own that pulls customers in from different parts of the internet.
