Archive for the ‘Software and Web Development’ Category

One of the easiest ways for businesses to save money is automating some of their existing business processes. It allows to free up existing staff to do other work or eliminate the need for additional staff. A lot of businesses do the same work multiple times like:

• Entering information in one form and then doing the same thing in 3 other forms
• Spending time on creating reports and looking up information.
• Organizing and sorting documents or files

All this work can be automated and save many businesses the need to keep staff that does this kind of repetitive work or allow you to direct them do more valuable work. It usually saves hundreds of thousands per year for a company of small size. It really is a no brainer if you have at least one person doing this repetitive work. Usually for the cost of a year’s salary you can create a system that will do most of the work for you.

Technorati Tags: custom software development, Software and Web Development

A small company grows and moves on from a start-up status and its’ software and web development needs change. You might have gotten along initially by working with moonlighters or a freelancer because they were cheap. But let’s face it – it is not a long term strategy. Most moonlighters and freelancers will abandon ship very quickly because it’s not their primary source of income and something better usually comes along or they just lose interest. It can be a frustrating experience trying to find a new one and hand over the project to that person. Even with a software web development company you have to realize that you’re not their only client. You hired them to do a project and they did a fantastic job. Now you want to roll out a second version of your product, but that company might be busy working on other projects now and you might have to wait in line to get your new version done because this is a new project and more time needs to be allocated for it.

There is a better way! If you need things done on an ongoing basis you need to work with a company that offers an SLA (Service Level Agreement). If you require ongoing work this is the best solution for you. Main purpose of a service level agreement is to allocate time for your project in that company’s schedule to ensure that work can be done when you need it. It quantifies the minimum acceptable level of service to you by spelling out the time that will be allocated to your project on an ongoing basis, response time for regular work and emergencies, etc. You can then rest assured that your software/web project will be taken care of when you need it.

Technorati Tags: custom software development, managing website, Software and Web Development, Website Design

Building software or a website is an exciting process for any business. Dreaming up nifty features that will save you a ton of time and money and looking at other similar projects for inspiration get our creative juices flowing.

But that enthusiasm can quickly go cold if the website or software you end up with does not deliver the results you expect.  That’s why the first step in the website and software development process is one of the most important. Careful planning early on can often mean the difference between a software or a website that is a driving force of your company’s growth and one that needs to be redone one or more times shortly after its’ completion.

Good planning reaps benefits that are critical to any organization. It ensures that your project is on time and on budget and that the website or software you end up with not only is what you want but serves the needs of your organization better than any alternative.

The website and software development process is not a lot different than building a home. Knowing what kind of home you want is the first step. How will the floor be laid out? Where will each door go? How many bathrooms? Not knowing the answers to these questions before you start building guarantees trouble ahead. Realizing that you need a bay window when the house is nearly built will cost you much more time and money than if you had anticipated one from the start.

Likewise, the process of developing website and software begins with identifying what kind of website or software you need. A good development firm will not only listen to your needs but help you identify goals that you may not have realized were essential to your project’s success. Based on those needs, your developer will then draft a blueprint that lays out a design for your website or software and the steps required to achieve it.

Once you’ve seen the blueprint, you’ll then have a much clearer picture of the online “home” you’ve been working towards. A bit of tweaking here and there is normal, but now the process of actually building the website can begin on good footing.

It all begins with good planning. The process is a good one to become familiar with as you begin thinking about the website or software you want and searching for a design company that can get you to that point.

Technorati Tags: custom software development, planning, Software and Web Development, web site, Website Design

1. Is your software/website developer promising you an unrealistic project end date? If you make your plans around that date, what will it cost YOU if they do not deliver?
2. What is the project end date based on and what are the major time constraints? How many people will be assigned to the project?
3. Has your software/website developer set aside time for gathering detailed project specifications? If not, you are building a house without building plans – don’t be suprised if your bedroom does not have a window you wanted.
4. Has your software/website developer set aside enough time for testing by quality assurance team?
5. Has your software/website developer set aside enough time for LIVE testing by small group of actual live users?
6. Will your software/website be tested by INDEPENDENT quality assurance specialist(s)? If the same programmer/programming team is also testing their own work you will end up with a software/website full of bugs. Will you be ok with delaying the launch of your project for months while waiting for bugs to be fixed?
7. Will your software/website developer be willing to fix these bugs after completion?
8. How quickly will they be willing to fix these bugs? Is it spelled out in the agreement? Don’t get stuck waiting for 6 months waiting for a fix while they are working on another project. How much will this cost your business?
9. How long have they been in business? You may get stuck with a software/website that needs fixing or updates and your software developer is nowhere to be found.
10. Will your software/website developer provide training? If so, have it spelled out in the agreement exactly how many hours of training will be provided and where.
11. Will your software/website developer provide help files, tutorials or manuals?