How To Find and Choose a Custom Software Development Firm?

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There is a lot to consider when looking for a software development company.

Custom software can help a business by having the software work according to the businesses unique processes. Company work can be streamlined by having the right software developed by a custom software company.

Having custom software can also help a business gain an edge over the competition. Better processes, resources, and reporting can give a business just enough of a push to help them overtake competition within their industry.

Time matters.

If your business is like most of the business world, you are probably looking to find a company that can develop your software project in a timely manner with cost effective pricing.

In order to get the best price for your software it is important to think about the size of your project. Most people will have a list of features they would like to have within their software, and this list can get very long. Consider breaking your feature list into several different parts. Must Have’s, Want’s, and Like To Have’s. Contacting your first software development company with these lists in hand can help to lower your initial project cost substantially – remember that more features can always be added later.

The next important point to consider when choosing a software development company is ongoing support. Most software applications will require some degree of continued contact for bug fixes, feature enhancements, and training. This could mean an hourly, or even monthly cost associated with your project – but this is a cost that is well worth the return.

Start with a conversation.

Software development projects have a lot of key elements and the process usually starts with talking to a software consultant like BT Web Group. The consultant will help map out your project from the user interface design to the actual functionality of the application. Depending on the size of your project this process could take anywhere from a few hours, to a few months. It’s important that all details of the project are mapped out at this stage to ensure that the final product that you receive is exactly what you are wanting. Next, the consultant will write up a proposal for your project. If this proposal is accepted by you then after a down payment your custom application will begin it’s development life cycle.

The key to a successful application?

Project management!  Your project manager who oversees the development of your software will need you to remain available by phone or email during the time of development. You can expect to have a lot of communication as questions come up about specific functionality for the custom application. You may be asked to review designs or even test small parts of the application during development so that the development firm knows they are on the right path.

Beta Testing

Once your custom software has been completed, it will be time to beta test. Any problems found during this stage should be promptly fixed. Once all known issues have been worked out of the application – it will then be ready for production use.

During live usage of the software it’s common for a business to find issues, most software development companies will have written in a term into your contract for a specific amount of time worth of bug fixes. This can range from six months, to two years or more. If you or one of your users finds a bug in the software, you should contact the software development company and give as much detail as possible about how to recreate the bug that was found.

When in doubt call an expert!

If you are looking for custom software to be developed for your business, BT Web Group can help in all stages of the development life cycle.

Contact us to day to talk to a Software Development Consultant at BT Web Group.

Contact BT Web Group for all your Digital Marketing and Web Design needs. We’re located in Lexington, KY

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Written By: Shane Shuford – Chief Technology Officer