Re: Application Development

Jim Collier wrote: > > My company is planning to contract the development of a major > application. I would appreciate receiving e-mail from software > contractors with regards to the following issues concerning custom > applications: > Disclaimer: This is a series of 'quick-and-dirty' suggestions. If you are in doubt on any part of the software contracting buisness, get some experienced help. It can be a _very_ expensive buisness. > 1. What is a reasonable warrenty period for the delivered > application? At a minimun one year. This can be negotiated. > > 2. If major bugs are encountered after the warrenty period, who > typically pays? The contractor or client? > The contractor, especially if the software is under warranty. A good testing program on the part of the developer should catch "major" bugs. This testing program should also be reviewed by the customer and used to validate the software product. The testing plan is an important document which can save you a lot of time and money. > 3. What is a good method for "signing off" the completion of the > package. What are the major points of agreement and > obligations the vendor and the client must agree to? A testing program should provide all the necessary functionality signoff milestones. It can also ensure that you are getting what yoiu pay for. > > 4. What percentage of the total package cost is a reasonable price to > pay for extended warrenty? It all depends. This is where you may have to determine how much bug fixes cost. > > 5. What other critical points if any should we be examining? One of the most important documents is the contract. This should spell out exactly what you wish to receive. If you have a weak or poorly written contract, you will be in big trouble. This is what both parties sign-up to, and if anything is not included in the initial contract, it will cost money to add it later. The project specification should lay out _exactly_ what you want done. Any ommissions here _will_ also cost money. > > 6. Are there any good references on this subject? If (as I take from where this was posted from) you are intending to put a RFP out on a database project, and you are going to stipulate an Informix database, then you might want to take advantage of some of Informix's consulting services. It would be money well spent (pay me now/pay me later). -- // // stephen f. cawley //