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How To Develop Software For Your Business
Software development is a risky
business.
Many software developers are barely skilled at their
trade,
much less at business. They can't understand how your
business
operates - and their code isn't unreliable.
It crashes
constantly.
It isn't professional.
It hurts your
business.
If you want software developed for your business, what
can
you do?
You need a software development professional - a
consumate
bussinessman, and you need to deal with him on your terms.
How
can you do that?
First, you need to make sure that you find a
professional
who understands business - your business. He has to
listen,
and be cautious before giving advice. If he tries to drop
a
pre-packaged solution on you, drop him. Make sure he charges
by the
project, not by the hour - hourly rates are great for
developers, but not for
clients. Hourly rates mean they get
paid *more* for every bug they create -
so they create as
many as they can.
Once you have chosen a developer,
the next step is to come
to an agreement on what needs to be done. Don't
worry about
the particular technology used - the developer should
worry
about that. Worry about what you need on your end - and
stick to
your guns! You know your business best, and your
developer should respect
that.
After you have an agreement, you get a contract signed, and
then
the real fun begins. Insist that your developer give
you regular progress
updates - including early versions of
the software (called 'builds'). That
way, bugs can be
detected early, and there will not be any surprises when
the
project is over. Depending on the project, you may be able
to get a
build every few days, or every week. The more
frequent, the
better.
When the project is finally over, you get to take a
deep
breath. Relax. Sip champagne - or Heineken, if that's your
thing.
Don't get too relaxed, though, because you will have
to start the process
over again soon. Business is constantly
changing, and your software has to
evolve with your
business. That's good, though, because every project
makes
your business more profitable, and more profit in less time
is
always a good deal.
---
David Berube is a software developer and
IT consultant
solving business problems. He's also a prolific writer and
speaker. If you'd like a powerful, innovative developer, check out http://www.berubeconsulting.com.
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