How to choose a custom software development company in Australia

Judge the delivery process

The most useful thing to learn about a custom software development company is how its projects run from the first conversation to handover. A portfolio shows what finished work looks like. It says little about whether those projects arrived on time, stayed within budget or matched what the client asked for.

Ask the company to walk you through a recent project step by step: how requirements were gathered, how often the client saw working software, how changes were handled and how the release was tested. A company with a real process can describe it without slides, and can show you the documents it produces along the way, such as a scope or a release checklist.

Get a written scope before work starts

A written scope is the document that turns a conversation into something both sides can be held to. It should name the people who will use the software and what each of them can do, list the features that are in and the ones that are deliberately out, and identify every system the software has to connect to.

A good scope also covers any data to be moved from old systems, the order in which parts will be delivered, how each part will be accepted as finished, the price and the payment schedule. It should say how changes are requested and priced once work has started, because on almost every project something changes.

Confirm who owns the code and the data

Ownership of custom software is set by the contract, so read that clause before you sign. The usual arrangement is that intellectual property in the code transfers to the client at handover. Check whether that applies to everything, or whether the developer keeps rights in reusable components and licenses them to you instead.

Ownership also has a practical side. The source code should sit in a repository you control or can take over. Hosting, domains, app store listings and third-party services should be registered in your business's name. Your data should be exportable in a standard format, so you are never dependent on one developer to reach it.

Know who you will deal with day to day

The people you meet during sales are not always the people who build the software. Ask who your day-to-day contact will be, whether they are part of the team writing the code, and whether any of the work is subcontracted. Neither answer is wrong, but you should hear it before the contract is signed.

Agree how often you will meet, how you will see progress and which time zone the team works in. Regular reviews of working software catch misunderstandings while they are still cheap to fix.

Ask what happens after handover

Software needs attention after launch: fixes, security updates, changes to the systems it connects to and new features. Ask whether there is a period after launch in which defects are fixed at no charge, and what counts as a defect rather than a change.

Find out what ongoing support is available and how it is priced, and get that arrangement in writing. Ask what you receive at handover: documentation, credentials and enough information for another developer to take over if you ever need one.

Understand how pricing is structured

Custom software is usually priced in one of three ways. A fixed price for each phase suits work that can be scoped clearly in advance. Time and materials suits work where the requirements will be discovered along the way. A monthly retainer suits ongoing development after launch. Each spreads risk differently between you and the developer, so ask why a company recommends the structure it proposes.

To compare quotes fairly, give every company the same brief and ask each to break its quote down. Check what is included: design, testing, project management, data migration, hosting, third-party licences and support after launch. Read the assumptions, because a quote can look lower simply by leaving work out. Compare the payment milestones as well as the total.

The guide to what custom software and app development cost in Australia gives sourced market rates and the running costs to budget for after launch.

Red flags

• A firm quote before anyone has asked how your business works.
• No written scope, or a scope that lists features without saying what is excluded.
• Contract terms that leave the code, the hosting or the app store accounts in the developer's name.
• Promises about outcomes the developer cannot control, such as guaranteed revenue or rankings.
• No working software to look at until the very end of the project.
• Vague answers about who will write the code, or whether the work is subcontracted.
• Pressure to sign quickly, often tied to a discount that expires.

The guide to red flags when hiring an app or software developer covers scope, ownership, access, timelines and handover in more detail.

Questions to ask on a first call

1. Can you walk me through a recent project from the first meeting to handover?
2. What will the written scope cover, and what happens when something changes?
3. Who owns the code, the data and the accounts when the project ends?
4. Who will I speak to each week, and are they the people building the software?
5. How often will I see working software during the build?
6. What does support look like after launch, and what does it cost?
7. How is your quote structured, and what does it leave out?
8. If we part ways later, what do I receive so another developer can take over?

Where GetQuickSites fits

GetQuickSites is a software and web development studio at 220 Collins Street, Melbourne, building custom software, web applications, iOS and Android apps and SaaS platforms for Australian businesses. We scope projects in writing, build in phases and transfer the code at handover. Our custom software development services page describes how we work, and Melbourne businesses can read about custom software development in Melbourne, where scoping can happen in person.

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