When evaluating a software system, architects/analysts generally break down a system into the functions and components at a technical level that make up a greater system that solves the particular needs of a software application. This is then translated into hours and adds to the research time, investigation time and the time needed to build infrastructure and so on. The best way to build the application is not to find the lowest per hour rate. This is dangerous, as it’s easy to give a lower per hourly rate/cost ranging from
€50 per hour to €150 per hour (depending on the provider, skills required, project duration) but also it’s not fixed. What if the software provider feels that the 2000 hours you’ve estimated should really be 4000? Essentially they’ve doubled the cost, even if the project is still delivered in 2000 elapsed hours as they’ve had to double the number of programmers.
If you outsource a project you need to ask the following questions:
1.
Does the supplier have the experience?
2.
How can you be sure that the system is designed to achieve what it needs to do without having extra development time added in as a buffer?
3.
What if the solution is expensive to host when it’s complete?
4.
Who will maintain and support it and at what cost?
5.
Who will own the Intellectual property rights (IPR)?
We offer a best-cost analysis based on:
What is the actual solution
What is the lifespan of the project
How can the system be future proofed
What is the fastest, most reliable way to develop the solution
What are the ongoing costs going to be
Are there existing software components that can deliver the solution quicker and for less?
