There are numerous articles on the web about how to choose a software or web developer and effectively communicate your needs and requirements to them. This is our take on the process which is borne out of years of experience within the sector.
Posts Tagged ‘expectations’
How to choose a software developer
Monday, January 30th, 2012Intuitive design – not so intuitive.
Thursday, January 5th, 2012As a software and web developers we strive to create intuitive business solutions for our clients. However over the years we have discovered that what is intuitive for some is not for others.
Challenging your clients is good for them
Friday, November 18th, 2011In any project we undertake, whether it be a content managed website or a complex business system we like to challenge our clients as to what they want versus what they actually need. But does this approach actually benefit them? We certainly thinks it does.
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Website design – a black art?
Monday, July 4th, 2011I recently helped a friend out, who is setting up a new venture with a couple of colleagues, all of whom have an entrepreneurial streak in them. They are young, enthusiastic and determined to make a success of their new business and asked a designer to create a new website for them. They thought that it would start working for them straight away, so you can image their disappointment when they didn’t instantly show up on Google. So what went wrong, were they dabbling in a black art, or should their designer looked after them better?
Why you need an software architect; the building project analogy
Wednesday, December 8th, 2010During a discussion with a business colleague the other day, I used an analogy – the building project analogy – that we use to explain why we insist on understanding clients needs before embarking on any bespoke software development. Without out having a clear set of outcomes, it is almost impossible to delivery a solution and will lead to inflated costs without undertaking this vital step. After all, you would not build a house without first getting an architect to draw up a set of plans, would you?
When everything goes pear shaped can you rely on your supplier?
Tuesday, September 21st, 2010It is easy to perform well when everything thing is going well and you aren’t under pressure, but how does your business function when things go wrong? A client said to me several years ago that she would hate to run a software business, because clients never appreciate it when everything works, but when it goes wrong the pressure can be enormous. I don’t entirely agree with her statement, as I think that most businesses come under the same pressure whether they are a courier, event organiser or just about anything else that is service based.
Appearances can be deceptive
Sunday, August 15th, 2010We tendered for a relatively small project last Autumn, but were not successful. We tried to find out why we were not selected, but the client said although they were impressed with our approach and subsequent proposal they had decided to go with someone else. So you can image my surprise when the company contacted me over the Easter weekend, saying they were having some issues with their software developers and would we be prepared to enter discussions with them. I said that although I had reservations – based on past experiences in similar situations – I would be more than happy to see if we could (a) act as an intermediary or (b) take over the software development (their preferred option).
Business is emotional
Tuesday, March 30th, 2010Although in principle I would say you should not let your emotions get in the way of business, to ignore their existence is equally dangerous. The main focus of this article is to discuss the issue of emotional behaviour within business relationships before, during and after a project. We used a business coach (Jeremy Marchant) for a period of around 18 months during 2006 / 2007 and he undoubtedly helped us with the business. His main focus was “emotional intelligence” and he now offers a range of training courses on the subject. One of the most important points Jeremy gave us was to make the other person more important than you. It took me a long time to apply the concept, but the benefits have made a huge difference to the way I am able to work with clients and suppliers alike. The key to this is to strive for clarity, remove potential ambiguities and put yourself in the other persons shoes.
