How to choose a software development company — 10 questions to ask

You can tell a good software development company by the way it asks about your business first, shows you a design before it starts building and shows you finished parts as the work goes on. Before you sign, also check who you will talk to, what happens after launch and who will own what. Below are ten questions that help you find out.

Software development is not something a company buys often. If you’re not from the field, it’s hard to tell who is serious and who is simply good at selling. You don’t need to understand the technology — you need to ask the right questions and listen carefully to the answers.

What should you ask a software development company before you sign?

Ask every company you’re considering the same questions and write down the answers. Each question comes with a note on what a good answer looks like.

1. Will you show us a design before you start building? You should see how the system will look and work while changes are still cheap.
2. Will you build in parts and show us what’s finished as you go? If you only see the first result at the end, mistakes are found late and cost more to fix.
3. Who will we talk to during the project? You should have someone who knows your project and can answer questions, not just a salesperson you never see again after signing.
4. What happens after launch? Ask who fixes faults, who makes changes and how the system will keep developing.
5. Can you show us projects that are live? Not screenshots, but systems, apps or websites you can open yourself.
6. How would you describe our problem in your own words? A good answer talks about your business — orders, jobs, invoices. If all you hear is the names of technologies, be careful.
7. How do you handle changes during development? Changes are normal. What matters is who approves them, how they’re priced and how they affect the schedule.
8. Who will own what? Don’t rely on a verbal promise — have the contract state clearly who owns the finished system, who holds which rights to it, what happens to your data and what you get if you ever want to move to another supplier.
9. What will you need from us? A good supplier tells you which of your people it will need and for what — meetings, answers and testing.
10. What isn’t included in the price? Ask about everything that may be charged separately — changes, running costs, adjustments after launch and ongoing care.

If a company is evasive about a question, ask again. If you still don’t get a clear answer, that is an answer too.

What are the red flags when choosing a software company?

Some warning signs are worth taking seriously, even when an offer otherwise looks attractive:

• A price and a deadline without questions. The offer arrives before anyone has asked how your company works.
• The lowest price with no explanation. The difference usually lies in what the offer leaves out — design, testing or care after launch.
• Nothing you can open. Only screenshots and client logos, no project that actually works.
• Lots of jargon, few questions. If you leave the meeting not knowing what you’ll get, that’s not your fault.
• Everything at the end. No progress shown along the way, just a handover date.
• Promises without caveats. That the software will have no faults at all, for example. All software has faults — what matters is how they’re put right.
• Pressure to sign quickly. A discount valid only until Friday is a reason to slow down, not to hurry.
• A vague contract. It doesn’t say who owns what, how changes are handled or what happens after launch.

One warning sign doesn’t necessarily mean a bad company. If you see several at once, it’s worth looking further.

How do you compare offers fairly?

Offers can only be compared if they answer the same brief. So send every company the same description: what problem you’re solving, who will use the system, which programs it must connect to and what has to work first.

Then don’t compare only the total. One offer may be lower because it leaves something out. Compare these points in particular:

Be careful when comparing a detailed offer with a brief one. The detailed one may look more expensive simply because everything is listed — while the brief one leaves the same items out or adds them later as extras.

If the offers differ a lot, ask each software development company why. The answer often tells you more than the offer itself. What drives the price is explained in how much app development costs.

What should you prepare before the first meeting?

You don’t need a finished specification. It’s enough to be able to describe where you lose time today. It helps to prepare:

• A description of the problem in your own words — what doesn’t work and what it costs you.
• A list of the programs and spreadsheets you use today.
• Who will use the new system — you, your staff, customers or technicians in the field.
• What must work first and what can come later.
• Examples of documents you work with — an order, an invoice, a weekly overview.
• Who on your side will make decisions and own the project.

You don’t need to know what the system should look like or how it gets built. That is the supplier’s job — you bring the knowledge of your business, which matters just as much for a good result.

How a project like this runs from the first meeting to launch is described in how an app gets built.

Frequently asked questions

Is a large software company better than a small studio?

Size matters less than whether you have someone to talk to and whether the company understands your work. A larger company may have more people; a smaller one may have a shorter path to decisions. Check it with the questions above.

Do I need to understand technology to choose well?

No. You need to know what costs you time and money today, and to keep asking until you understand the answers. A good supplier explains everything without jargon.

What if the collaboration doesn’t work out?

Think about this before you sign. Make sure the contract says who owns what and how the collaboration can end. And start with a smaller part — that way you test working together without much risk.

How long does software development take?

It depends on scope. A company that builds in parts can tell you when you’ll see the first finished part and show you progress along the way.

How we can help

We work in four steps: meeting, design, build, and launch and care. At the meeting we find out where your company loses time, we show you the design before anything is built, then we build in parts and show you finished parts as we go, and after launch we keep developing the solution with you. You can see systems that are already live in our projects, read more about our custom software development or book a meeting.