Frequently Asked Questions about Custom Software Development

As a potential customer, you should know what our policies are concerning the various aspects of software development.

Cost justification:

The cost of custom software is generally higher than off-the-shelf software by a large factor. If your requirements are straightforward, then off-the-shelf software may be the best choice and we will advise you to pursue that course if that is the best solution. However, if the off-the-shelf software will require more time and effort in order to produce a final result (usually a report), then the continuing clerical cost factor over a five year life of the product will far outweigh the initial cost of software specifically designed to directly produce the final result. For that reason, we will generally provide a set of solutions that address these issues. In the final analysis, it is the customer that has to make the determination to invest in a more comprehensive cost saving measure. See our Return on Investment page for more details.

Fixed cost versus hourly:

From our experience, if all of the parameters of the product are well defined, a fixed cost arrangement is generally better than an hourly charge. If the final product will change over the course of the project, as is frequently the case in large projects, then an hourly contract is the only sensible option. It is generally better to break a large project into manageable segments such that it can be more readily created under a fixed cost arrangement. ISD can generally offer solutions that go beyond the scope of the original specification while producing a finished product for a very reasonable investment. In general, our customers rely on our expertise and experience in proposing a solution. We use our judgment and insight in proposing a solution rather than just addressing the surface requirements. For that reason, the original concept for a solution may change as a result of our understanding of the finished product. Sample results from previous customers are our best recommendations.

Software Design:

For most customers, the actual design of the software is secondary to scanning their forms, capturing their data, and printing the reports as required in the original specification. The underlying table structures and procedures to delivering the above results are left to ISD. If the customer would like us to use a particular table structure or format, we are willing to accommodate those requirements if they are made known to us before our quote. Otherwise, we will use our best judgment. As a rule, our software is not considered Work for Hire.

Warrantee:

It is our policy to support our custom software products for as long as they are in use. If, after testing the software, small changes are needed, our goal is to correct those with 24 hours. If, after many months, or years in some cases, small errors are detected, we will correct those errors or problems at no charge. Once the program is scanning and producing results per specifications, it will not generally need additional attention. For that reason, we generally do not charge maintenance fees.

Future Changes:

As a rule, we do not charge for minor changes. We will, however, eventually charge for changes that have been made up to that point. If changes are needed, we suggest making all of the changes at one time if possible to reduce the cost.