The Situation

You need to contract a software development company to build a mission-critical system for your business.

The Mismatch

OK, so...

All software development companies claim to write high quality software.

close When have you ever encountered a professional service company that admitted to being mediocre, or even average? If you ask a software development company - particularly an inexpensive offshore one - if they can build what you need, they will always say 'Yes', irrespective of their ability to do so. So any claim of ability or quality from the company itself is meaningless.

What??

Most software developers are incompetent.

close Owning a large collection of paints, brushes and canvasses does not make someone a good painter. Similarly, knowledge of numerous IT tools & technologies, or impressive-sounding accreditations, does not make someone a good software developer. Designing and writing good software is difficult. As well as technical knowledge and practical experience it requires creativity and rigor, vision and discipline.

High quality software developers don't always write high quality software. But a low quality developer will only ever write low quality software. After spending three decades professionally immersed in the software development industry - and as a programmer myself - my conclusion is that most people paid to write software simply cannot do so.

The Problem

Ask Google!

You don't have enough personal knowledge to test claims of technical excellence made by software development vendors.

close Online articles about selecting vendors are typically glib generalizations that are unlikely to pertain to your specific needs. Many are nothing more than promotional pieces from software development companies trying to sell their own services. Neither is going to empower you enough to make informed decisions about whether a particular vendor will deliver the goods.

The Risk

You contract - and pay - a software development company, which then fails to deliver the system that you need. If you're managing a project to deliver this system, this means that your project might fail. If this system is core to your company's operation, your business might fail.

The Solution

So if your technical knowledge and experience isn't great, how can you test claims of technical excellence to minimize the likelihood of a project failing?

The simple fact is, on your own you can't.

With me as your partner, however, you get over 30 years of detailed, hands-on software development experience. When we work together as a team, prospective vendors will not be able to bullshit you. Together we can ask probing technical questions tailored to your needs, and understand the answers. You will be confident of making well-informed decisions, and you will minimize the risk of contracting a vendor that damages your project, your reputation, or your company. When you're investing a substantial amount of money to have custom software built for you, that software should fit your needs exactly.

And it's not just my expertise that you get. I maintain a network of IT professionals whose knowledge and experience augment my own. I'm not an SEO guru, but there's a member of my team who is.

I can work with you openly as a team member, joining meetings and engaging in discourse with your staff and vendors as you feel fit. Or if you do not wish to publicize the fact that we are collaborating we can work together privately. How we collaborate is covered in more detail under Working Together.

Contact me - Stephen Collins - for a free initial consultation. We will clarify your goals, discuss the services that I offer and decide how I can be of most help to you and your business. The first thing we'll cover is whether or not you need custom software to be built for you at all. If you can achieve all you need with off-the-shelf products and technologies, that may save you a lot of time and money.