Having software developed: process, preparation and choosing a partner
You want to have your own software developed because spreadsheets and manual work are slowing your processes down? This page covers what to clarify before the first conversation, the steps a project goes through and how to recognise a software partner who keeps their promises.
You will be speaking with Ing. Thomas Grafenau, BSc MSc. He leads the intro call and builds your software.
12 years of software development for mid-sized companies
Before the first conversation: what to prepare
You do not need a finished specification. If you can answer these five questions, you save weeks in the project.
- Which process should go into the software first? Describe it with a real example from last week, not in general terms.
- Who will work with it? Departments, sites, field staff, and who may see and change what.
- Which systems does it need to talk to? ERP, CRM, accounting or machines. Interfaces are the biggest source of uncertainty in the price.
- What goes wrong today? Duplicate data entry, knowledge in one person's head, errors when copying data across. That is the yardstick for the benefit.
- Which data already exists? Spreadsheets and legacy systems have to be cleaned up and migrated. It sounds small and rarely is.
Having software developed in five steps
Clarify the process and the goal
You decide which process comes first and how you will recognise success. Starting small is no drawback: the first stage should be in use early.
Choose a software partner
Talk to more than one provider and ask to see software in use. A reliable fixed price only comes after an analysis; a number before that is an estimate with a risk premium.
Analysis
Requirements based on real examples from your day-to-day work, a first prototype and a binding offer. With us this takes one to two weeks, and the fee is fully credited when you commission the project.
Delivery in stages
The software is built in stages with fixed dates and a fixed price per stage. After each stage you see the running software and sign it off.
Operation and further development
Clarify before the start who will run, maintain and develop the software. Source code and documentation belong in your own repository, so you do not depend on one person.
How to recognise a good software partner
Slides and promises look much the same at every provider. These points set them apart.
- They show you software in use, not slides.
- They name a reference customer you may call.
- The person in the intro call also works on your software.
- The contract covers the handover of the source code including documentation.
- Every change is covered by automated tests before it goes live.
- They build with widely used standard technologies, so another experienced developer could take over.
Have it developed or buy standard software?
If good standard software covers almost all of your process, it is usually the better choice, for example for accounting, payroll or email. Your own software pays off when your process is your edge and no standard solution covers it.
In depth: standard software or custom software?What it costs to have software developed
The price depends mainly on the number of processes, the roles and permissions concept, the interfaces and the data migration. Ranges from our projects and a worked example are on a separate page.
See costs and a worked exampleHow we develop software for you
We develop with AI and take responsibility for every line ourselves: Claude Code writes code and tests under supervision, people clarify the requirements, review and approve. The person in the intro call is the one who builds and runs your software. Your data stays on your premises or in a data centre in Austria. This is meant for companies with 50 or more employees in Austria and Germany.
Our service: custom software developmentFrequently asked questions
Do I need a specification to have software developed?
No. We clarify the requirements together in the analysis, based on real examples from your day-to-day work. What you should bring is a process that hurts today and people who know it.
How long until the software is in use?
The analysis takes one to two weeks; a small business application is often in use four to eight weeks after that. Larger systems are built in stages of a few weeks each, so the first parts can be used early.
What does my team need to contribute?
Time from the people who know the process: for the examples in the analysis and for signing off each stage. We take care of development, testing and operation.
What if our requirements change along the way?
Small clarifications are included in the fixed price. New requests are written up as a separate item with a price before anyone works on them. You decide whether they go into this stage or the next.
Want to have software developed?
In a 30-minute intro call we clarify whether your own software pays off for your process and what the first step looks like. Free and without obligation.