Seven questions to answer before commissioning software

The most expensive part of a software project is usually building the wrong thing. You do not need a technical specification to start a conversation, but thinking through these seven questions beforehand will make the first meeting far more productive.

1. What problem are we solving?

Describe the situation today in plain language: who does what, which tools they use, and where time is lost or mistakes happen.

2. Who will use it?

Staff, clients, partners or the public each need different things. List the groups and what each needs to achieve.

3. What does success look like?

Pick something you can observe, such as fewer phone calls asking for updates, reports produced in minutes or enquiries answered the same day.

4. What is the smallest useful first version?

Separate what must exist on day one from what would be nice later. A focused first release reaches users sooner and reduces risk.

5. What must it connect to?

Email, calendars, accounting exports, payment providers and existing databases all affect scope. List them early.

6. What data already exists?

Spreadsheets and old systems usually need importing. Their structure and quality matter more than their size.

7. Who owns and maintains it afterwards?

Agree who owns the code, domains and accounts, and how updates, fixes and support will be handled once the system is live.