Software is a computer program that is created to help with a certain problem. Companies and organizations develop new software programs to streamline their production, office work, and project handling. For instance, a company creates a software progress tracking software that enables all the team members to input data about the different aspects of the project, and this way the management and the client can see the exact progress of the assignment.
POS or point of sale is also a very common software program that allows retail stores and grocery places to calculate the sale and remaining items in the inventory. This program tells the manager or procurement department about low inventory items so they can purchase new stock in time. In a way, you can say that our lives are surrounded by these software programs because each device or gadget that you use runs on specific software. Within your smartphone, hundreds of software programs are created by numerous developers, including games, learning applications, educational programs, technical training programs, etc.
Creating a software program is no joke. This task is typically handled by a software developer who has good knowledge and experience in developing a program. If a client, i.e. an individual or a company, wants to develop new software, they contact a development agency. Within the agency, various developers handle multiple jobs at once. Getting the contract to create a software program is typically done by sending a solicited or unsolicited proposal. This proposal is a kind of the most important document in this process because this allows the developer to showcase the capabilities, expertise, and history of their previous clients who can vouch for them.
Free Software Development Proposal Templates:
Here you can download these 09+ Free Software Development Proposal Templates.
Key elements to include in a Software Development Proposal:
- Introduction of the Development Agency
- Executive summary of the proposal
- Problem(s) that need to be handled
- Possible solution(s) to the problems
- Key objectives to achieve with the software
- Benefits the software will provide
- Timeline of completion and delivery
- IP copyrights and registration
- Agreement’s terms and conditions
- Pricing and payment process
Importance and benefits of using Software Development Proposal:
If you run a software development agency, you understand that when a client feels the need for a new software program or upgrade in the existing programs; they look for competent developers and ask for their proposals. There are many reasons for requesting the proposal but most of the time it’s because the client wants to evaluate available options and compare the quality of service and pricing from different developers. This way they can ensure that they get the highest quality services i.e. a software program that is developed by a professional and it doesn’t have any technical faults or problems that un-surface after a certain period or the schedule matches with their timeline and the pricing is close to their expectations.
These and many other features and elements are briefly discussed in the software development proposal. What you do with a proposal is convince the client to read about your history, and expertise and understand how capable you are and if he should trust your company for the development of important software. Along with many issues that arise during the development process, one issue that haunts the clients the most is the leak of intellectual property. An unprofessional service provider can mess up the entire process and an employee or two might leak important technical information to the competitor, which is something no one wants to encounter.
With a professional-looking development proposal template, you allow the client to understand how important you consider him and why it’s in his best interest to go with you. You can mention the services you offer, the benefits you can present to the customer, similar software programs developed in the past, advanced methods or tools your company uses for the development process, and lastly, how important it is for you to have a satisfied client and what they want when they want it, and how they want to be seen.