First of all i thank God for Nairaland's ressurection...


this actually is my first time of going to defend my proposal for the implementation my software in a company..

i don't know how to go about it.. I've never had experience nd i believe this venture has doos and don't. pls i need a guide or some tips in how i should do this from more experienced hands... pls...

You'v got2 b more specific to get help. Me think d programmers here ar chinggum coders else sombody wudav replied you.
-
you'v written and submitted a proposal so you dont need help in draftg/editing a fresh copy.
It's now negotiation time , the company will want to bid you down. There's little at this stage you can do to review your price upward but theyre other factors to consider.
Legal issues:
intellectual property , copyright,warranty issues.
The scope of usage of the end user. E.g how many ppl can use it, on how many systems, what is a system here? Is it a cpu or the motherboard? Can it be used in sensitive environments etc stipulate.
Service charges like feature update bug fixing should b indicated.
You cud b creative and sell them a license to a certain amount of future services at a subsidized rate.
If you'll hav 2 defend your asking price. You could determine a price based on how much it wud take to hire an outsider to code the app+administrative overheads while the product is being developed (rent,tax,machine depreciation,phone call ,internet etc)+marketing cost . This how a real company hiring devs wud compute it. After that compute and add your expected markup i.e your expected profit to get the final amount.

Just try to be bold, unless you copied the proposal and even if you did, get youself prepared.

Raypawer: First of all i thank God for Nairaland's ressurection ...


this actually is my first time of going to defend my proposal for the implementation my software in a company..

i don't know how to go about it.. I've never had experience nd i believe this venture has doos and don't. pls i need a guide or some tips in how i should do this from more experienced hands... pls...

Are you also going to put your client's servers in God's Hands

@op
Also remember not to 'bamboozle' them with too much technical jargon
Break it down.
Be Ready to back anything up with numbers, [s]those suit people too like figures[/s]

curiouslad:

Are you also going to put your client's servers in God's Hands

@op
Also remember not to 'bamboozle' them with too much technical jargon
Break it down.
Be Ready to back anything up with numbers, [s]those suit people too like figures[/s]

k thanks Man... Absolutely, God is Control!

asalimpo: You'v got2 b more specific to get help. Me think d programmers here ar chinggum coders else sombody wudav replied you.
-

Legal issues:
intellectual property , copyright,warranty issues.
The scope of usage of the end user. E.g how many ppl can use it, on how many systems, what is a system here? Is it a cpu or the motherboard? Can it be used in sensitive environments etc stipulate.
Service charges like feature update bug fixing should b indicated.......

thanks man! i am yet to submit the proposal cos as i approached the Man in charge to ask some questions he told me that as am submitting the proposal that he will just get his superior nd we get upstairs to the conference room and i defend it then it will be left for them to decide.... that's taking me unaware.... mhen! i had to buckle up and this will be my first time so i had to seek for help as much as i can... nd for the implementation, i asked them to pay 70% before i go anywhere cos it involves me buying smart card reader and writer nd he said no internet needed it will be just for verification..... i will have to consider your point and edit my proposal... cos it has much users ie any staff on duty at a particular time but on one particular system mounted at the door.

^^
to clarify issues and avoid confusion (and you misrepresentg urself/company).

The proposal is a different thing from the license Agreement.
The proposal states the price ( and break down ) you are charging for your service.
Inlegal terms it is an offer.
The license Agreement states the rules you,the person making the offer, is requiring of the other party.
You can put anything you like in this agreement,though some mayb legally questioned, e.g
only lefthanded ppl shud use your program , (silly but still a point).
There is no contract binding you and d prospect if the license agreement isnt accepted and signed.
Thats y i say, you present it separately.
The issue u misinterpreted is wat i meant by user scope.
Typical software agreements dont stipulate the type of persons to use the software because it can b hard to tell. E.g msoft doesnt say only 12y.o+ shud run a system with windows os.
Facebook can restrct registering underaged ppl cuz its easy to do so.
Also you may not b qualified to judge d eligibilty of the persons you want to xclude from usg your system . E.g the manager may delegate some menial worker to operate the software to free up other staff for other duties.
A tv manufacturer doesnt specify d class of ppl wu will watch/operate its flatscreens. Hope you get d drift.
Such restrictions will b too cumbersome and untypical.
But you can specify d scope in which you software will b used and d type of platforms it will run on.
For this you can browse a typical EULA for any reputable software.

Overall, dont b overwhelmed by all d formalism, your job seems like a one-off non-too formal issue. Keep things light and simple,in attitude.
No biggie. You'll learn a lot from d process how to do it right.

^^^ Thanks a lot, but the software is build based on the problem on ground. If it were to be one person that was to use the software, it would be very simple, but it has been clearly stated that the introduction of the software wil not alter or should not alter their normal way of work but it will be a plus! so its ment to accommodate diff users that may intend to use it at any time!

Raypawer:
the introduction of the software wil not alter or should not alter their normal way of work

you study their business requirement. Write d software and get feedback during d build process. You alter d solution to meet their expectation. When you're done they shud b satisfied with d finished work.
But this will only happn after you and them hav gotten into a contract. Proposal+license agreement.
E.g if the program will take a year to build, and you dont know exactly wat they want, and you take 2 months to gather requirements , your propsal will state your rate during that period even though you've not started codg. When you start codg, you show them prototypes , to get feedback, your license will include clauses to protect your intellectual property so tht they dnt terminate your contract, copy your design and (or ur code) and get sombody else to do it for free.
Your contract will specify billing for work in progress just like buildg contractors on long term projects bill. This is different from one-off jobs where you get d specs, dissapear for x-months ,return with a finished goods collect ur money (one-time payment) and disappear.
If its somthg major (time,money wise) i'd advise hiring an experienced professional to help you with d preparation of the paper work.

Raypawer:
so its ment to accommodate diff users that may intend to use it at any time!

your software will b in general use. You cant predct who'll use it.
Statg such in ur license makes it
impractcal. But you can specify HOW it will shud b used and WHERE it shud/shudnt be used.
E.g if you create a basic calculator api tht computes numbers but is not precise beyond a certain limit,
a supermarket, business etc can use it because their computation doesnt exceed d safety limit but if a real-time finance company uses it or a scientist uses it for high volume calculations they will get errors and suffer consequences (lost profit,etc) . Theyve used it out of SCOPE. You hav 2 specify d scope within which your product will b used. In highly litiguous societies (think u.s), you'd b sued by som fool who just wants 2 pretend he didnt know d scope within which your software shudve been used.

Hope this helps. I'm not a professional on this so take this as a general guide.

asalimpo:
you study their business requirement. Write d software and get feedback during d build process. Proposal+license agreement.
. When you start codg, you show them prototypes , to get feedback, your license will include clauses to protect your intellectual property so tht they dnt terminate your contract, copy your design and (or ur code) and get sombody else to do it for free.

If its somthg major (time,money wise) i'd advise hiring an experienced professional to help you with d preparation of the paper work.

your software will b in general use. You cant predct who'll use it.
Statg such in ur license makes it
impractcal. But you can specify HOW it will shud b used and WHERE it shud/shudnt be used.
. .........I'm not a professional on this so take this as a general guide.

Thank u so much

your saying your not a professional but giving strong professional tips.

Am thinking of how to insert a licence that works only once on the application so that if they copy the application to another pc it will not work.

Pls is it wise to include "service charge" after charging for licence

after charging them separately also for data input... ie loading the data into software....

Raypawer:
Am thinking of how to insert a licence that works only once on the application so that if they copy the application to another pc it will not work.

you want your software to b installed on only one system and installation on another system will breach the contract between you and the company. If this what you mean, then you'll specify such in your written agreement.
In this case it seems you ar selling the company a single user license . If they want to run it on more than one system,they'll need to purchase more licenses from you.
Or you're selling them software that must run on only one system (to servce the entire company).
Again, specify such in the agreement you write.

Raypawer:
Pls is it wise to include "service charge" after charging for licence

you mean like a tip,the way restaurants charge customers?
This is opinion: it looks unprofessional and i've never seen a software proposal with a "servce charge" on it.
What you could do is break down the cost components of your servces and bill for each.
Wat do i mean by cost component? Those aspects of your servces rendered tht can b treated as distnct units.
E.g if your to create a website for a company,the production aspects are: design and coding, hosting on a server.
You can then bill by this production aspects.
E.g
design and coding ----- =N= x.00
hosting ----- =N=y.00
*yearly hostng subscription
---- =N=m.00
*maintenance fee
in a foot note you indcate that
the yearly subscription varies
(rises) from year to year.
- you state tht your maintenance fee is determined on a case by case basis bla bla bla.

For stand alone software,the cost aspects are:
coding and design, installation (some dont include this or install for free), maintenance and upgrade.

In your proposal you may
break down your price for each aspect.
Programming and buildg of software ---------- =N=a.00
installation ------ =N=b.00 (per system)
maintenance --- =N=c.00

exigencies:
hotel,relocation,transportation
(if they apply) -- =N=d.00

pre-contract consultation fee:
cost u incurred (while u were
negotiatg d contract. The repeated visits etc. This usually
applies if the pre-agreement process became extended.
)

point is,there's no vague cost element each billing aspect is clearly specified in a way the person billed can understand.

dont fail to seek professional advice on this issue!
Do your own thorough homewrk

asalimpo:
you want your software to b installed on only one system and installation on another system will breach the contract between you and the company. If this what you mean, then you'll specify such in your written agreement.
In this case it seems you ar selling the company a single user license . If they want to run it on more than one system,they'll need to purchase more licenses from you.
Or you're selling them software that must run on only one system (to servce the entire company).
Again, specify such in the agreement you write.



you mean like a tip,the way restaurants charge customers?
This is opinion: it looks unprofessional and i've never seen a software proposal with a "servce charge" on it.
What you could do is break down the cost components of your servces and bill for each.
Wat do i mean by cost component? Those aspects of your servces rendered tht can b treated as distnct units.
E.g if your to create a website for a company,the production aspects are: design and coding, hosting on a server.
You can then bill by this production aspects.
E.g
design and coding ----- =N= x.00
hosting ----- =N=y.00
*yearly hostng subscription
---- =N=m.00
*maintenance fee
in a foot note you indcate that
the yearly subscription varies
(rises) from year to year.
- you state tht your maintenance fee is determined on a case by case basis bla bla bla.

For stand alone software,the cost aspects are:
coding and design, installation (some dont include this or install for free), maintenance and upgrade.

In your proposal you may
break down your price for each aspect.
Programming and buildg of software ---------- =N=a.00
installation ------ =N=b.00 (per system)
maintenance --- =N=c.00

exigencies:
hotel,relocation,transportation
(if they apply) -- =N=d.00

pre-contract consultation fee:
cost u incurred (while u were
negotiatg d contract. The repeated visits etc. This usually
applies if the pre-agreement process became extended.
)

point is,there's no vague cost element each billing aspect is clearly specified in a way the person billed can understand.

dont fail to seek professional advice on this issue!
Do your own thorough homewrk

thanks so much..

the professionals i know wants to hijack the job nd mak me work under them as coder so immediately i perceived that through the kind of questions they ask i immediately cut the talk then run out. so Bro, God bless u

just be yourself, and lets say you quoted 1million naira, dont come back home with 250k