{"id":667,"date":"2022-10-17T11:59:19","date_gmt":"2022-10-17T11:59:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/fluxtech.me\/blog\/?p=667"},"modified":"2022-11-07T06:48:50","modified_gmt":"2022-11-07T06:48:50","slug":"5-reasons-to-have-a-consultation-before-starting-a-development-project","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/fluxtech.me\/blog\/5-reasons-to-have-a-consultation-before-starting-a-development-project\/","title":{"rendered":"<strong>5 Reasons to Have a Consultation Before Starting a Development Project&nbsp;<\/strong>"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>When you scan a <a href=\"https:\/\/fluxtech.me\/blog\/flux-named-among-armenias-most-reviewed-software-development-companies-according-to-the-manifest\/\">software development company<\/a>\u2019s website you\u2019re generally looking to see if they are the right fit for you. And one thing you may notice is that many companies offer a free consultation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Pro tip: Even if you don\u2019t end up working with the company, having a consultation is a great way to clarify exactly what you need to develop your solution. This will make any and all discussions you have with other outsource companies even more productive.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>With that in mind, here are just a few benefits you can leverage from a consultation with a software development company.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Learn to Define the Technical Requirements of<\/strong> <strong>during your consultation<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>If you\u2019re working on a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.oreilly.com\/library\/view\/effective-software-project\/9780764596360\/9780764596360_ch01lev1sec1.html\">software development project<\/a>, the technical requirements are defined as those factors required to deliver a desired function or behavior from a system to satisfy a user&#8217;s standards and needs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>So for example, let\u2019s say you have a browser-based learning software that only works for a specific web browser because of an important integration system that allows your software to function properly on that web browser. That would be a technical issue, which would require a technical solution going forward. Here is a quick list of requirements you may have for your solution:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Accessibility<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Authentication and authorization<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Availability<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Data quality<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Human error<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Information security<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Internal controls<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Interoperability<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Maintainability<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Performance<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Privacy<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Productivity<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Reliability<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Serviceability<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Standards<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>System errors<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Establish the Scope of your project<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The scope of your project is important to understand and be able to explain both to your team internally and to anyone you contrat. That\u2019s where a project scope statement comes in handy. This provides a detailed description of the work that must be done to deliver the output of a project on time and within the allotted budget. The document also places the objectives of the project and its output\u2014which could be a product that a company is releasing to the marketplace or analysis that leadership will use to make an informed business decision\u2014within the larger context of the organization\u2019s goals and objectives.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Validate your Idea<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Is the idea you have for a solution valid itself? Sometimes talking to an objective third party is the best way to find out. Many things sound good in our head, but not on paper. Talking to an experienced software company is an ideal backboard to bounce ideas off. More specifically, here are four simple steps you can take to validate your idea. You might notice that these steps happen naturally within the course of a consultation.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Define your goal &#8211;<\/strong> Yep, just like any idea management-related activity, validation starts with defining your goals.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Develop a hypothesis &#8211;&nbsp; <\/strong>After you&#8217;ve defined your goal for idea validation, it&#8217;s time to develop a hypothesis based on that goal.&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Experiment and revise<\/strong> &#8211; Naturally, this is a step that extends beyond a consultation, but it goes a long way to validating your idea. Remember to keep in mind:\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Which methods are the most useful for testing your assumption?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>How do you plan to execute the tests?<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Validate and develop &#8211; <\/strong>Once you reach this stage, you are truly ready to begin working with a software development company to realize your idea.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Understand the risks and unexpected costs<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Is it technically possible to achieve the business goals you\u2019ve set? Will there be unexpected costs associated with third party integrations, hosting services, etc.? These are serious questions to consider. Knowing the answer will leave&nbsp; you with a better understanding of what your project requires and less likely to be blind sighted in terms of budget.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Once again. Don\u2019t feel like you have to have these answers perfectly ready when you have a consultation. On the contrary, the consultation can help you arrive at answers to these tough questions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Help define product strategy<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>What is best for you? Each project deserves a tailored approach. And talking with a software development company can help you figure out just what that means. For example, you might need to start with an MVP. Or not. If you do, then what main features should be included within the MVP scope? What should be the main stages for your development project?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Think about these questions. And if you don\u2019t have the answers, ask! An experienced company will be able to suggest features and offer a product strategy.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Bottom line: Take full advantage of your next consultation<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>You have an idea. But you don\u2019t have all the answers. However, sometimes knowing what you don\u2019t know is knowledge in itself. Keep in mind all that you can get out of a consultation, including filling in the blanks and figuring out where you need to establish more clarity with your project. Whether you choose to work with the company you consult with or not is secondary. Just remember to take good notes (or record your calls) so all the information you take in <em>informs <\/em>your decisions down the line.<\/p>\n\n\n<p><!-- Begin Mailchimp Signup Form -->\n<link href=\"\/\/cdn-images.mailchimp.com\/embedcode\/classic-10_7.css\" rel=\"stylesheet\" type=\"text\/css\">\n<style type=\"text\/css\">\n\t#mc_embed_signup{background:#fff; clear:left; font:14px Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif; }\n\t\/* Add your own Mailchimp form style overrides in your site stylesheet or in this style block.\n\t   We recommend moving this block and the preceding CSS link to the HEAD of your HTML file. *\/\n<\/style>\n<div id=\"mc_embed_signup\">\n<form action=\"https:\/\/fluxtech.us1.list-manage.com\/subscribe\/post?u=b08e10b09cd8fa3fc0922d55b&amp;id=775d1a7dac\" method=\"post\" id=\"mc-embedded-subscribe-form\" name=\"mc-embedded-subscribe-form\" class=\"validate\" target=\"_blank\" novalidate=\"\">\n<div id=\"mc_embed_signup_scroll\">\n<h2>Subscribe to our newsletter to receive new blogs and tips &#8211; straight to your inbox<\/h2>\n<div class=\"indicates-required\"><span class=\"asterisk\">*<\/span> indicates required<\/div>\n<div class=\"mc-field-group\">\n\t<label for=\"mce-FNAME\">First Name  <span class=\"asterisk\">*<\/span><br \/>\n<\/label><br \/>\n\t<input type=\"text\" value=\"\" name=\"FNAME\" class=\"required\" id=\"mce-FNAME\">\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"mc-field-group\">\n\t<label for=\"mce-EMAIL\">Email Address  <span class=\"asterisk\">*<\/span><br \/>\n<\/label><br \/>\n\t<input type=\"email\" value=\"\" name=\"EMAIL\" class=\"required email\" id=\"mce-EMAIL\">\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"mce-responses\" class=\"clear\">\n<div class=\"response\" id=\"mce-error-response\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"response\" id=\"mce-success-response\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>    <!-- real people should not fill this in and expect good things - do not remove this or risk form bot signups--><\/p>\n<div style=\"position: absolute; left: -5000px;\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><input type=\"text\" name=\"b_b08e10b09cd8fa3fc0922d55b_775d1a7dac\" tabindex=\"-1\" value=\"\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"clear\"><input type=\"submit\" value=\"Subscribe\" name=\"subscribe\" id=\"mc-embedded-subscribe\" class=\"button\"><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/form>\n<\/div>\n<p><script type=\"text\/javascript\" src=\"\/\/s3.amazonaws.com\/downloads.mailchimp.com\/js\/mc-validate.js\"><\/script><script type=\"text\/javascript\">(function($) {window.fnames = new Array(); window.ftypes = new Array();fnames[1]='FNAME';ftypes[1]='text';fnames[0]='EMAIL';ftypes[0]='email';}(jQuery));var $mcj = jQuery.noConflict(true);<\/script><br \/>\n<!--End mc_embed_signup--><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>When you scan a software development company\u2019s website you\u2019re generally looking to see if they are the right fit for you. And one thing you may notice is that many companies offer a free consultation. Pro tip: Even if you don\u2019t end up working with the company, having a consultation is a great way to [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":674,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[13,15],"tags":[41],"class_list":["post-667","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-business-development","category-web-development","tag-web-development"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v20.8 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>5 Reasons to Have a Consultation Before Starting a Development Project&nbsp; - Flux Technologies<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Having a consultation is a great way to clarify exactly what you need to develop your solution. This will make any and all discussions you have with other outsource companies even more productive.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/fluxtech.me\/blog\/5-reasons-to-have-a-consultation-before-starting-a-development-project\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"5 Reasons to Have a Consultation Before Starting a Development Project&nbsp; - Flux Technologies\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Having a consultation is a great way to clarify exactly what you need to develop your solution. 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