How to Calculate the Cost of Custom Development

What is custom development?

Developing custom software applications is different from off-the-shelf (COTS) software. It is the process of adapting existing software or creating new software according to user or organizational requirements. It can be developed by an in-house developer or sometimes you need to hire an external developer which costs more.

How much does custom development cost?

A company’s custom development cost is the cost incurred in developing, researching, and introducing a new custom software or application. The cost consists of custom software research and development that includes marketing analysis, a customer survey, and hiring a developer.

Why is the cost of custom development calculated?

Software development is a very critical phase for an organization. Similarly, customizing existing software or creating new custom software has proven to be more expensive for organizations than they think. If you choose a highly professional and reliable IT company for your project, they will suggest various options to optimize costs.

When a client or organization wants to develop software, they first want an estimate of how much it will cost. If the estimate is wrong, it will affect all processes and the budget. There are several factors that you need to consider when evaluating the cost of custom development software.

Factors Affecting Custom Development Costs

project size

To estimate the cost of custom development software, you must take into account the size of the project for which the software is being developed. If the project is small and has fewer requirements, the software development budget would be low.

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Integration between applications

If the client requires application integration between the website and the mobile device, this would also increase the budget.

Data migration

Developers are hesitant to build the kind of custom software that migration to another platform requires because it consists of long lists of data migration scripts. It is a very long and difficult task.

Creative design

If the client wants a more creative application, the cost is likely to increase. Developers must create a unique design consisting of font sizes, images, colored balls, including everything that differentiates the application from others.

How is adjusted development cost calculated?

Total cost of custom software development = front-end developer cost + back-end developer cost + QA cost + PM cost.

The cost of custom development can be calculated in different ways.

Fixed price

This form of custom development cost allows customers to finalize the price together with the software developers. The client must discuss all his requirements before starting the work, since once the work is finished, it cannot be changed, otherwise, the client will have to pay additionally for the additional work.

time and materials

This type of custom development cost method requires daily input from the customer. In other words, developers require hourly or daily billing. During the development of the software, the client finds that he needs some changes in the work that can be done without additional costs.

Categories: How to
Source: HIS Education

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