faqs 4 part1

Hi, Richard Schriever here, the Software Whisperer and today we're going to talk about frequently asked question number four. How much is it going to cost in an ongoing fashion to maintain the software once we go live? This is almost a forgotten question. So you've gone live with the new software product. Then what? Well, invariably you're going to start finding little defects or people that are in your user group are going to submit them to the help desk. So your software provider better be Johnny on the spot to continuously fix these defects and release bug fixes in production releases. You also may come across maybe some features and functions that were missed even during the requirements gathering that also have to be incorporated into your post go live release schematic.

So how do you ensure all of this? The best way to do that is to bake it into your contractual arrangement with your software provider. Get a warranty period in there that warranties the product with no defects for three, six months, or even go for more if you can. That will give you some protection, not unlike having a punch list scenario with a construction company when you finish building your home. Richard Shriver, the Software Whisperer Keep asking questions.