Isiahcorreia

Define what is included as user stories or scenarios: who does what, and what happens next. Just as important, list what you are not building. An explicit exclusion list saves more disagreement during acceptance than the rest of the brief combined.

The delivery process beats the number of developers. Find out how change requests are handled, who defines done and what the QA setup looks like. A well-run team should be able to walk you through running software rather than status reports.

Start with relevant experience, not the size of the portfolio. Request a couple of case studies that sit close to your stack, and then ask specifically whether those engineers are still with the company.

The mix of people behind the number changes the arithmetic. A day rate reveals very little on its own: a senior engineer at a higher rate frequently turns out to be cheaper overall than a pair of junior developers who require heavy code review.

Process matters more than the number of developers. Find out what happens when the scope changes, who defines done and how quality assurance works. A mature team will be able to demonstrate a working build every one or two weeks.

The team you are quoted matters a great deal. A rate card reveals little on its own: a senior engineer at a premium rate frequently turns out to be cheaper overall than a pair of junior developers who require heavy code review.

The build price is not what you will actually spend. Budget for hosting, subscriptions and licences, logging and alerting and an ongoing support budget each year.

The team you are quoted matters. A day rate tells you little on its own: one senior developer at a premium rate can be less expensive in the end than two juniors who require constant review.