01 / PROJECT PLANNINGDefine the business before comparing quotes
Two projects described as an e-commerce platform or hotel PMS can have very different roles, rules and integrations. Write down who performs each task, in which situation, and who resolves failures before agreeing a feature list.
- List actual roles: customers, branches, headquarters and partners.
- Separate launch requirements from later phases and excluded features.
- Provide a complete workflow example, including cancellation, refund or exception handling.
02 / PROJECT PLANNINGChoose the right customer channels
Consider where users arrive from, required device capabilities, usage frequency and maintenance resources. H5 pages are accessible through links; mini programs need the relevant platform account and review process; apps also require release management and device testing.
- Validate the core flow before adding channels.
- Decide whether accounts, products, membership and orders are shared.
- Include browsers, mobile devices, slower networks and accessibility in acceptance criteria.
03 / PROJECT PLANNINGValidate APIs and device access early
Naming a smart lock, printer, payment service or e-signature provider does not establish an integration. Vendor documentation, test accounts, device models, callbacks and access rights directly affect scope and delivery planning.
- Prepare API documentation, SDKs, test access and a vendor contact.
- Define retries, duplicate requests, network recovery and manual handling.
- Separate development costs, hardware purchases and recurring provider fees.
04 / PROJECT PLANNINGLocalization is more than translated screens
Markets can share core business logic while languages, currencies, time zones, addresses and providers are defined separately. Displaying a currency does not mean a payment institution can settle in it; translated screens alone do not validate a local workflow.
- List required languages for customers, staff and headquarters.
- Distinguish display, accounting and settlement currencies.
- Use realistic local examples to test addresses, phone numbers, search and dates.
05 / PROJECT PLANNINGUnderstand cost and schedule drivers
An estimate should be based on an agreed scope and deliverables. Channels, roles, business rules, integrations, legacy migration, design detail and acceptance coverage all affect the work. Website descriptions are not a substitute for a project estimate.
- Ask for development, integration, migration and third-party costs to be distinguished.
- Agree how scope changes are assessed, approved and scheduled.
- Define demonstrations, acceptance criteria and defect handling.
06 / PROJECT PLANNINGAgree acceptance, handover and maintenance
Delivery is more than a page that opens. Validate complete workflows, exceptions, permissions, backups and recovery. Agree which source code, accounts, documents and deployment materials are included; maintenance scope and response arrangements belong in the actual agreement.
- Test core and exception flows with agreed sample data.
- Confirm ownership of administrator, provider and hosting accounts.
- Document deployment, exports, backups and the next development phase.
YOUR PROJECT BRIEFBring these details to our first conversation.
Business type and target markets; users and channels; one complete workflow; existing software and devices; languages and currencies; launch priorities and timing; available documents and examples.