Custom software — ERP, CRM, inventory, billing, or industry-specific platforms — is a multi-month investment. Choosing the wrong development partner costs more than money: it costs time, staff morale, and sometimes a complete rebuild.
Whether you are in Mangalore manufacturing, Bengaluru SaaS, or Hubballi distribution, use this framework before signing a software development contract.
Green flags to look for
Verifiable portfolio with live URLs or app store listings — ask to speak with a reference client.
Written scope document (SRS) before development starts, with acceptance criteria per module.
Staging environment and weekly demos — you should see progress, not just promises.
Source code ownership in your contract, with documentation and deployment access.
Post-launch support terms defined upfront — bug-fix window, SLA, and enhancement rates.
Red flags that should stop the deal
No discovery phase — jumping straight to coding without understanding workflows.
Unrealistically low fixed price for complex ERP scope — change orders will follow.
No mention of testing, security, or backups.
Offshore-only team with no accountable project manager in your timezone.
Pressure to pay 80–100% upfront.
Questions to ask in the first meeting
Who owns the code and hosting after launch?
What is your process for handling scope changes?
How do you handle data migration from our current spreadsheets or software?
What technologies do you recommend and why — not what's trendy?
Can you show a similar project in our industry?
E26 Media welcomes these questions. Our Mangalore team builds custom software for healthcare, education, retail, and operations-heavy SMEs across Karnataka.