FAQ: Software development and digitalisation for SMEs

Not necessarily. We first look at existing features, extensions and automation. Custom software is an option when an important gap remains. Our offering includes small internal tools, dashboards and integrations; these do not necessarily require replacing an entire system.

No. Conventional software may be sufficient for fixed rules, calculations or transferring known data fields. AI can help summarise texts that use different wording, for example. Which results need a person to check them is agreed before implementation.

Choose one workflow, the users involved and the required outcome. Decide which features are essential now and which can wait. In a portal example, documents and approvals could be in the first scope while automatic reminders remain outside it. Additional features are agreed before implementation.

For example: “When a customer approves version 2 of a document, the person, time and version must remain visible. If version 3 is uploaded, it is not yet approved.” This fictional portal example names an action and a testable result. Add who may view or change information and what should happen when details are missing.

Mainly features, integrations, data quality and user roles. Peak Pioneers provides a quote for the agreed initial scope; operations, licences and any maintenance are listed separately. When comparing standard and custom software, also compare introduction, data migration and recurring costs over the same period of use.

The agreed scope, available interfaces and data, and your feedback and approvals. Before commissioning, clarify who will provide test data, access and business decisions. These inputs support a project schedule; one standard completion time will not fit every project.

This depends on available interfaces, licences and permissions, which are checked before a firm commitment. Also clarify which system is authoritative for each set of data. The agreed integration needs to cover duplicate records, outages and necessary manual corrections.

Identify the data and history you need and the formats available for export. A small sample can reveal missing fields, duplicate records and how data maps to the new application. Explicitly include cleaning, a trial import, verification and the switchover date in the agreed scope; data migration is not automatically included.

Agree sample scenarios and expected results before development. In the portal example: approve version 2, upload version 3 and check that only version 2 is marked as approved. Also check access permissions and important failure cases. Record open issues and how they will be addressed before acceptance.

This is specified in the offer. Documentation and handover are part of the software offering; operations, maintenance and ongoing support are agreed as needed. Assign responsibility for hosting, updates, incidents and recovery, including your own team’s tasks. A development commission alone does not settle these responsibilities.

Have the offer specify the accounts, documentation, export options, usage rights and any source code to be handed over. Test an export with sample data if changing providers later matters to you. The agreed scope determines what you receive; “custom software” alone is not a blanket commitment about ownership or all rights.