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Costs and budget

What a custom tool costs, what makes a quote drift, and when off-the-shelf software works out cheaper.

4 articles

Custom software isn't priced like a subscription: there is what you pay once, and what you pay every month. The two are argued separately, and that is the only way to compare two quotes that don't describe the same scope.

What really moves the price is almost never the number of screens. It's the number of roles, approval paths and systems to connect. An application three people use the same way costs a fraction of the same application with four job functions and two levels of approval.

The articles in this section also put a figure on what your current setup costs: a day of inventory, a quote nobody chases, a re-keying that comes back every month. That is the number to put against the quote — not zero.

Costs and budget5 min readPer-user licenses: why your software bill grows with every hireEvery new hire adds a line on every software bill. How to work out what one more employee really costs in licenses, and the three traps that inflate the bill.ByJérôme KnopsRead the article
Costs and budget6 min readWhat a day of inventory really costs youThe cost of stock isn't the purchase price. The six items to add up to know what a day of cover really costs you, and why the figure has doubled in two years.ByJérôme KnopsRead the article
Costs and budget5 min readThe software that covers 10% of your volumesSoftware that handles only a fraction of your cases costs more than its subscription. How to measure real coverage before you sign.ByJérôme KnopsRead the article
Costs and budget5 min readHow much does a custom business app cost?The real budget for a custom business tool: setup, subscription, what pushes the price up, and when off-the-shelf works out cheaper.ByJérôme KnopsRead the article

Put a figure on what your current setup costs you.

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