Why we do this
Half the projects we are asked to rescue were second attempts. Reading a proposal for twenty minutes before it is signed is considerably cheaper for everyone than rescuing it eighteen months later.
Sometimes we conclude the quote is good and you should sign it. That happens, and we say so.
The five things we check first
- Is there an exception list? A scope covering only the happy path is priced for a fraction of the work.
- Is monitoring included? If nothing alerts on silent failure, you will find out from a customer.
- Who specifically will build it? Named people, met before signing.
- Who owns the code and accounts? It should say, in writing, that you do.
- What does maintenance cost? Get the number before you commit, not after.
The assumptions section is the most revealing
A proposal listing ten specific assumptions has been written by someone who thought about your project. One with no assumptions has not read the brief carefully, whatever the price.
We read that section first, and it usually tells us how the project will go.
Price is rarely the problem
A quote far below the others usually means a different scope was assumed rather than a bargain. A quote far above may be pricing risk the others have not noticed.
We translate competing proposals onto the same basis so you can see what you are actually comparing, which is often not what the totals suggest.
What we will not do
Undercut a good proposal to win the work. If someone has scoped it properly at a fair price, we will tell you that and you should use them.
We would rather be the people you call for the next thing than win one project by being cynical about someone else's.