Ask for a proposal you can compare
Give each prospective partner the same brief: users, main workflows, existing systems and expected outcome. Ask them to separate included work, exclusions and assumptions. A lower quote may omit data migration, content preparation, testing or support, so compare the complete scope before judging value.
Compare a booking-system proposal
Suppose two teams quote for a bilingual booking service. Both include a calendar and payments, but one excludes migration and refunds. Send the same acceptance scenarios to both teams and ask them to mark each item as included, excluded or dependent on discovery.
| Ask for this evidence | What it establishes |
|---|---|
| Import 50 sample bookings, including cancellations | Migration includes status and credit reconciliation |
| Demonstrate a failed payment and a retry | Customer state and duplicate prevention are in scope |
| Release the system using company-owned accounts | Handover is operational, not just a ZIP file |
Review relevant work in context
Ask what the partner actually delivered in a portfolio project and which parts were handled by others. A product screenshot shows an interface, but does not establish delivery time, business results or responsibility for the entire system. Discuss one difficult workflow and how the team approached it.
Make delivery and handover explicit
Confirm who makes technical decisions, how you will review progress and how changes are priced. Agree access to the repository, service accounts, source code and operating documentation. The support arrangement should identify response coverage, defect handling and the person responsible after launch.
Before you proceed
- Use the same requirements when requesting competing quotes.
- Ask for a working demonstration relevant to your project.
- Agree acceptance, ownership and support in writing.
