In another newsletter, we saw that custom software extracts your business's full potential. But most small businesses are unaccustomed to research and development. Here, straight talk about how R&D projects develop, from your viewpoint.
R&D doesn't bite. Much. But it is unpredictable. What you are doing has never been done before. That's its big advantage: No one 
else has it! But that makes it risky, and somebody has to take that risk. Either you take the risk and get the reward for an early finish (hourly fee) or the consultant does (fixed fee).
The project gnaws money for a while with no ROI…until "critical mass" is attained. This occurs at or near the end, when the project is acceptably useful and polished. This requires patience; premature deployment is costly.
In development, data file formats change frequently. That means you must either accept rapid obsolescence of data you enter before completion, or pay for additional code to transparently update it. Software installation takes time, too. The more interim versions, the more installation costs. The moral: Wait until it's finished…no nibbling!
Testing munches bugs before they munch you. But for small companies without enough sophisticated users to find the problems, fine-tuning can only happen after rollout. Frustrating, yes, but for very small businesses, there may be no alternative.
And because a newsletter just can't have too many mastication references…
Chew on this: You must take the long view, have confidence in the project, and trust those responsible for its execution. Your reward is better customer service and higher profitability. JRVsystems has received national recognition for custom software solutions for small business. Please call to see how we can apply that expertise to your business problems.
JRVsystems is pleased to announce renewed involvement with SpawMaxwell Company and Drake Interiors.
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