Re: Who yields - client or developer? Your opinion

From: Tom Ellison <tellison_at_jcdoyle.com>
Date: Thu, 23 May 2002 00:32:45 -0500
Message-ID: <3CEC7EFD.8F3B0D8E_at_jcdoyle.com>


Don't we all FEEL this way, and way too often you put your foot down, and get it stepped on. I hear ya!

I believe the solution to this particular issue is pretty quick and easy, possibly less than half an hour's work. It would have been in the spec if I'd thought of it.

Finally, I leave about 15% extra in the price for just this sort of thing, so I can yield when little things come up. It makes for better relations, and is just better business. Actually, this 15% extra in the price is just one of many "extras" I build in. I know from experience just about how much of this it's going to take. And that figure stays at about 60%.

The exception is if the project is bid competitively. If so, the client must produce the spec, and that's it. I bid it tight and that's all they get for the bid price. I include a rate for extras in the bid, and everything is an extra.

I shun the competitive bid work because:

Tom Ellison
Microsoft Access MVP

"Albert D. Kallal" wrote:

> What do you mean what is more recommended? What do you mean what should you
> do?
>
> Do you have the budget to put the feature in or not? If the customer wants
> the feature, and you add in the additional cost, then do it. If the customer
> does not want the feature, or wants the feature, and you do not have the
> budget then don't do it
>
> Just what is the problem here?
>
> I mean if you ask a million people on the planet which is a better solution,
> those 1 million people will all say that they prefer a solution where you
> simply type in the rate. You can't possibly find anyone that thinks you
> should convert the value with a calculator...can you?
>
> This has nothing to do with who yields. If the customer wants the feature,
> tell that customer what is costs, and be done with the issue.
>
> You seem to be forgetting what constitutes the cost of an application. Your
> functional spec of features is what will determine the cost of the
> application. If that feature is not part of the spec, then to adding it will
> increase the cost. You need a detail sheet of each screen, and of each
> "thing", or function on that screen and what it can do. If that feature is
> not in your list, then how can your possibly come up with a estimate of what
> the whole thing is to cost? What are you doing here, pulling numbers out of
> a hat?
>
> It is funny, but don't understand this question at all. You are going the
> auto dealer asking which the correct car to purchase:
>
> Purchase a Toyota, or Mercedes Benz. They both have a different price. Which
> one gets purchased is going to depend one the budget, or how much one is
> willing to pay.
>
> If you were asking about two features that had the same cost, and you had to
> pick one..then that is a completely different issue (however, then the
> customer has to choose, or drop one feature).
>
> The client is ALWAYS GOING TO want more features. The question is at what
> cost? You cannot add more features without spending more time. I not sure
> what really the question here is.
> --
> Albert D. Kallal
> Edmonton, Alberta Canada
> kallal_at_msn.com
Received on Thu May 23 2002 - 07:32:45 CEST

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