Costing advice

[AHarvey]

Hi all,

I've a friend looking for an iPad app for their engineers to fill out on site instead of having to fill in spreadsheets etc.

However, I suggested that it might be a better idea to build a web solution as the iPad's are internet enabled for use in the field.

It will also allow them to look at other mobile devices, tablets etc in the future without being tied to Apple products.

Basically the requirements would be a form with drop downs, areas for typing text, times, dates etc and also for customers to sign using the touch screen. Upon completion they would be able to hit SEND, then its transformed into a PDF and emailed to the customer instantly as well as uploading to an SQL database to allow the company to track it all. So they'd need html form, php + mysql database & reporting systems built.

How much would you expect to charge a client for that? It's just my idea but I've not the time or complete skill to build it for them, however they'd like to get it priced up and not get bent over

Any help gratefully received

 

[touch]

For something exactly as you have described (single web form + database + reporting) i'd say around £3k-£5k

However, there's likely to be more to it:
-connection problems: mobile internet isnt great. what happens when the form cant be submitted? Can you store a copy locally?
-data manipulation: what if the engineer makes a mistake or submits the form twice? You'll want options for editing/deleting previous entries.
-Templates: If the engineer has to fill out the form the same way every time he's going to get annoyed at it quickly - especially as he would have been easily able to copy the previous line from his current spreadsheet system.

 

[planty]

Another thing to think about is security - if it's going to be on the internet you don't want anyone to be able to submit forms or view reports. So then that means you need user management, SSL, etc.

 

[GravyMonster]

To add to what touch says, PDF generation is easy, PDF generation to match a template is a little more complicated.

Personally I'd break each task down in to a number of hours that it will take me and multiply that by an hourly rate you're happy with. Don't forget to factor in number of free hours of support you'll give (and cost of hourly support once those are gone), who pays for the server and set out who is responsible for server maintenance. And always add a ~10% contingency for client's changing their minds halfway though.

 

[AHarvey]

Lots of valid points and info and thanks for them

They are pushing me to try and create something but I'm not sure if I've got the knowledge and skills to do it but a) it'd be an interesting project to brush skills up on and b) I could do with the cash

I'm going to speak to some local companies for them and get some quotes on the go.

 

[D.P.]

Also in software development always follow the following mantra:
Estimate accurately how long you think the project will take, add some leeway, then double and move to the next unit of time measurement.

E.g. you think it will take 4 hours, you add 1 hour for unplanned event, giving 5.
Multiple by 2 to get 10 hours. Now move to the next unit of measurement, 10 days.

This gives a much more accurate figure!

 

[Dj_Jestar]

"The Internet" isn't as widely available as we all like to think. What areas are these engineers likely to work in? There are parts of London that are "blacked out", so even here you'll get problems and anything less built up is going to give you lots of problems. If they will be visiting any kind of industrial estate you can just forget it. Total non-connection including any kind of mobile connectivity.

I'm speaking from experience, too. I have developed for handheld devices (for couriers and logistics) and it was quite a surprise to discover that even things like going into a shed can kill the connection. At the least there will be slowdowns which will annoy the engineers.

 

[D.P.]

^^^
What I would do is design lightweight apps but have the bulk of the work done server-side when there is an internet connection. If you move as much infrastructure and functionality out of the app and onto the server then developing a basic interface app is no harder than developing the mobile page and more easily allows saving data locally when there is no internet.

Then it is very easy to add an android and apple app without much cost, and a webpage could be added as well for desktop use.
Webpages can be a pain to naviagte, apps can make things much simpler for the user.