Programming and Database Development (Please login)

There is a huge amount of software development and database tools currently available. Many of these tools are for expert software developers and consultants although some can be used by users with limited expertise. Frequently, database programming is the backbone of an application for it is from this data that screens display information, analysis occurs and decisions are made.

We chose to not supply a list of these software development products because we believe your main interest here should be on clearly communicating your specific needs to those expert consultants you choose to work with. You may want to discuss with them what software they will use and how it can enhance productivity and development before signing a contract with them. But most importantly, you should ensure that they understand your specific needs and that you have specific development phases in which you can test - and modify, if necessary - the software while it is still in development. Many software development projects have been troubled or cancelled because of incomplete specifications, bad communications, misunderstanding of specifications and incomplete testing and analysis during development. A classic example of this involved one of Nasa's Mars probes. Half of the development team performed metric calculations while the other half was working with inches and feet. The end result? - it (literally) crashed.

Receiving up to five proposals from outstanding consultants and speaking with them should provide you with a significant amount of information and insight. Their years of software experience and extensive knowledge can greatly improve productivity and help the design and ultimate success of your project.

For large software development projects, you may also want to consider project management software and software estimating cost tools. There are numerous products currently available that can provide a basis from which you can obtain both time and cost estimates while project management will help you maintain control throughout the life of the project. An implementation with different and testable phases is very important.

Whatever the size of your project, the key aspect is planning and control. With experienced, rated outstanding consultants, your chance of a successful project - on time and within budget - is greatly enhanced.

Copyright, The Productivity Institute LLC, 2013.