"We got quotes and they are wildly different." "We have no basis for choosing." Commissioning software is one of the more uncomfortable investment decisions a business owner has to make.
This article sets out how to choose a development partner in the age of AI-assisted development, from the perspective of the person paying for it.
Why quotes vary so much
Why do quotes for identical requirements differ so widely between suppliers?
■ Differences in technical capability Modern tooling is several times more efficient than legacy tooling. A company working with older technology needs more hours, and bills for them.
■ Differences in team size A company that staffs the project with a large team carries higher labour costs. One that can deliver with a small AI-assisted team can charge considerably less.
■ Whether maintenance is included A quote covering only the initial build and one covering ongoing maintenance are not comparable on total cost.
Five checks before commissioning
1. Do they have a real track record with AI? Not just the claim. Ask whether they have used AI on their own projects and what came of it.
2. Is the quality there despite the small team? Look at the quality of what they have actually delivered rather than at headcount.
3. Do they propose maintenance? Avoid anyone who stops at delivery. A partner who plans for the operating phase is one you can rely on.
4. Are they using current technology? A system built on five-year-old technology will need rebuilding in five years. Check whether the stack is genuinely modern.
5. How quickly do they respond? A supplier who is slow to reply now will be slow when something is broken. Judge it from the first exchange.
Questions that reveal whether AI is really being used
Try asking a prospective supplier:
• How did you use AI on your most recent project?
• What changed compared with how you used to work?
• Do you use AI during maintenance as well?
Anyone who cannot answer concretely may simply be using AI as a marketing term.
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Choosing a contract structure
■ One-off payment with no maintenance — the most dangerous arrangement Built and abandoned. When something breaks, nobody is responsible.
■ Build fee plus monthly maintenance — the best balance, and what we recommend The team that built the system maintains it, so problems are handled quickly by people who know it.
■ Full monthly subscription — often expensive over time Low up-front cost, but the total frequently works out higher.
Why clients choose motiv
• We build and run our own site and payment system, so our advice comes from experience
• A world-class stack — the tooling used by Google, Meta and Vercel — for fast, high-quality delivery
• Maintenance handled by the same team
• AI assistance that substantially reduces development cost
• A small team, which means quick decisions and direct communication
In summary
Choosing a development partner on price alone tends to end badly. Checking their real experience with AI, how current their technology is, and whether they propose maintenance will remove most of the risk.
We start by listening to the problem you are trying to solve and proposing the approach that fits. Please get in touch.
