How a Project Roadmap saves money and time

Recently a business associate received proposals ranging from $15,000 to $150,000 for the same project RFP.

How do you know that what you think you need or want in your website really fits the bill? How do you know if proposals are fairly priced? And how do you know you're comparing apples to apples?

Not having a clear Project Roadmap can lead to features you may not need, or some that add tremendously to total cost when a less costly alternative could fit your needs just as well.

Recently a business associate received proposals ranging from $15,000 to $150,000 for the same project RFP.

Is that discrepancy because the company quoting $150,000 will create a site that's 10 times better and more effective than the company quoting $15,000? Or is it because the companies aren't really quoting for the same project? The devil is in the details.

It's entirely possible one site is worth 10x more, but it's also possible that they're using costly proprietary software rather than open source, that features are included that you don't need, that they just threw out a number to see if they could get a bite, or that the low-end number is for working with just one person. And even if the site is worth 10x more, that doesn't matter if your budget is $15k.

You may want a Ferrari, but if your budget is for a Kia it would be a waste of time to even go looking at Ferraris.

A Project Roadmap helps you develop a prioritized list of requirements. We perform the analysis, research, and strategy development that allow us to make recommendations for project features, functionality, and possible alternatives. It can save you lots of time and money, and at the very least will ensure your project fits your needs.

Think of not having a Project Roadmap as leaving for a long road trip without planning your route, looking at hotels, or making sure you have enough money for gas and food.

This step has to be done, but in the design world it's usually done as part of the project itself and is referred to as Discovery. The problem with this sequence is that after you've signed the contract for a specific amount, the designer is forced to fit your needs within the agree-upon budget.

What if your understanding of a feature varies drastically from the designer's and will cost much more, or what if it could have been done less expensively if the designer had understood your needs more fully before submitting the proposal? By doing a Project Roadmap, you should know that any contract you sign meets yours needs and makes the best use of your budget.

The Roadmap can be used as the basis to issue an RFP, resulting in proposals that should be more apples to apples; alternatively it can be used as the basis to begin the actual project with any firm of your choice. If you have the staff, it could even be used to develop your project in-house with the peace of mind that comes from knowing that neutral outsiders have vetted it.

If you select us to develop the project after Roadmapping, 2/3 of the Project Roadmapping cost is credited towards the project cost.

Project Roadmapping is a win/win for you and the designers.

You get to solidify the details of your project, possibly reducing the overall cost of a project, and you get a test drive with us before diving into a large contract for the full project. We get to make sure we really understand your needs before making recommendations. It's like dating before getting married and it just makes sense.

Request a contact if you're interested in roadmapping your next project.