What should software support include and how much should I charge for it?

Question

Freelance

Hi all!
The work on the project is moving to the final stage and then the client asks the question:
How much budget should be allocated for support and what is included in this support?
There is one more thing: the software will be hosted on the client's resources and my role as an admin will automatically disappear.
What else can include software support from me as a developer? How to evaluate this support?

Answer 1

Without knowing the software, it's hard to say what and how is required. But usually:
1. Warranty obligations usually include:
- An indication of the period of its provision.
- Correction of critical errors
- Consultation of the client in the framework of the functioning of the software (you can separately describe the range of topics).
- Updating versions
- The functioning of the software within the framework of the obligations concluded in the contract (or annex to it) or specified in the act (or other agreements) at the time of delivery of the software.
- Other services previously specified in the contract / act / ... at the time of delivery of the software. For example, you agreed that a couple of branches will open at the client approximately in 3 months and you will set up the software to work with him.
2. Supportmay include usually: maintenance, emergency service, training.
2.1 Emergency service. 2 things are prescribed in advance: the category of the accident and the response time / elimination time + fines (not necessarily financial, there may be a break in the contract) in case of violation. For example,
1st category - the software does not start (for example, due to the installation of a service pack on the OS), response time = 30 minutes, elimination time = 3 hours.
3rd category - the annual report was crookedly formed (due to data breaches, etc.). Response time=1 hour, elimination time=5 working hours days.
2.2 Maintenance. Usually there are "Wishlist" (write a small additional functionality, for example, add TOTAL, graphs + additional columns to any report) or additional. requirements (for example, uploading any data for the tax office from an online store when legislation changes). The contract again categorizes such works (for example: installation of an additional workstation, export-import of data in XML / JSON / TXT to third-party software ...) and set additional prices for them on the principle:
N pieces of such works are billed as a periodic subscription fee, and above N - at a separate price (for example, for a fixed hourly rate). It would be nice if you attach a quote with the number of hours to solve the most common problems. They also indicate penalties for violation of deadlines, etc.
2.3. Education. Usually, after the delivery of the software, the developer undertakes:
- Train N employees to work with it within X days.
- When changing the version (or critical update), train M employees within Y days.
- Periodically conduct seminars for Z employees at least S days per quarter
. Anything beyond this (and not included in the warranty) is prescribed and categorized. Separately, the rights of third parties for certain types of work are prescribed (for example, the ability to hire freelance engineers).
Also advice - ask your friends (who work better in foreign offices) anonymized (personal and legal / financial data are clogged with Ivan Ivanychs and *) software sales agreements with prescribed SLAs, applications (categories and types of additional work, order forms, acts, etc.). p. - it will immediately become clearer.

Answer 2

The most understandable approach is this:
you reserve for a client, for example, 8 hours per month, at a price of 2-3 times more than your hourly rate. If he does not use them, they burn out. If these hours are spent, then there is a surcharge, which is again higher than your hourly rate.
Here you need to find a balance between hours and cost, the client prepays few hours, so the amount is not significant for him, but both of you understand that it is sufficient for you to postpone your current affairs.
Then look at the specifics of this project, because. support varies from basic "support only by e-mail and response time to a letter in a day" to premium "response time is one hour, any communication channel, at any time of the day." Time and channels of communication I recommend to discuss in any case.

Answer 3

One client complains to me that the designer he hired asks how much you will pay, and he asks me what do you think how much he should pay. The "design" there is such that 500 rubles is a pity. In general, if a person does not know how much his work costs, most likely something is wrong with this work of his.
I always name amounts no less than those that will provide me with a good mood until the end of the project, you can also lay a little on a sudden gemara. Often, customers have objections like "what is so expensive" or "what is so expensive, it's just ..." "but I know that this is done for three rubles" and so on. you must always be ready to justify, for this you just need to know how much your work is. if they don't agree, let them go to exchanges or web studios (where they will justify 5x cost). a discount can be made only to those who can be shaken over time, if there is confidence