How to write a software brief that gets you accurate quotes

Send three developers 'we need a system to manage jobs' and you'll get three wildly different quotes, because each is pricing a different imagined project. A one-to-two page brief fixes most of that.

Start with the problem, not the solution

Describe what's going wrong today: where the time goes, what errors happen, what you can't see. A good developer may suggest a simpler answer than the one you had in mind.

Who uses it and how

List the types of user, roughly how many, and what each needs to do. Walk through a typical day or a typical job from start to finish. Real workflows beat feature lists.

Must-have, nice-to-have, later

Sort your wishes into three piles. The must-haves define the first release; the rest can follow. It keeps scope and cost under control.

Systems it must connect to

Accounting, CRM, email, payment, existing databases. Integrations often drive cost more than screens do, so name them early; our integrations primer explains why.

Constraints, timing and budget

Share any deadline, compliance needs, hosting preferences and a realistic budget range. Being open about budget helps a good supplier propose something that fits, rather than guess.