Is custom software an art, science, or some mixture of the two? As if there weren’t enough gray areas already, the answer is: both.
There is a science to software development. Your software provider should follow the systems development life cycle (see Software Development Process). They should have a standard system to determine your business needs, and translate those needs into a solution.
The art is in the translation, and falls mainly into two areas. The first area is documenting the business processes. Every business is different, and it is fascinating to learn their nuances. New ideas can streamline your processes, create new service offerings, and cut costs. The second area is in the design phase, also known as the “coffee and whiteboard” stage. Putting your business into software components definitely has an artistic flair. The components must be robust, extensible, and fast.
It truly is a fun process, and can be extremely exciting as both you and your provider work together to create a solution.
Stephen
Software is released in versions, usually in Major.Minor.BugFix format. So, version 1.0.0 would be the first release of production code. Version 2.3.14 would be the second major release, 3 minor releases, and 14 bug fix releases. 0.0.3 would mean the 3rd release of Beta code (code that is not released to production yet).
What does all this mean to you?
1. Your software provider should use version control
Version control is the tool developers use to govern the development process. Changes made to the software are associated with an issue (bug fix or new development). To create a release, the changes are bundled and assigned a version number (2.3.14).
There are others, but Subversion, CVS, and Source Safe are three popular version control products.
2. Your software provider should give you a list of resolved issues for each release
These could be bug fixes or additional functionality. This provides an audit trail when your software is upgraded.
Version control is the sign of an experienced software development shop. It is crucial to the success of your provider, and therefore to the success of your business.
Stephen
I picked up a Bodum coffee press my last trip to Starbucks. I am very, very happy with it.  It makes a very nice cup of joe.
I also picked up some espresso beans. This afternoon I pulled a long doppio (double espresso) while writing some code to import data from various sources. Software and coffee. What a great day!
I’m coming to the end of a bag of Sumatra, so I have to decide what will be the flavor for this month. Let me know if you have any suggestions…
Stephen