Improve
Bugs fixed, slow screens sped up, missing features added
The software works, mostly. Some totals are wrong, a report takes minutes, a feature everyone asks for is missing. We take over existing applications, find out what is really going on and fix it, without rewriting what does not need rewriting.
We start with a diagnosis. We reproduce the problem on a copy, measure it and write down the cause and what fixing it involves, with a fixed price. A slow screen often comes from a single missing index or a query that runs thousands of times, and the fix is small once the cause is known.
Before changing code, we add automated tests around the part we touch, so that the fix does not break something else, and we deliver the change with a short note of what was done and why.
What it can look like
| SO-10482 | Bertram & Lowe | €2,480.00 |
| SO-10483 | Kessmar Elektro | €912.40 |
| SO-10484 | Lumen Bistro | €186.00 |
| SO-10485 | Orsini Ottica | €1,320.50 |
| SO-10486 | Studio Kerr | €640.00 |
| SO-10487 | Palmer & Rhee | €3,105.75 |
An order screen before and after a performance fix. Drag the handle to compare.
What we deliver
A written diagnosis
What causes the problem, how we found it and what fixing it involves, with a fixed price.
Bug fixes
Wrong totals, crashes, failed imports and errors that appear only for some users or some data.
Performance work
Slow screens, reports and batch jobs measured, explained and sped up, from indexes and queries to caching.
New features
Features added to the existing application in its own style, without starting again.
Tests around every change
Automated tests covering what we changed, delivered with the code.
Typical projects
A report that takes minutes to open
Often it runs one query per line. Rewritten as a single grouped query, it opens in a second or two.
Totals that are off by a few cents
Usually rounding applied at different points of the calculation. One rule, applied in one place, with tests on past invoices.
An export the accountants keep asking for
A new export added to the existing order system, in the format the accounting package imports.
Technologies
- C# / .NET
- VB.NET
- PHP
- JavaScript
- SQL Server
- MySQL
- PostgreSQL
- Oracle
- DB2
How we work
Access to a copy
You give us the source code, a copy of the database with test data and a short description of what is wrong or missing. We sign an NDA first if you want one.
Written diagnosis
We reproduce the problem or review the application and explain in writing what we found, what we propose and at what fixed price.
Changes with tests
Before changing code we add automated tests around the part we touch, then make the change on a copy and show you the result.
Release and follow-up
The change goes live at a time agreed with you, with a short note of what was done. We stay available for the next request.
Price and payment
Payment terms
We ask for 50% to start and 50% on acceptance. The second half is due before go-live and before the source code is handed over. Larger projects are split into milestone payments.
Every proposal states a fixed price for the work it describes, agreed in writing before work starts. If the scope changes, we send a new written quote and wait for your approval before doing the extra work.
Prices exclude VAT.
Questions about this service
Can you work on code written by someone else?
Yes, that is most of this work. We need the source code, a copy of the database with test data and, ideally, a description of the problem with an example.
What if we do not have the source code?
For .NET applications a lot can be recovered from the compiled program. For other technologies it depends, and the diagnosis says clearly what is possible.
How do you price a fix when the cause is unknown?
The diagnosis comes first and has its own fixed price, agreed in advance. The fix is then quoted separately, also at a fixed price.
Will the fix break something else?
Before changing code we add automated tests around that part, and we try the change on a copy of your data before it goes live.
Contact
Use whichever channel suits you. We reply within one working day, in writing.
By email
riccardo@Describe the problem with an example, and tell us what the software is built with if you know. We reply within one working day.
Send us your file
For Access, Excel, VB6, Delphi or older .NET software, you receive a free written assessment within 48 hours of sending the file.
- Make a copy, with test data if you prefer.
- Attach it to the form or to an email, ideally as a password-protected archive with the password sent separately. If you ask, we sign an NDA first.
- Within 48 hours: the assessment and a fixed price for a pilot module.
We work from Italy.