What to expect from the developer while your custom application is being built.

Once you've signed your contract with a web application development company, the developer will actively begin building your project. Even though at this point, the wireframe design process has been completed, your input will still be needed; most likely in the form of feedback on changes.

However, if your project has kicked off and you haven’t heard from your developer team, you should be worried. Not hearing from your developer can be an indication that things might not be going according to plan. Stay on guard and work to keep the developer on task and on schedule.

Here are some other things that you should expect during the build phase of your application:

Weekly or bi-weekly status updates - These updates indicate the progress made and the impact on the project as a whole.

Tangible results of what has been built - These can be hard to see in the early phase. The initial foundation of any application is often difficult to demonstrate, but later in the project you should have the ability to see and click away.

Bad News - Unfortunately, things will go wrong, but if you’re not hearing about it, then someone is probably not being honest with you. Some common bad news scenarios are:

• Things not going according to schedule - Illness, other commitments, missed estimates; a lot can happen that will result in your schedule being altered. Think about what the repercussion to your business will be if the deadline is missed.
• The project scope has changed - No matter how much design discussion you will have with your developer, things will look and/or feel different once they’re live. Expect the scope to change somewhat based on improved knowledge, understanding and desire.
• The original estimate can be wrong - Estimates are estimates and a lot of what a developer does is R&D and it’s possible your build is the first time it has ever been done.
• You didn’t get what you need. A developer might build exactly what you asked for and despite participating in the entire design process and no missed communication, you might get to the end of the project and find that your needs aren’t being met.

After the build phase of your application is complete, and you've provided feedback on changes and are pleased with the final product, your new custom software will be installed!