Questions17
Questions and answers
The questions people ask before they commission software, answered plainly.
Cost
What does custom software cost?
At ADA Lab, an automation starts at N$2,499.99, a system that replaces a spreadsheet at N$6,499.99, a booking or stock system at N$12,999.99, a portal at N$19,999.99, a business system at N$24,999.99 and a mobile app at N$34,999.99. Pricing lists what each first version includes.
Why are your prices lower than figures I have seen elsewhere?
Mostly because each price is for a small, defined first version rather than a whole system, and because a small team in Rundu costs less to run than an agency in a capital city. What custom software costs shows the published figures we compared with.
Is there a monthly fee?
Hosting is paid by you to the hosting companies. A care plan is optional. There is no licence fee and no fee per user, because you own the software.
Do you charge for a quote?
No. The first conversation and a one-page scope are free. A detailed specification for larger systems costs N$1,499.99, taken off the build price if you go ahead.
Process
How do we start?
Describe the problem on WhatsApp, or put it through the estimator and send us the result.
How long does it take?
From one week for an automation to twelve for a mobile app. The estimator gives the weeks for your case, and the scope fixes them.
Will our staff be able to use it?
That is tested, not assumed. Screens are agreed before the build, and the working version is tried by your least confident user before launch.
What if the project fails?
Staged payment limits your risk. If we cannot deliver a stage, you do not pay for it, and you keep everything delivered so far.
Ownership
Who owns the code?
You do, once the last stage is paid. Who owns the code explains what to look for in any agreement, including ours.
Can another developer take it over?
Yes. We build with widely used technology and hand over the code, the accounts and a manual so that they can.
Can we get our data out?
Always. Every system has an export, and the database account is in your name.
Technology
Do we need an app or a website?
Often neither. Many needs are met by a web app, which runs in a browser and can be installed on a phone. App or web app.
Will it work without internet?
It can, if that is asked for at the start. How offline working is built.
Is our data safe?
Each system uses encrypted connections, role-based access, daily backups and an activity log. How we treat your data.
Do you use AI?
To help write and check code, yes. Inside your system, only where it clearly helps and with a person checking anything that matters.
After launch
What happens when something breaks?
For 30 days after launch, faults are fixed free. After that a care plan covers it, or work is charged at N$424.99 an hour.
Can we add features later?
Yes, and that is the plan. Start with the smallest useful version and add priced steps once it is in daily use.
Describe the problem. We will send back a scope.
Say what is slowing the work down and who is affected. You get a one-page scope in plain words: what would be built first, how long it takes and what it costs. It is free, and you owe nothing if you do not go ahead.