Job Description Examples for Outsourcing Software Development Projects

Mobile applications - specifically iPhone applications - are growing in popularity. Everyone's going around saying "apps" and you wonder what language they're speaking until you realize later that it's short for applications. An online article reported that the iPhone has over 10,000 applications, some of which are free while others are fee-based. Ten thousand applications? Seems a bit high, but the more you hear about the many things you can do with the iPhone, and especially after watching the video on the new iPhone 3GS, that number becomes more credible.

So let's use the iPhone as an example for these descriptions.

You own a small but successful real estate firm with 10 real estate agents working for you. They're the best realtors you've ever worked with and thanks to a thriving real estate market, they're able to close deals within a reasonable time.

But here's the catch: while they may be the best sales people, they lack the knowledge about the areas they serve. Realistically, they can't be expected to remember geographical or demographic data for all the areas.

For example, buyers would ask, "how many private schools are in this district and how far are they from this location?", or "my mother-in-law will be living with us and we'd like to know about local clinics in case she needs help while my husband and I are at work."

Your agents pass on the questions to your office but you believe that's not very efficient. You want prospective buyers to receive answers immediately so they are assured that they're dealing with knowledgeable real estate agents. You don't want agents saying, "can I get back to you this afternoon or tomorrow with that information?"

An idea is brewing in your mind. You're thinking, why not take advantage of technology? Why not use the iPhone to make my business more efficient and more responsive?

You tell your agents to get rid of their cell phones. You buy 10 iPhones for them. You create a data base. You're going to install an application that a software expert will create for you.

You're excited! This idea - if it works - will probably make your firm the best and the brightest in the real estate industry. You will outsource this project but the chosen candidate will have to sign a non-disclosure agreement to protect your idea from being stolen.

Here's an example for a job description. You can always tweek it - reword it - for requirements other than for mobile device apps.

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Overall Plan:
I need an iPhone expert with apps development skills. I own a real estate company and I'll be providing the new iPhone 3Gs to all my 10 agents. For the sake of efficiency, their iPhones will contain answers to most frequently asked questions by prospective buyers.

Nature of Project:
This project consists of two stages: (a) research and (b) development of the application. The ideal candidate:

* Is 100% familiar with how iPhones work - their features, capabilities, limitations, etc.
* Is an experienced software developer who has created applications specifically for the iPhone (or other mobile devices)
* Can create the application based on the configuration I have in mind
* Is willing to sign a non-disclosure agreement (NDA) before specs are sent

Compensation:
Prefer to pay a fixed fee. Based on additional information I will provide to shortlisted candidates, you can finalize your bid after you've calculated your fees. So please "pre-bid" on this first round. After reading the detailed spec sheet, you can change your pre-bid into a final bid with the amount you want to charge.

Details:
Detailed information will be sent to interested and qualified candidates. Please do not bid if you've never owned an iPhone or have never done any software development for mobile devices.

When you file your pre-bid, please tell me about your experience in this particular field. I will also be reviewing the feedback that your clients left for you.

Thank you. I hope to get in touch with shortlisted candidates in 5-7 days, no later.

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The job description above is neither too short nor too long. This gives the freelancer an idea of your basic requirements. In most cases, this would suffice.

However, it often happens that the design of a particular project has to be revised a few times because something is missing. This is often because key data was not communicated properly. After you receive bids, you send out a detailed project spec (specification sheet) so your freelancer has more information to work with.

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In my first posting, I mentioned that this project consists of two stages: research and development of an application for an iPhone 3GS.

Stage 1: Research

I looked into Apple's web site for the iPhone 3GS and also went through some web sites that focus on the various applications available. From the little information I've gathered (I don't really have the time to go into in-depth research because I'm hoping you can do this for me), there are some applications for real estate. The few I've come across are HomeFinder, Trulia and StreetEasy. I'm sure there are more. I don't know if these applications will meet my needs; again, I'm hoping you can tell me that.

What I need you to do is to research real estate applications that are supported by the iPhone 3GS and tell me if it can be re-configured, tweeked or redeveloped for the specs below. If not, you need to tell me if you can create such an application from scratch:
* I have created a data base for my agents. They will use it to search general and specific information about the area where the property is located.
* This data base contains: schools, churches, hospitals, walk-in clinics, dentists, recreational facilities and parks, libraries, moviehouses, restaurants, training centers, shopping malls, specialty and ethnic stores, and businesses for each of the zip codes covered in the areas we serve.
* The data base works on zip codes: if a buyer asks about Anglican churches in the area, the real estate agent simply types the zip code or says it aloud (the iPhone 3GS has a built in voice-control/voice-recognition mechanism). The iPhone should then pop a screen that says "go to XXX database."
* The agent taps on it and is taken to the page where Anglican churches for that zip code and surrounding areas are provided. This way, the agent can provide the answer immediately.

Stage 2: Application Development

If any of the existing applications cannot be used or re-configured to meet the above specs, then such an application has to be created. I will own all rights to this application. It must not be shared - in whole or in part - with your future clients. A non-disclosure agreement will be sent to you .

I want the application to be compatible with future models of the iPhone and to accommodate larger data bases as my business expands.

When bidding, please factor in the number of hours it will take to do the two stages of this project and the time spent for coding, test driving, refining and troubleshooting of the application.

So as not to waste time, I request that once you've created the application, run it a few times before presenting it to me, so that if there are bugs or issues that need to be ironed out, you can fix them prior to presentation.

I welcome your questions. Look forward to your bids! Thank you.

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So there is enough information in these examples to compare to your own project descriptions. It is purely up to you how you use this information but it will make a big difference to providers who view your project if they can see your needs presented in an ordered and comprehensive way.

Happy Outsourcing

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