Many businesses only discover they cannot get their code and database back when they try to switch vendors. Make sure these four points are in writing before you sign.
We hear this story often: a company wants to switch app vendors, only to find that its source code and database sit in the old vendor's accounts. Getting them back means a long negotiation, or even rebuilding from scratch.
This is almost always preventable at the contract stage. Before you sign a website or app development agreement, make sure these four points are clearly written down.
1. The code repository is in your company's name
Ask for the repository (on GitHub or GitLab, for example) to be created under your company's organisation account, with the vendor added as a collaborator. That way you own the code from day one, not just after the final payment.
2. You can export the database at any time
Make sure you have administrator access to the server or cloud account, and that the contract gives you the right to export all data in a standard format whenever you need it.
3. Technical documentation and user manuals are handed over
Without documentation, the next vendor will need a long time to understand the system. List the documents that must be delivered at handover:
- Installation and deployment guide
- Database structure and architecture diagram
- List of accounts, credentials and third-party services in use
- User manual for each role
4. A written warranty and SLA
Write down how long the warranty lasts, what is fixed for free and how quickly the vendor must respond. For the period after the warranty, ask for a maintenance plan with a clear SLA.
At DIGASS, all four points are in every contract. Clients own 100% of the source code from day one, and we fix bugs in the agreed features free of charge for 30 days after handover.