How to Write a Software Project Brief (With a Simple Template)

You do not need technical knowledge to brief a software company well. What helps most is a clear description of the problem, the people involved and your limits. One page is enough, and it will get you more accurate quotes and a far more useful first conversation.

Why write a brief at all?

Without a brief, every supplier fills the gaps with their own assumptions, so their quotes describe different projects. A brief makes quotes comparable, shortens the first meetings, and forces the important decisions to happen before money is spent.

What should a software project brief include?

1. The problem: what is slow, expensive or impossible today? Describe it in business terms, not features.
2. The users: who will use the software — customers, staff, managers, partners — and roughly how many.
3. The key tasks: the three to five things each type of user must be able to do.
4. Platforms and languages: mobile app, web, or both; Arabic, English, or both.
5. Existing systems: anything the software must connect to, such as accounting, payments or an old database.
6. Examples: apps or websites you like, and what exactly you like about them.
7. Limits: any deadline, budget range, or rules about where data must be stored.
8. After launch: who will run and maintain it.

What should you leave out?

Technical solutions you are not sure about, such as naming a framework or database just because you have heard of it. Describe the outcome you need and let suppliers propose how to get there; comparing their reasoning is part of choosing a good partner.

A simple template

Project: one-sentence summary.
Problem today: …
Users: who, and how many.
Must be able to: 1. … 2. … 3. …
Platforms and languages: …
Connects to: …
Examples we like: …
Deadline and budget range: …
After launch: …

What happens after you send it?

A good supplier will come back with questions, not just a price. Expect them to challenge parts of the brief, suggest a smaller first release, and explain the trade-offs. Our article on what determines the cost of custom software explains what they will be weighing. When your brief is ready, send it to us — or see how to choose a software company in Syria.