Development and support retainers
Your own software team, by the month.
A monthly retainer for the fixes, changes and improvements your systems need, with people who already know how they work.
- Hours set aside every month
- The same people each time
- Systems we built or inherited
Why a retainer
Software is never finished
The business changes, so the software has to change with it. A retainer is for things like:
- A new report the managers keep asking for
- A price list or tax change that has to go in
- A bug found by a new user
- The list of "it would be nice if" that never gets done
Time is set aside every month, so small changes happen in days instead of waiting for a new project and a new quote. It suits systems we built, and systems we have taken over from someone else.
What a retainer covers
Development and support retainers
A fixed monthly amount, sized to what your systems usually need.
Hours every month
An agreed amount of development and support time each month, sized to what your systems usually need.
- e.g. enough for fixes plus one improvement
Fixes and changes
Bugs fixed and small changes made without a new quote each time.
- e.g. a new field on the job card
Steady improvements
The list of "it would be nice if" gets worked through, month by month.
- e.g. a slow report made fast
Support by email and ticket
Raise it at help@teacup.co.za or from inside your system. We respond within an hour during working hours, and the same day for after-hours emergencies.
- e.g. a user who cannot log in
Hosting included if you want
Combine the retainer with hosting, so one team looks after the whole thing.
- e.g. backups, updates and fixes together
People who know your system
The same senior team each time, not a new face who has to learn it all again.
- e.g. no explaining the history twice
How it works
Starting a retainer
We get to know the system first, then keep it moving every month.
Talk
What you run, and what keeps getting stuck. Free.
Look
We look at the system and tell you honestly what shape it is in.
Quote
A monthly amount, sized to what the system usually needs.
Every month
Fixes, changes and improvements, worked through in the order you choose.
Questions
Retainer questions
What people usually ask before starting a retainer.
Something else?
How is a retainer priced?
A fixed monthly amount based on how much time your systems usually need. We suggest a size after looking at them.
Can you take over a system another developer built?
Usually, yes. We look at it first and tell you honestly what shape it is in.
What if we need a bigger change?
Bigger pieces of work get their own quote, and the retainer keeps the day-to-day moving.
Who decides what gets done first?
You do. We keep the list with you and suggest an order, but your priorities come first.
How quickly do you respond?
Within an hour during working hours. After hours, emergencies are answered the same day when they come in through the correct channels: help@teacup.co.za or a support ticket from inside your system.
What if something happens to Teacup?
Teacup has disaster recovery and key-person handover policies, so your systems are covered if someone is unavailable. We can send them to you on request.
Keep your systems moving
Tell us what you run and what keeps getting stuck. We'll come back with questions or a quote.