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1. Outsourcing Software
Top things to look for in a Service Provider
By Frances Cohen
President Promenade Software Inc.

2. My Background
The highlights:
• B.S. Geophysics – UCLA. Worked in the Dept. on an Apple IIe and 1st PC.
(dinosaurs still roamed the earth but punch cards were going extinct)
• Hated oil research – loved software. Got a BS Computer Engineering from
the Technion – Israel Institute of Technology.
• Chief Architect and core team manager at Phoenix BIOS back in the PC
heyday of 286/386/486/Pentium, Windows 3.1 – XP.
• Implemented and Managed development a GE Medical Hospital
Defibrillator at Cardiac Science – first introduction to medical devices.
• Directed software development at Source Scientific LLC, a medical device
contract developer and manufacture for 9 years.
• Current- President of Promenade Software Inc. – a medical device
software service co. - 3 years.

3. Promenade Software Inc.
• A service provider of Medical Device Software
– Full stack of software for devices and their
associated eco-system
• Embedded and User software.
• Test and Researcher support
• Manufacturing and Field Support
• Remote Data Collection
• Interconnectivity with Mobile Apps and Cloud
– Handle software regulatory submission
– 15 software engineers and growing.

4. Outsourcing – What we will cover
• Tips to help you find the right provider.
• How to help your provider succeed on your
project.
• Common Pitfalls to avoid
• Fixed price or Time & Materials

5. Finding a Provider
• You can hire day laborers.
• You can have your really good
handyman do it.
• You can hire multiple reputable
professionals and manage them.
• You can outsource the whole project to
a company that builds the houses like
yours daily and can show their work.
Its like building a house:
Risk

6. Finding a Provider
• Find cheap offshore programmers.
• Find a good all-around software guy
that can help you.
• Go to a “talent provider” and get
qualified engineers.
• Find the appropriate full service
outsourcing partner company that can
show they are really good at what what
you need.
The equivalent for software:
Risk

7. What to look for In a Provider
• Do they have engineers experienced in the technologies you
need?
• Do they have a proven infrastructure in place? Does it
support your future needs (data collection, remote
diagnostics…)
• What is their test strategy? Is it comprehensive?
• What tools will they provide you to tune your technologies
(algorithms, chemistries, mechanical…)?
• What tools do they provide manufacturing or field service
(device software).
• Are they fluent in cyber-security, regulatory, HIPAA…?
• How do they keep you in the loop? (Agile?) Do you get source
code? Documentation? Test Reports?

8. How you can help the project succeed
• Be involved. Weekly meetings and demos. If
Agile, be the product owner.
• Be quick to answer questions or resolve
issues.
• Don’t try to get everything in the first release.
You will think of things along the way. V2
• Keep track of the money. This helps avoid
feature creep and prevents surprises if the
project fall over-budget.

9. Pitfalls to avoid
• Expecting an accurate quote based on arm
waving. Think through and write up your
requirements, and if necessary, make a phase 0
with a provider to help you.
• Blindly take the lowest bid. Most bits are T&M
estimates so a low bid assumes that nothing will
go wrong – which never happens.
• Engage your provider for production
development before your technology is vetted.

10. Fixed Price vs T&M
• Are Requirements fully known or expected to
change?
– Lots of tension with fixed price for each little change.
• Are there are integration dependencies ( electro-
mechanical function or chemistries) ?
– Fixed price causes finger pointing instead of
cooperation.
• How unique is the project? Will difficulties arise?
– make a robust solution with fixed price is harder.

11. Questions?
Contact: Frances Cohen
Frances@promenadesoftware.com