Nineteenstraightanswers.

Describe the problem rather than the solution. Most enquiries arrive asking for the wrong thing — people request a build when a review would be cheaper, or a review when the answer is already obvious and the build should simply start.

Matching your situation to the right service is part of the first conversation, and there is no charge for it. If none of our eight services fits, we will say so.

We read it properly and reply by your preferred method, normally within one working day. The first response is a conversation rather than a proposal — usually with questions, because the details that determine cost are rarely in the initial description.

A written quotation follows once we both agree what the engagement is for. Nothing is chargeable until you accept that quotation.

Most of our work is with organisations, because operational software is an organisational need. We do take private enquiries, and the enquiry form lets you identify yourself as an individual so we can respond appropriately.

Consumers have additional statutory rights under UK law, including cancellation rights for contracts agreed at a distance. Our Terms & Conditions and Cancellation Policy set out how those apply.

Yes, and that is the normal starting point. We document how the work is done today — including the exceptions people have stopped mentioning — and build to that.

Where we think a step is genuinely counter-productive we will say so and explain why, but the decision remains yours. The one thing we insist on is unambiguous states: if “in progress” currently means three different things, we will ask you to settle it.

Frequently, and it is one of the most common reasons organisations contact us. When a spreadsheet becomes a shared system it brings version conflicts, no permissions, no audit trail and a dependency on the one or two people who understand the formulas.

Existing data is normally migrated so the history is preserved. Where the data is inconsistent we will tell you honestly what can be brought across cleanly and what would require manual work.

On full payment, intellectual property in the bespoke work produced for you transfers to you, as set out in our Terms & Conditions. Third-party components remain under their own licences, which we identify in the quotation.

Your data is yours at all times, and export routes are built in from the start rather than added on request.

Conventional, well-documented, widely used technology, chosen deliberately. A system that another developer can pick up in three years is worth considerably more than one built on something fashionable.

The specific choice depends on the requirement, your hosting preferences and any existing systems it must work alongside. We set it out in the quotation and explain the reasoning rather than presenting it as a given.

Yes. The IT Systems Audit & Improvement Review examines what you run today, how it is actually used, where it duplicates, where it constrains the business and what risks it carries — then sets out prioritised recommendations.

It is the cheapest engagement we offer and, for most organisations facing a significant technology decision, the right place to start.

Five stages over two to four weeks: scoping and terms of reference; interviews and observation with the people using the systems; technical examination of configuration, data and dependencies; analysis and a draft report you can correct for factual errors; then a walkthrough session and the final report.

The demand on your team is modest — typically thirty to sixty minutes each with a handful of people, plus read-only access for observation.

Assembling a complete inventory of every application, licence and subscription — including departmental purchases nobody has centrally recorded — then establishing actual usage against licences held, the full annual cost of each system, and where several tools cover the same ground.

The output is a consolidation plan sequenced by renewal date and notice period, with migration effort stated honestly and the saving attached to each action. See service 07 for the full description.

No, and the structure of our business is designed to make that credible. Consultancy is scoped and priced separately from development, we hold no vendor commissions, and “keep what you have, change three settings and train four people” is a legitimate conclusion we write when the evidence supports it.

Where a review does recommend a build, the report says plainly that we are capable of doing that work, and you are entirely free to take the findings to another supplier.

From the effort required to deliver the agreed scope — analysis, design, build, testing, migration, documentation and handover — not from an assessment of what a client might tolerate. The published starting prices are genuine starting points, not anchors.

The factors that move a price are scope, complexity, the number of user roles, the state of any data being migrated, integration requirements and the timeframe. All are discussed before the quotation is issued.

They are indicative starting prices, shown so you can judge relevance before contacting us. Final pricing depends on scope, complexity, requirements, existing systems and delivery timeframe, and is confirmed in a written quotation.

Prices are exclusive of VAT where applicable. Third-party licences, hosting and subscriptions are charged at cost and identified separately, never absorbed invisibly into a project figure.

Engagements are normally invoiced in instalments tied to stages — typically a deposit on acceptance, one or more payments at agreed milestones, and a balance on delivery. The schedule is stated in the quotation before you commit.

Payment terms and late payment provisions are set out in our Terms & Conditions.

Consultancy engagements typically run two to five weeks from kick-off to final report. Development engagements typically run four to ten weeks from agreed scope to first release. Both ranges are indicative and always depend on scope.

In practice the most common cause of delay is not development effort but availability — of your staff for walkthroughs and testing, of vendors for demonstrations, or of review feedback. We identify that dependency at the outset.

Every build includes a defined support window after go-live, stated in the quotation, during which we correct defects in the delivered work at no additional cost. You also receive administrator documentation and a walkthrough.

A few weeks after launch we hold a review session, comparing what is happening against the outcome described at the start. Beyond that, ongoing support and change work is available on an agreed basis with no minimum term.

Yes — Software Selection & Vendor Advisory exists for exactly that. Requirements written before any demonstration, a longlist with recorded exclusions, a shortlist of three or four, scripted demonstrations using your real scenarios, weighted scoring and three-year total cost.

We hold no reseller agreements or referral arrangements with any vendor, so the recommendation follows the evidence.

Usually, provided the existing system offers a documented interface or another reliable route to its data. We assess that early, because it materially affects both cost and design.

Where a system genuinely cannot exchange data in any dependable way, that is itself an important finding — it tells you something about what that product will cost you over its remaining life.

Yes, and they usually do — seeing a working system reveals things a specification cannot. Small refinements within the agreed scope are simply part of the work.

Where a request falls outside agreed scope we say so at the time, explain the effort involved and let you decide whether to proceed, defer it or drop something else. Changes are quoted rather than absorbed silently and presented at the end.

To request cancellation of a service or project, please contact ALVORIS SOFTWARE LTD by telephone on +44 7848 458017. Telephone is the primary cancellation method.

What happens next depends on the stage the project has reached. Work already completed may remain chargeable, and third-party costs already incurred may not be recoverable. Each request is reviewed on the basis of work actually performed. The Cancellation Policy sets this out in full.