网站开发合同，第1部分：如何避免重大灾难 （tech law)

这是一个新系列的第1部分，该系列为从事电子商务的企业提供有关网站开发合同的建议。

签订网站开发合同时，你越了解，就越有可能避免可能导致网站无法按时启动或无法正常工作的合同灾难。

有很关于多软件开发项目的失败故事，他们不仅与网站开发合同有关，而且与所有信息技术项目有关。我们希望通过本系列文章对流程中的常见陷阱提供一些见解，解释条款和应用程序，使您掌握在谈判这些类型的协议和保护业务时所需的知识。

没有人愿意为失败的网站开发项目而打上法庭，本系列文章将为您提供一些关于如何取得成功的指导。

1.选择供应商之前做功课

了解IT供应商的最佳方法是与他们现有和以前的客户交谈，了解客户们是否满意。就像您要向潜在员工提供参考一样，向潜在IT供应商询问其所有客户的姓名和联系方式。如果您只索取“三四个参考”，IT供应商则很可能只提供对其满意度高的客户。使用包含所有客户的列表，您就可以有选择地查询。

IT供应商不应该成为您与前客户对话的一部分，因为客户不太可能保持坦率。

您可以询问客户，他们是否对IT供应商项目阶段的完成程度进行评估，是否需要一名特定人员从事IT项目，合同谈判进行得如何，对是否需要更多的培训方面有没有意见等等。

另外，请确保IT供应商提供其过去涉及的所有诉讼（或仲裁）的名称。如果您对他们不完全信任，则值得花时间在互联网上进行深入检索，以了解供应商是否曾出现在有关诉讼（或仲裁）的任何新闻报导或文章中。

2.审核IT供应商的提案并提出问题

IT供应商的提议通常由其市场部的人员准备，因此他们提议中的一些技术细节就可能缺失，不完整或过于模糊。审查提案后，最好与IT供应商的技术人员开会，这样您可以询问有关活动时间表，云托管，知识产权及其他相关问题。

在会议期间，将您在讨论中的发现与供应商现有和以前的客户进行整合-尤其是在标记有涉及工作范围或计划过程的任何问题时。

例如，如果您从供应商的现有客户那里了解到供应商在准备线框方面做得不好，那么您的合同可能需要允许您在接收线框之前进行多次审核。

3.考虑网站需求

您肯定会希望确保新网站允许您推广产品并以便捷的方式出售它们。但是，您还需要正确了解后端的记帐，CRM（客户关系管理）和相关技术。

您需要确保IT供应商具有恰当的经验，才能正确地新网站与后端系统的连接需求。许多网站开发项目正是失败于无法正确连接到后端。

当然，如果您要建立一个新网站，则可能需要IT供应商来建造您的后端技术。在这些情况下，至关重要的是，您要了解该供应商以前或现有客户该过程的进展情况。他们的经验可以帮助您管控整个过程，以确保您成功建立前端和后端的连接。

定期更新网站会更好。客户们不会选择看起来已有10年历史的网站。您合同的一部分应该包括每隔几年重新对网站进行设计，以使它看起来不会过时。

如果您不打算管理信用卡且不兼容PCI，则需要了解IT供应商可以为您提供的处理信用卡付款的最佳选择。这也意味着您并不想在您的网站上捕获PCI客户数据，因此不必兼容PCI DSS。

4.审查拟议的合同和工作陈述

由于没有“标准的” IT供应商合同或工作说明书（SOW），因此您将需要花时间对这些协议进行彻底的检查，以确保您得到适当的保护并最大程度地降低风险。

当然，也可以聘请具有起草和谈判网站开发合同和SOW经验的律师。

Website Development Contracts, Part 1: How to Avoid Major Disasters （tech low)

This is Part 1 of a new series providing advice about website development contracts for businesses engaged in e-commerce.

When entering into website development contracts, the more you know the more likely you will be able to avoid contract disasters that could prevent your website from launching on time or working properly.

There are many stories about failed software development projects, not just in connection with website development contracts, but with all information technology projects. Through this series, we hope to provide some insight into common pitfalls in the process, explaining terms and applications to arm you with the knowledge you will need to negotiate these types of agreements and protect your business.

Since no one wants to fight in court about a failed website development project, this series will give you some pointers on how to achieve success.

1. Do Your Homework Before Selecting a Vendor

The best way to learn about an IT vendor is to speak with its current and former customers to see if they are happy campers or not. Just as you would ask a potential employee for references, ask your potential IT vendors for the names and contact information for all of its customers. If you were to ask for "three or four references," then the IT vendor most likely would provide only its happy customers. With a list of all customers, you can inquire selectively.

The IT vendor should not be part of your conversation with its former customers because it is less likely that the customers will be as candid.

You can ask the customers if they have advice about how well the IT vendor estimated completion of phases of the project, whether there is one specific person who needs to work on the IT project, how well the contract negotiations went, whether more training was necessary, and the like.

Also, make sure that the IT vendor provides the names of all lawsuits (or arbitrations) it has been involved with in the past. If you do not have complete trust in making that request, it might be worth your time to do a deep dive on the Internet to see if the vendor appears in any news stories or articles about lawsuits (or arbitrations).

2. Review the IT Vendor's Proposal and Ask Questions

Since the IT vendor's proposal typically will be prepared by its marketing folks, it is possible that the proposal may lack some technical details, be incomplete, or be overly glossy. After reviewing the proposal, it is good idea to have a meeting with the IT vendor's technology folks so you can ask questions about the schedule of events, cloud hosting, intellectual property and related topics.

During these meetings, integrate your findings from your discussion with the vendor's current and former customers -- particularly if there were any issues flagged concerning scope of work or the planning process.

For instance, if you learn from existing customers that the IT vendor does not do a great job on preparing wireframes, perhaps your contract should allow you multiple reviews before wireframes will be accepted.

3. Consider Website Requirements

You surely will want to make sure that your new website allows you to promote your products and sell them in a convenient manner. However, you also need to have proper access to your back-end accounting, CRM (customer relationship management) and related technology.

You need to make sure the IT vendor has the appropriate experience to connect your new website with your backend system requirements properly. A number of website development projects fail because of the failure to properly connect to the back end.

Of course, if you are building a new website, you likely will need the IT vendor to build your back-end technology. In these situations, it is critical that you learn how well the process went for former or existing customers. Their experience can help guide you through the process on the front end, to make sure you have a successful front- and back-end connection.

Websites are better when they are updated routinely. Customers will be put off by a website that looks 10 years old. Part of your contract should be a plan to reskin your Website every few years so that it does not look stale.

If you are not going to manage credit cards and be PCI-compliant, you need to understand the best options that the IT vendor can provide for you to handle credit card payments. This also means you do not want to capture PCI customer data on your website so you do not have to be PCI DSS compliant.

4. Review the Proposed Contract and Statements of Work

Since there are no "standard" IT vendor contracts or statements of work (SOWs) you will need to take the time to conduct a thorough review of these types of agreements to ensure you are properly protected and have minimized your risk.

This website development series should help you learn more about legal issues to consider and what to negotiate. Please stay tuned for future installments, which will include topics such as negotiating cloud agreements, ownership of IP, indemnification, lawsuits and arbitrations, and related topics.

Of course, it would not be bad idea for you to engage a lawyer with experience in drafting and negotiating website development contracts and SOWs.

作者：Peter S. Vogel & Chelsea Hilliard

https://www.technewsworld.com/story/86689.html