Document generators
Software spec generator — a brief that can actually be quoted
The usual reason quotes differ wildly is not hourly rates - it is that every vendor understood the scope differently. This generator walks you through the questions that will come up on the first call anyway, and assembles the answers into a brief. Send it to three companies and compare proposals against identical assumptions - including to our competitors.
Free · no signup · runs in your browser
1. Business context
Industry, scale, business model. No name needed if you prefer.
Describe the problem, not the solution. "We lose orders in email" says more than "we need a CRM".
Spreadsheets, paper, an off-the-shelf system, or all of the above.
2. Users
Roles, e.g. sales, warehouse, accounting, external clients.
3. Functional scope
Without these the system is pointless. One feature per line.
Deliberately deferring these can halve the cost of the first version.
The most underrated field in the whole brief.
4. Integrations and data
E.g. accounting software, KSeF, Baselinker, Allegro, a payment gateway, couriers.
5. Constraints
Personal data, GDPR, sensitive data, industry requirements, hosting policy.
6. Budget and timeline
If there is a hard date and a reason for it (e.g. a regulatory deadline), state it plainly.
Brief preview
# Software brief ## 1. Business context **What the company does** _to be agreed_ **What problem should the system solve** _to be agreed_ **How it works today** _to be agreed_ ## 2. Users **Who will use the system** _to be agreed_ **How many users eventually** _to be agreed_ ## 3. Functional scope **Essential features** _to be agreed_ **Useful, but not for launch** _to be agreed_ **What the system must NOT do** _to be agreed_ ## 4. Integrations and data **Which systems must it integrate with** _to be agreed_ **Does existing data need migrating** _to be agreed_ ## 5. Constraints **Where should it run** _to be agreed_ **Data and security requirements** _to be agreed_ ## 6. Budget and timeline **Budget range** _to be agreed_ **Expected timeline** _to be agreed_ **Who decides and what the process looks like** _to be agreed_ ## Open questions The points below have not been settled yet. A vendor should address them in their proposal rather than skip them. - What the company does - What problem should the system solve - How it works today - Who will use the system - How many users eventually - Essential features - Useful, but not for launch - What the system must NOT do - Which systems must it integrate with - Does existing data need migrating - Where should it run - Data and security requirements - Budget range - Expected timeline - Who decides and what the process looks like --- _Document generated with a free tool by Exmoor Software (exmoor.pl/en/tools). The content belongs entirely to the author of the brief._
Brief ready?
Get a ballpark instantly in our quote calculator. A human replies to your first message within 24 hours, and we prepare a firm quote after a short call about scope.
Estimate your project in 2 minHow it works
- 01
Work through the sections
Business context, users, functional scope, integrations, data and constraints, budget and timeline. No field is mandatory.
- 02
Mark what you do not know
Sections you leave empty appear in the brief as open questions. For a vendor that is useful information, not a gap.
- 03
Download and send
Copy the text to your clipboard or download a .md file. No email, no signup.
Assumptions and limits
- The brief is not a contract or technical documentation. Its job is to make the scope conversation start from specifics instead of assumptions.
- The open questions in the brief are deliberate. A vendor who ignores them and quotes a price immediately is probably guessing.
- Everything is produced in your browser. We never see your brief unless you send it to us yourself.
- If the scope turns out much larger than you assumed, that is normal - better to find out before signing than halfway through the project.
Frequently asked questions
Do I have to fill in every field? +
No. Any field can be left blank and the generator turns it into an open question in the finished document. A brief with five honest question marks is a better basis for a conversation than one filled in by guesswork.
Can I send this brief to a company other than Exmoor? +
Yes, and that is the point. The document carries no branding of ours and no binding terms. Comparing several proposals against one specification is in your interest.
What format do I get? +
Markdown - it opens in any text editor and pastes into Word, Google Docs, Notion or an email without losing its structure.
What happens once I have the brief? +
You can get a ballpark instantly in our quote calculator. A human replies to your first message within 24 hours, and we prepare a firm quote after a short call about scope.
Turn the numbers into a project
Get a ballpark instantly, a reply from a human within 24 hours and a firm quote after a short call. No obligation.
Estimate your project in 2 min