01 — Overview

Bespoke software engineering — build and hand over

This is a software development engagement: from specification through implementation, validation, and documentation, we deliver software designed and implemented around the client’s business requirements. The deliverable is owned by the client. Monthly SaaS-style provision and continuous post-handover operational outsourcing are not included in this contract — these are available under a separate retainer agreement.

02 — Capabilities

Categories of software we build

Each line below is the design and implementation of software to solve a business problem. The list below is representative — bespoke combinations and derivatives are designed per engagement.

03 — Supported stacks

Target stacks and implementation languages

TypeScript with React, and Python with Django, sit at the core of our deliverables. Other stacks are available depending on the client’s operating environment, maintenance team, and hiring budget. Every implementation is delivered on the premise of reproducibility and documented hand-off.

04 — Methodology

Our criteria for “software worth keeping”

Code that merely runs is not, in our view, valuable. The following four criteria form the design contract for every engagement, and are stated explicitly in the delivered documentation.

1. Reproducibility

Design documents, source code, configurations, and deployment procedures are documented so that another engineer can reproduce the same environment from the specification alone.

2. Requirements-led

Designs are grounded in the client’s business requirements, target users, and operating environment. We do not loosely apply generic templates, nor do we deliver builds that consist solely of off-the-shelf combinations.

3. Independence from copy-paste code

We do not transcribe or import public-repository code as-is. Where open-source libraries are used, the relevant licences are checked and handled appropriately.

4. Thorough documentation

Specifications, API references, operation manuals, and a change log are included with the deliverable. The documentation is maintained so that any third party can read and continue the work for maintenance or handover.

05 — Engagement process

From initial inquiry to handover

Every step is conducted on a written record. No development proceeds on the basis of a verbal agreement alone. The agreed specification is preserved as the basis of the contract.

06 — Engagement tiers

Engagement models by scope

All tiers are bespoke development engagements; none of them include subscription-based SaaS provision. Pricing is established case-by-case, on the basis of requirements, the scale of the target system, the technology adopted, and the anticipated engineering effort, and is quoted at inquiry.

07 — Deliverables

What the client receives

Source code

Complete source in the target language (TypeScript / Python / Go / PHP and so on), modifiable and rebuildable, delivered as a version-controlled repository.

Specification document

A written record of functional and non-functional requirements, the data model, API specifications, expected behaviour, and known limitations.

User & operations manual

Installation, configuration, operation, and troubleshooting guidance for the system, illustrated with operational screenshots.

Licence terms

A written document specifying the scope of use, modification, and redistribution. By default, internal use and use within the client’s own services are granted. The operator reserves the right to produce work products similar to the deliverable in other engagements, save as otherwise agreed.

Change log

A log of every post-handover revision and every update to OSS libraries and dependent packages. Maintained in full so that reproducibility is preserved.

08 — Payment, cancellation & refund

Fees, contract termination, and refund handling

Fees, payment methods, payment timing, contract termination, and refund handling in this service are operated as set out below. Specific amounts and the payment schedule are fixed per engagement in the relevant quotation and individual contract. In the event of any discrepancy between this page and an individual contract, the individual contract prevails.

Fee structure and billing schedule

One of the billing models below is adopted, depending on the scale of the engagement. Invoices are issued as PDF by email or by post.

Single Build / Suite Build

A deposit of 30 – 50% of the total is invoiced upon contract execution, with the balance invoiced upon acceptance after handover. For larger engagements, a milestone-based interim payment may be arranged.

Retainer

The monthly fee for the current month is invoiced at the start of each month. Termination effective from a given month requires written notice by the end of the preceding month. Unused engineering hours do not carry over to the following month, save as otherwise agreed. The minimum engagement period is, as a general rule, three months.

Specification phase

The initial hearing and the first draft of the requirements summary are, as a general rule, provided free of charge. Following sign-off of the specification, formal commencement begins with the execution of an individual contract and the invoicing of the deposit.

Payment methods

One of the methods below may be selected. Transaction fees are borne by the client, save as otherwise agreed.

Credit card

Major international brands — Visa, Mastercard, JCB, American Express, Diners Club, and similar — are accepted. Settlement is processed through a payment-service provider such as Stripe. Card number, expiry date, and security code are received and stored directly by the relevant payment-service provider; they are not retained on the operator’s servers.

Bank transfer

Please remit to the account below. The transfer fee is to be borne by the client.

Payment timing and late payment

For credit-card payment, settlement is made immediately upon issuance of the invoice. For bank transfer, please remit by the due date stated on the invoice (as a general rule, within 14 days of the invoice-issuance date). Where the due date is exceeded, default interest at 14.6 per cent per annum may be charged.

Cancellation and mid-engagement termination

During the specification phase

Cancellation is possible at any time prior to the execution of the individual contract. No fee applies.

After deposit / during development

The fee for the engineering effort performed up to the termination date, together with out-of-pocket costs such as third-party licence fees and cloud usage charges, remains payable. Any portion corresponding to engineering effort not yet undertaken is refunded.

After acceptance

Only the defect-handling support within the bug-fix support period is provided free of charge. Refunds based on the client’s own reasons are not accepted.

Mid-term termination of a Retainer

Please give written notice by the end of the month preceding the desired termination month. The monthly fee through the final contracted month remains payable in full; unused engineering hours are neither carried over nor refunded.

Refund processing

Refunds are made, as a general rule, via the same route as the original payment. Transactions processed through a payment-service provider (such as Stripe) are refunded in accordance with that provider’s rules. Standard processing times for refunds are as follows.

Credit card

Refunds are, as a general rule, made to the same credit card used for the original payment (refund by separate bank transfer is not made). After refund approval, the refund is processed via the payment-service provider (Stripe and the like) within 5 – 10 business days. Depending on the customer’s card-issuer cut-off date and processing cycle, an additional one to two billing cycles (up to about 60 days) may be required before the refund appears on the statement.

Bank transfer

Based on the refund-account details provided by the customer, the operator initiates the transfer within 7 business days. Transfer fees are borne by the operator where the refund is attributable to the operator; otherwise they are borne by the customer (deducted from the refund amount).

Statement on qualified-invoice issuer registration

The operator is not, at present, registered as a qualified-invoice issuer (so-called “Invoice Issuer”) under Japan’s Consumption Tax Act. Invoices and receipts issued by the operator do not carry the registration number (the 13-digit number prefixed with “T”), and are not eligible for the purchaser’s input-tax credit.

09 — Important notice

Explicit statements regarding the nature of this service

10 — Inquiries

Request a project

A short note covering three points — the target system, the problem to be solved, and the operating environment — is enough to begin. We will respond with an initial structuring of the requirements. Specification work is generally undertaken without charge through to the point of a signed engagement. Please use the form below or the email address.

Contact form

https://sggroup.jp/contact/

Email

contact@sggroup.jp

Desk

SG Group · Systems Development Desk

Response hours

Weekdays 10:00 – 18:00 (JST) / Standard reply target within 2 business days