What is the TMA contract proposed after software delivery, and is it really necessary for small businesses?

Don't confuse the warranty with maintenance. A bug present in the original codebase falls under warranty. But if a feature breaks because PHP was upgraded or the server OS received a security patch, that falls under TMA, not the warranty.

We pay 600 EUR a month for our logistics portal, which includes 5 hours of development work. Last year, when our third-party barcode API changed, the system was updated and back online within 3 hours. Without that contract, we would have lost 4,000 EUR in revenue that day alone.

850 EUR a month is serious money for a small operation. If it doesn't include any new feature development and they're just offering to "keep an eye on the server," the agency is simply looking for passive recurring revenue. Demand a line-item breakdown.

Before sitting down to negotiate, push for these four conditions: 1) The first 3 months must count as the warranty period with TMA starting afterward, 2) Unused hours must roll over for up to 3 months, 3) GTI response times for critical bugs must not exceed 2 hours, 4) The hourly rate for out-of-scope work must be locked in upfront.

if there's no hour rollover clause do not sign it imo. tbh you'll burn 850 euros during quiet months with zero tickets, and next month they'll bill you extra for a tiny tweak.

on our first software project, we turned it down thinking "why bother, everything works fine." Six months later a payment gateway library broke and because the agency was swamped with other clients, we were left waiting in line for four days then like having guaranteed support in place is really a must.

note: I wrote this based on my own experience, it might not apply to everyone.

Instead of a fixed monthly contract, offer a "ticket package" (carnet d'heures). For example, buy an upfront block of 20 hours and have them deduct from it only when an issue comes up or updates are made. That way you aren't throwing away 850 EUR every month.

In TMA contracts, it must be legally defined whether the agency's obligation is an "obligation of result" (obligation de résultat) or merely an "obligation of means" (obligation de moyens). Clauses for compensation or penalties in the event of downtime should be included.

Thanks for posting. Everything goes well for the first three months; problems arise in the fourth.

Could you elaborate on that? Implementing a change request process doesn't slow things down, it speeds them up.

Just leaving this note, it might be useful.

let's separate the concepts they're getting mixed up then any unwritten clause becomes a point of disagreement later, as both sides remember it differently.

if you post the result here it will help others too.

Absolutely. If I were to add anything: When you try to change everything at once, nothing settles.

Ask who prepared the quote and who will actually do the work. Just leaving this note, it might be useful.

I went through the same thing two years ago. Implementing a change request process doesn't slow things down, it speeds them up.

If you have questions, write them; I'll answer as best I can.

I'm writing this so you don't make the same mistake. Implementing a change request process doesn't slow things down, it speeds them up.

Of course, it varies if your situation is different.

Quick summary for newcomers: Implementing a change request process doesn't slow things down, it speeds them up.

This is my opinion, I'm not claiming it's absolute truth.

I'm curious too.

Noted, thanks.

Noted thanks. People defend habits, not processes. Resistance comes from there.

Every "we'll look at it later" in a meeting means unbilled work. Good luck with that.