Introduction
Selecting the right development company for your software is a journey. Today’s fastest growing concept of outsourcing in IT industry has bought a sea of software vendors to choose from. It becomes challenging for businesses when it comes to choosing the right vendor.
Before venturing into finding the right software development firm a business must be clear about its business goals, project’s objective, development stages involved, technology needs, and special needs. These requirements are vital for screening out firms as well as ranking potential firms for the selection process.
Speaking from experience, I have outlined and divided this process into two main phases – shortlisting and then the selection.
Types of outsourcing models in software development
Essential to the process of choosing best firm for your custom software development is an understanding of the following three outsourcing models in the IT industry.
Staff augmentation:
In this model, a client outsources just the development part of software to a software development firm. Risks and quality assurance associated with new software falls on to the client side. The vendor, a group of programmers in most cases, will tackle software development and will deliver results. Therefore, it is the client’s responsibility to make sure every piece of the software works precisely as intended.
Dedicated teams:
Here, a client outsources a software development task to a team which consists of programmers and other people to take care of the quality and management of the team. A team on the client side also works with this an outsourced team to ensure timeliness, quality, and risk management. Hence, this approach rests on shared responsibility.
Full process outsourcing:
It involves delegating not just the development process, but also management and quality assurance to the outsourced development firm. The firm takes care of all the stages and responsibilities associated with the development process. Sound communication is the key here as the client may easily lose control of the process due to the nature of this model.
Shortlisting
Finding software firms is not a difficult task. Search engines and platforms such as Upwork and Clutch have proven to be good venues. However, it is important to screen out these companies based on the requirements of the project. Company’s profile, their focus technology and screening interview are three essential ways for nomination.
Reviews and recommendations:
For a firm to be nominated, client reviews and recommendations must reflect a positive after sale feedback. Platforms such as Upwork show reviews from real customers, however, be careful with the reviews on the company’s website as their reliability is not guaranteed. Pay attention to reviews and feedback about a firm on LinkedIn, GitHub, social media, and other development platforms must also be considered.
Focus technology:
Not every company can work and specialize in every developmental technology. Your project objective must guide which technology to work with. There are some development tools available for web application development, for example. Node.js, Django, Flask, PHP, are some options for backend and Bootstrap, Vue.js, React.js are for front-end. Most of the firms will have a specialty in one technology which can be judged by their portfolio. So, if a firm’s forte is what you are looking for, that must be nominated.
Selection considerations
Now comes the selection phase. The right software development company must be selected among the nominated firms. One must avoid the urge to chase the best company based on one certain quality (social presence, portfolio etc.) – halo effect. The objective in this phase must be to choose the company which scores the most in the following areas:
Price quotations:
Based on their estimates, the firm will fall into one of the three categories: underpriced, fairly priced, overpriced. Your budget puts a constraint on overpriced firms – they are straight out. Lowest bids are not always the best options either. Software quality compromises and ownership problems might come your way. Therefore, a best bet would be to move with a fairly priced quote.
Portfolio analysis:
Every nominated firm must be scrutinized in terms of its portfolio. The width (number of completed projects) and accuracy (similarity with your project) of a portfolio are essential. Portfolio also shows number of years a firm has been working. Firms that have worked with a similar size business as yours is a big pro as they are already aware of work protocols that your business may require.
Communication:
It is the key to turning an abstract idea into finished software. A good spoken English as well as frequent feedback adjustments are essential. A firm that does not ask questions, give suggestions, release process updates or without a method to incorporate frequent feedback must be dropped. Firms that work with project management tools and communication tools must be looked for.
Recommendations:
The developmental phase might run for months. In a broader sense you as a client must engage in communicating abstract ideas, continuous feedback, and user experience suggestions. Therefore, a friendly partnership is necessary with the development company. A firm only full of silent and busy programmers must be avoided.
Geography:
Location of a nominated firms determines the level of spoken English as well as the cost. US based companies charge high – 150$/hour on average. On the other hand, firms based in non-native countries charge less, but do poor in communication. It hinders the communication of client’s objectives and needs to the programmer. Therefore, a great deal comes from Eastern Europe – Ukraine,Poland, and Belarus, where development is affordable without compromising communication.
Development methodology:
It involves looking for project management tools and approaches that a firm uses. You must also consider delivery time, ownership transfer, security of the software, confidential data policies, and aftersale support. Software downtimes, device support, and application maintenance are other technical variables to consider. When it comes to the above variables there is no single rule to select the best, rather it is a balancing act. Thus, evaluate firms based on your specific needs of the project.
Interview:
Finally, interviews are a great source of in-depth firm evaluation. Interviews consume time; therefore, it is always a good idea to conduct them last – just before the selection decision. Further, there are two levels of questions you must ask.
First includes questions related to work ethics and culture of the company. The goal is to know how the team approach its work. Team dynamics, punctuality and customer service philosophy are some of the variables to ask about.
Second type of question deals with technical assessment. The aim is to know how the company will achieve the desired aim. Client must ask about tools and technologies that will be used to develop the software. If you are unable to understand the technical jargons, ask for background of what the interviewee is talking about.
