Are you considering outsourcing your software development? There are certain advantages in offshoring it to a Software Development Partner. Most of the companies use this strategy as a way to cut down operational costs. In recent years, many clients are demanding software development work which has the highest quality and have some set norms.
Outsourcing the work will give control to the company over the budget and resources. It, in turn, reduces the stress on the company’s staff and lets them focus on crucial tasks. Off-shore software development suits best for firms which do not have an adequate budget for experienced professionals and for start-up firms that need the help of experts.
How does outsourcing work?
Basically, you are buying expertise from other companies by outsourcing the software development. The current company will earn a permanent or temporary business partner based on their work contract. The benefits from outsourcing are an introduction to innovative techniques, reduced risks, new strategies to increase efficiency and access to novel resources.
The responsibility of the project is shared in an outsourced development and your company does not need to develop or establish any infrastructure. You can happily work on your marketing strategies while getting your development done elsewhere. It saves time and fastens the product entry into the market.
Things to consider before selecting an offshore partner
The difference in time zone
Location of a company makes a difference for your project submissions. A lot of business firms offshore their software development to other countries with noticeable time differences. To avoid any misunderstandings in communication and meetings, it is essential to plan out the details in the earlier stage.
Business ethics
Observe the company culture with which you want to partner for your projects. Since you will be working for a significant amount of time together, the business ideology and ethics should match to have a smooth working relationship. See how the partner company communicates and handles the challenges to deliver the work in time. They should be able to keep you in the loop of all the changes made with respect to a project. They should share information regarding the project leader and if his expertise is sufficient to handle your project needs.
Technical expertise
Every software development project differs in its core technologies. Be sure to find out if the partner company can handle iOS development, android development or even complex technologies related to embedded systems and data management. If you are looking for a permanent offshore partner consider a company which can handle different software developments bearing in mind of the upcoming future projects.
The partner should have a complete understanding of the product development lifecycle. Right from concept, design to documentation, and the partner company should possess the required skills.
Size of the partner company
The size of the company determines the company’s strength and challenges. Smaller companies work well for individual projects but do not offer much help in scale-up. Working with large companies means you get unlimited access to resources and manpower. But keeping the budget of the project and its quality in mind, it is better to opt for a partner based on the project priority. The decision works for temporary partners as it involves a lot of processes to end the contract with permanent partners.
The configuration of company staff
Some companies have full-time employees while others work with a network of contractors. A company with full-time employees sets a good example with its work culture and ethics. Some partners have good contacts for product marketing thus making them an indispensable part of project development. The skill and expertise of a partner company make or breaks the success of the project development. Partner with a firm which understands your products and has a good understanding of the domestic market.
Product ownership
Before handing over the software development, draw necessary points in a contract such as time period for the project submission, buying the company’s infrastructure and renting it for the project time, whether you need to build the software or just buy the end product. Clarifying about these options beforehand will avoid unnecessary misunderstandings later. Discuss the ownership of the product or shares in the profit after its success. These aspects help to decide if a certain organization is fit to be your partner.
Final cost
Pricing of the project is one of the main reasons for a business to offshore the software development. Ask the partner company to give a quotation for the project development and discuss clearly which all costs are included in it. Instead of going for wage per hour it is smart to pay for the whole project after considering quotations from different partners. Discuss the costs for scalability if your company has plans to develop on the final product in the future.
Be smart about finding the hidden costs before rather than being surprised at the end. It doesn’t hurt to negotiate on the final budget before selecting a partner. Pick an offshore partner that has coders in abundance. This will effectively reduce operating costs.
Stability of the partner firm
It is absolutely essential to check the past records of the partner firm. It gives you trust and confidence to work with a partner. The working relationship between a partner firm and your business is based on mutual trust. The partner firm should have reliable infrastructure and adequate staff to compensate in times of challenges. The competency of the partner can be determined by looking at their day-to-day operations. Finally, check if the partner firm stands flexible in time of changes to your software development.
Keeping all these above conditions in mind, choose a right offshore development partner to avoid pitfalls in later stages. Communication, planning of the project and budget needs should be kept in a loop between the business and its offshore partner. A single unwise choice can bring loss to your business in the end. Maintain good relationship while working with an offshore to make sure that everything from planning to execution goes smoothly.
Author’s Bio: I’m currently working as a Software developer with Adreno Technologies. I have a great passion for Software Management Systems and understanding of analyzing MySQL queries for performance and writing queries that will scale well. Apart from Software Development, I have focused on investing my efforts on Web Services, Specification, Software product development company India, Verification of Software Systems, Business Process Management, Case Management and Intelligent User Interfaces
