Key Factors To Choose A Software Development Company In 2023
The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has become the new normal for everyone, including business organizations. With the industry rapidly changing globally, most companies are looking for ways to reduce costs, increase efficiency and maintain profitability. Many organizations have found outsourcing to private software development companies to be a viable solution, and for some, it is an absolute daily necessity.
Are you looking for a new software development outsourcing service provider? One can present what the company is always looking for, hoping to find the best product in its class at a reasonable price. But how to do it right?
Finding the right development outsourcing partner for custom software development is a complex challenge with many variables that we will interpret together. Take your time, sit down and answer all the necessary questions that will help you make an informed decision. Finding the right development outsourcing partner for custom software development is a complex challenge with many variables that we will interpret together. Take your time, sit down and answer all the necessary questions that will help you make an informed decision.
Keys to Outsourcing Success - Important Questions to Ask Outsourcing Companies
When evaluating a software development company to outsource your project, it is important not only to assess their software development skills and experience but also their ability to deliver a project similar to yours and their experience working with clients similar to yours. These are the questions you should ask when outsourcing software development to assess the suitability of the software company.
Do they have experience with similar domains?
You should focus on whether the company has relevant experience. When you approach a software outsourcing company with your project and tell them their needs, it's important to ask about their past experience with projects that have similar needs to yours. The outsourcing partner must have a good understanding of your industry, market and/or business processes. They can claim to have a lot of experience and guarantee their accomplishments, but words alone are not enough. Therefore, it is important to ask companies for case studies and portfolios of past projects so that you can better describe the work they have done in the past.
It is true that outsourcing companies are not always able to share their past projects due to confidentiality agreements. However, they can at least provide a summary of their past projects, how they were developed and how they benefited the client.
How much does an app cost?
That is the question you should ask before working with a software development company. When it comes to software projects, it's important to budget realistically and find a software development company that can work on them.
Discuss the different pricing models offered by software companies and the estimated development costs for a project like yours.
In fact, software companies cannot tell you the exact cost at the first meeting, but professional software companies should be able to provide you with a realistic range of development costs after carefully reviewing your request.
To read more about software development costs, check out our dedicated article on "How Much Does Custom Software Development Cost?"
Always remember that you are not actually paying for your app's features; it's the development time required to build various features that ultimately affects your bottom line cost. It's important to ask yourself if you're prioritizing cost over quality because some foreign development companies, such as those based in India and China, offer lower prices, which can be attractive to startups trying to cut costs.
While going abroad may seem more cost-effective, the final total cost of development may be higher than expected due to a number of factors and risks.
Do they work with clients in that position?
Your location and the location of the software company you want to launch can be determining factors in the success of your project. This is especially true if you outsource to an offshore software development company. Time differences as well as cultural and language barriers between you and your outsourcing partner are important factors. Frequent communication with developers helps in faster software development. This software has been developed to perfectly meet business objectives and user needs. Ask the software development company if they have worked with customers close to you and how they overcame these obstacles and successfully delivered the product. Their feedback will reveal whether they can manage collaboration and teamwork remotely.
Looking for a software development company based in Vietnam?
TPP Software is a software development company exclusively from Vietnam. Our diverse geographic offices allow us to offer our customers a highly efficient hybrid domestic-foreign model.
What experience and technical talent do they have on your team?
This is one of the most important questions to ask an application development company. Most software development companies have a team assigned to each project and need to discuss team composition in advance. Based on the requirements of your project, a company specializing in software development will be able to advise on the roles and expertise required for the project. Typically, teams consist of project managers, developers, UI/UX designers, and test and quality assurance engineers. You can also ask the company to get CVs from its team members to better assess their technical skills.
How will the project be managed?
Project management methods can vary greatly from company to company, so it's a good question to ask before application development companies. There are several stages in the software development lifecycle, such as:
- Research and Analysis of Needs
- Design and Prototyping
- Write the code
- Test
- Implementation
- Ongoing support and maintenance after launch
To read more about the software development process, see our blog on the SDLC Method
A software company's answer to this question will tell you the SDLC model they follow to get through the phases of software development.
Most developers follow a combination of agile and waterfall methods. Agile is an iterative process that breaks the development process into smaller 'sprints' and allows for the integration of changes and feedback into each iteration. Waterfall, on the other hand, is a traditional approach that structures the development process into defined steps that need to be completed in a linear sequence.
This will also help you determine the level of involvement the developer requires from you. For example, agile methods require more customer involvement and feedback in each iteration, while the waterfall model usually only requires customer involvement in the early stages of software development.
What happens after the application starts?
The project does not end with the launch of the application. There are many errors that can occur after the software is used. Therefore, it is important to know the scope of any post-launch service offered by the software development company. Most software vendors offer post-launch maintenance and warranty periods and support services to keep their customers' applications up and running.
What does their typical process and timeline look like?
Time for a project is very critical, especially for total product spending. The longer the duration of the project, the higher the total cost. Therefore, this is a very important question to ask when outsourcing software development. The software development company should provide you with a realistic project timeline, which includes the total duration of the project and a timeline for each phase, along with a tentative plan of deliverables distributed throughout the timeline. This will help you set clear expectations and plan your budget accordingly. A thorough discussion of the timeline ensures that you and your software development partners are on the same page about project milestones and completion dates.
Who will own the source code when the application is completed?
Companies that have no knowledge of software development often overlook this important issue. In the simplest terms, source code means who owns the lines of code behind your application. The only correct answer to this question is 'You'. As a paying customer of application development, you must have full rights to your application's source code. Any software development company that doesn't give you exclusive ownership rights to the source code is not worth considering.
How will my app be tested and how do they track bugs/issues?
Proper error detection and testing methods are essential to ensure the error-free performance of your application. An 'error' is a technical issue that causes your application to crash after a certain action is performed by the user. Once your app is launched, you will get a lot of feedback - there may be some bugs that make the app less usable or inaccessible on certain devices or OS versions. This means that there must be a system for reporting bugs and issues for developers to resolve them, so this is an important question to ask when outsourcing software development.
Can they provide good references from past clients?
References from past customers can help you verify the software development company's claims and ensure their reliability.
You should always ask for at least a few references from customers who can speak highly of their experience with the software development company. You should also consider verified business review sites like Clutch and Manifest. Reviews and customer ratings of software companies on Clutch will give you insight into the quality and reach of their services.
In Conclusion
When interviewing and testing various software development outsourcing companies, you should ask yourself the ten questions outlined in this article. The product your software partner creates for you is an investment on your part. Therefore, you need to ensure that the development team you choose meets certain standards. A software company that can meet the criteria discussed in this article will definitely create a software application that meets your needs and quality standards, making the investment much easier. Your investment of time and money will be worth it.
Before we apply, here are three important tips to make your interview process efficient:
- Always prepare a concise presentation: A short persuasion is a concise, persuasive summary that explains your idea in less than 30 seconds. You must be able to describe the software application you want to develop concisely and concisely.
- Always do your own research: You should do your own research on each requirement and reference given to you by the software development company. Please check all information provided to make an informed decision.
- Take your time: Planning and choosing the right software development company is the most important decision for your project. Remember to take the time to interview and carefully evaluate your options so you can make the right choice.
