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10 Tips for Choosing the Best Software Development Partner

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In today’s wide IT market, choosing the right team to develop software for your company is one of the most important tasks that you have to do. If outsourcing is your choice, there is a wonderfully large number of companies and teams that can help you finalize your projects. However, like in any other situation in life, when you are presented with a big number of choices, it is always difficult to know which one would be the right one for you. Finding the right outsourcing software development team is a troublesome task simply because there are so many options available.

However, this doesn’t have to be the case at all. If you are in need of a partner to create software and IT solutions for your enterprise, there are certain steps that you can follow in order to find the best possible outsourcing partner for your company’s needs. This article is going to reveal the tips and tricks of how to choose the best software development partner in the wide sea of opportunities. Remember, you can get an outsourcing company from anywhere in the world today so adhering to these tips might just be a lifesaver for you and your firm. Let’s see the top 10 tips on how to choose the best software development partner for you!

Tip 1 – Check for Social Proof, Rating, and Reviews
As you already know, the internet is a vast place that is just like the universe around us. It is constantly expanding and sometimes it just bends into itself. If you need an outsourcing software development partner, you are guaranteed to find it on the internet and not only that. You can see and explore other people’s opinions on the given software development team. Social proof is a very important factor because, if you choose the wrong company for your needs, it can result in many catastrophic consequences for your business.

Checking the rating of a company and reading other people’s reviews about their collaboration can be vital in your decision about hiring the given software development team. There are many websites and places on the internet where you can check these companies out. Some of them are Clutch, Goodfirms, Enterprise, and UpCity. These websites offer detailed information about the companies’ ratings, years of experience, average hourly rate, staff members, and other crucial information. Do your homework before you venture into important projects.

Tip 2 – Check the Company Case Studies/ Portfolio
Life becomes much easier when you have thousands of outsourcing companies narrowed down to only a few. But then, your choice needs to fall on only one of them. So, what other steps can you take? One of the crucial things to do when you have narrowed down your choice is to check the company’s portfolio and its case studies. This is usually done to compare the companies you are considering hiring for your project. A portfolio is a powerful source of information because it will show you the company’s previous clients, projects they worked on, and their previous experience. You can also check the LinkedIn profiles of these firms.

When it comes to company case studies, it is sometimes a lottery. Most outsourcing companies sign an NDC (non-disclosure agreement) which doesn’t allow them to share crucial information about their clients or the projects they were involved in. Still, there are many case studies that can be found on the internet. Also, you can ask for a summary of them or reach out to the company’s representatives in order to closely examine their previous experience.

Tip 3 – Check the Tools and Technologies They Use
In the software development industry, the best companies always move forward and they try to keep up the pace with modern technologies. The companies that you are likely to have more successful partnerships with are the ones that are following the latest software development trends and technologies. In the year 2022, there are many trends that are new and many of those that stretch out from before. Checking whether a company uses the most modern and advanced tools and technologies is vital for your choice of an outsourcing partner. 

Also, while everyone focuses on software development tools, communication tools play a vastly important role. The future and the success of your project rely on good communication with your partners so this also shouldn’t be overlooked. You should learn what tools and system technologies the companies use and that will give you a wider perspective about how they can help your business evolve.

Tip 4 – Check Their Geographical Location
The language barrier and geographical location play vital roles in the process of software development. With the neverending expansion of outsourcing, you can find a company suited for your needs in every corner of the world. The communication and the exchange of views and steps are done online via the communication tools that we mentioned before. When you choose an outsourcing partner, you have to be aware that your client-provider communication will be vital. Therefore, it is best to check the geographical location of the company you are thinking of hiring.

As we know, offshore outsourcing can include companies from anywhere in the world. Hence, you can hire companies that are in a completely different time zone from you. This can make communication a lot more difficult because your respected companies would not be operative at the same time. Therefore, nearshoring is often encouraged because the contact between geographically closer companies is much easier. Still, pay additional attention to their use of the English language as the language gap can create a wealth of problems.

Tip 5 – Check All the Services They Provide
Before deciding to pick your outsourcing software development partner, you need to clearly define and understand the needs of your project(s). It is a crucial step toward finding the best possible options and solutions for your enterprise. Once you have done that, you will know exactly what services you need from the outsourcing software development team. It is important that you check all the services the companies provide. It is always more convenient to work with companies that have a full-service cycle which includes software development, testing, and design.

Also, when the outsourcing company finishes its project, you need to know if they are going to be available for any necessary support and maintenance. If you find a company that offers all of these services, you save yourself a lot of money and a lot of time as well. This means that you don’t have to worry about hiring multiple third parties for the same project. It is best if one team has a development team, project manager designers, quality assurance, testers, and everything else to make sure your project is successful.

Tip 6 – Check Their Experience – Number of Years on the Market
Experience is one of the most important things for anything in life including software development. Therefore, your job as a client who is actively searching for an outsourcing partner should be to get all the necessary information about their previous experience on the market. In every industry, we can differentiate between big and small companies. Any one of them could be perfect for your business so don’t hesitate to do a little digging about its past. 

Previous experience will just show how suitable the given company would be for your needs. Also, be aware of the fact that a big number of years on the market does not necessarily mean better services. Big companies have many layers of management which can often lead to miscommunication and render your collaboration more complicated than it should be. Therefore, choose the companies with a lot of experience in the fields that matter to your enterprise. It is safe to say that companies with more than 2 years of experience can be trusted.

Tip 7 – Check What Types of Communication They Use
Good communication is essential for every software development project. It is of vital importance to have clear and fruitful communication from the beginning of your project until its very end. You, as a client, need to clearly communicate your needs and expectations to your wanted outsourcing software development partner. Because of that, you need to check what types of communication they use. Many offshore companies will be in a different time zone from you and that can make your contact more difficult.

What you can do is learn about different communication methods and make sure that there is no language barrier. Still, this is extremely rare in today’s IT industry. Good communication means faster and more efficient problem solving which every client wants. A vast majority of projects require day-to-day communication with the outsourcing partners. This is why it is extremely important to learn about their communication options. The right communication tools will go a long way to ensure the success of your project.

Tip 8 – Check What Types of Methodology for Software Development They Use / Prefer
Each software development process is unique and it can have different complications and situations that need handling. Therefore, it is vital for the software development teams to have a viable methodology for software development. Usually, these methodologies are divided into flexible and traditional approaches. Most outsourcing software development companies rely on Agile methodologies that make the entire process adaptable to changes that happen in real-time. These teams use so-called sprints that allow them to test the software each time.

Your perfect outsourcing partner should have the best development process which includes adaptive planning, early delivery, project updates, and necessary communication tools. You should check whether the company uses Scrum or other Agile methodologies. Based on the methodologies they use, you will be able to test your project at any sprint and the stage of its development. Therefore, choose your picks carefully.

Tip 9 –  Check Their Number of Specialists and Experience
If your project needs an outsourcing partner, you will want to know as much as possible about the number of specialists in that company. Sometimes, the size of the company and the number of people working in it have nothing to do with how perfect they are for your needs. Still, it is good to know that your outsourcing software development partner has a big number of specialists because this means that every little section of your project will be covered.

One of the best places to find this information is LinkedIn. There, you can find everything about the company’s experience, projects, and the number of specialists for the given areas. Always directly ask about the structure and management of the company you are considering to be your partner in your endeavors. You always want to be sure that your project will be managed as best as possible and a big number of specialists and their experience are vital for that.

Tip 10 – Check Their Prices and Payment Model
Finally, many people and companies would place this tip a little bit higher on the list but we have reserved a final spot for it. Pricing and payment models are very important for big and small companies alike. One of the first questions you ask when you are closing the deal is about the pricing. Now, there are many companies that cannot pay the absolute maximum fares of a custom software development process but there are things you can do to help your project.

First of all, the price of the project will depend on its size, the type of project, and the size of the development team you hire. Also, the geographical location of the outsourcing company plays a big role in the payment process. If the team comes from a country with lower standards, you can expect lower wages from your partners. So, finding out about the prices of the project and payment method are the final tips for your choice of the best software development partner.