Ever-increasing numbers of startups and established firms are choosing to outsource software development to achieve their digital transformation goals whilst maintaining a cost-effective approach. Economies aren’t doing great, yet technology adoption is high and the unfortunate shortage of software developers makes organizations more willing to hire third-party IT professionals from different parts of the country and beyond. There’s no better time than now to make the switch to an outsourced software development partner. Just make sure to be careful. What starts out as an effort to save time and money may quickly transform into a major headache. These pitfalls will prevent you from making good decisions.
1.Selecting your software development services provider based exclusively on price
So, you reach out to several IT companies and ask for time and budget estimates. You inquire about the cost of the service because you wish to know how much you have to give up to have your software project developed. Price is the most important factor that determines who you do business with, but there are other factors to consider, such as reliability. You’ll not be satisfied with the end product, even if it’s delivered on time. Choosing a software development service provider based on price alone is a terrible mistake.
Take a close look over the proposals that you’ve been sent and try to pinpoint the similarities and the differences. You’ll undoubtedly discover that the cheapest project estimates don’t look right. They either don’t provide enough info or there are far too many junior developers on the project. More established competitors can help you save time and headaches. They’re interested in the code and don’t get distracted easily. The point is that you need to use your better judgement. Don’t choose the cheapest quote. You’ll regret it.
Ambiguity in requirements specifications
More often than not, business owners don’t paint a very clear picture. They’re ambiguous in their requirements, so they don’t achieve the expected results. Entrepreneurs fail to understand the importance of validating requirements specifications. They overlook important aspects and hope that everything will turn out fine. The software developers have no choice but to make assumptions and they don’t configure the product in the way that users expect. The result is business disruption when going in for live production. Clarify the requirements for your project if you don’t want any surprises.
Not only do ambiguous software requirements lead to confusion but also extra work. When you’re initiating a collaboration, it’s paramount to provide your partner the necessary details so that you’re not managing a mess. Software outsourcing works best when effective communication takes place. If communication takes a backseat, successful outsourcing is no longer possible. The software development services provider needs to know exactly what you want to bring your idea to life. Without clear requirements, the IT professionals lack critical information and may not be able to implement the proposed solution.
Completely neglecting time zone differences
Perhaps you want to resort to offshore outsourcing, which represents a common practice these days. The Internet has made it possible to do business globally, but working with software developers from different time zones is challenging, to say the least. The team is a couple of hours behind or ahead, which means that your working hours rarely overlap. Additionally, there may be language and culture barriers. It’s recommended to think twice before hiring a third-party supplier to do the work in a different nation. You can get things done at a significantly lower price, but is the cost really worth it?
If you have your mind set on offshore outsourcing, establish a time period every day when your working schedules overlap. A 2-hour overlap is a critical minimum. It’s essential to accommodate flexibility. Even if you’re not a polyglot, have a common language for communication. Technical specialists from all over the world now speak basic English, meaning that there shouldn’t be great issues. The vendor may fail to deliver (it has happened before); so, your company needs a contingency plan. If you’re not already working on a contingency plan, you’re exposing your organization to unnecessary risk.
Being oblivious of software quality indicators
Okay, so you’re not what people call a software expert. You’re not capable of judging whether or not a product is good or fundamentally flawed. Perhaps not, but you can make an effort to become familiar with software quality indicators that provide a clue about the quality of a system. You need to pay attention to aspects like how many errors are there in the project or the complexity of the code. The most important software quality metrics are:
- Reliability
- Performance
- Security
- Maintainability
When you’re trying to figure out what IT company to hire, take into account aspects such as whether or not they deploy agile practices. And see if they use testing frameworks. This doesn’t provide any kind of guarantee that the company is able to produce quality software, but the outcome is more likely to be successful.
Outsourcing an IT company that doesn’t keep up with the trends
Needless to say, software developers should keep up with the latest trends. Experts don’t have days off or holidays. They work day and night to make sure that they don’t fall behind the competition. If you’re outsourcing software development, choose an IT company that’s in sync with modern trends and updates. It can help bring your vision to life. The rate at which technology evolves is astounding, which can make it difficult to keep up. Nevertheless, it’s not impossible. Most IT companies are proactive when it comes down to the latest technology trends and updates.
Make sure that your outsourcing partner is able to meet your expectations beyond technicalities. To be more precise, they should provide assistance with legal and compliance risks, working ethics, broadband capacities, and so on. A good partner is always supportive, loyal, and solid. You should have an assurance that your needs and wants can be met and realized. If you want to have a successful story together, do your bit too.
