The reason for many businesses to outsource web development is inefficiencies and expenses reduction, as well as streamlining business processes. Still, the process of choosing the best fit to outsource web application development may be accompanied by many types of risks: operational, financial, reputational, etc.
We’ve done research and selected 7 tips on how to outsource web development to the right company and avoid these risks.
The criteria for painless outsourcing are listed by priority below:
- the ability of a provider to fulfill all necessary services (operational and financial risks)
- proficiency of end-product done for previous clients (reputational)
- domain experience (strategic)
- flexibility in the approach to contracting practices and payment (financial)
- convenience in communication (operational)
- modernity and innovation (strategic)
- readiness for long-lasting support and/or new releases (strategic)
1) Review the Range of Outsourcing Web Development Services an IT Company Provides
Any software is a result of a complex process that requires a professional approach. There are many preliminary business studies, team growth, quality assurance, quality audit on all stages of web development and post-release support. And as you see, professional code writing is only the tip of the iceberg.
It happens that a contractor starts without necessary experts, hoping to extract functions from the available team members. It bears the situation that nobody is responsible for the result, as the roles are blurred. Or an outsourcing contractor hopes to employ the missing staff and fails. In this case, an outsourcing company may decide to shift the responsibility to the customer’s shoulders. So, the business has to search for missing outsourcing services like bug testing, documentation audit, etc.
To avoid such situation, it’s better to look up in advance if an outsourcing company provides the full range of IT services. Nowadays, rendering the full scope of IT services is a must-have for outsourcing.
2) Examine Carefully an Outsourcing Company Provided Portfolio With an External Expert
Why not fully rely on testimonials of the previous clients? Because no one will provide a bad testimonial. When the outsourcing web development is completed, many things that were worth paying attention fade into the background. Relief of the completion makes both sides happy.
That’s why it’s important to estimate the final result, not the testimonials. If you are not quite sure, that’s the quality you will accept, you’d better not start. If not, it’s possible that a reputation may suffer as a result of poor cooperation.
To make a deep analysis of outsourcing software development services of a potential partner, ask an external expert to provide you with the expertise.
3) Learn About an Outsourcing Company’s Domain Expertise
Another important criterion that should shape your opinion is domain expertise — the area of professional skills. As a rule, outsourcing companies provide information on certification and many are certified to high-grade standards. The backgrounds (such as experience and degrees) of your vendor team are not less important. Find out the technologies the selected vendor is proficient in, have a look at its implemented software, quantify and qualify of its accomplishments.
Who is better to choose — a developer or company — on the whole? The answer depends on many factors and this is a separate theme. To dive in, check out the developer or company topic in the blog.
4) Take a Close Look at Commercial Flexibility and Contracting Practices
Mature outsourcing IT companies are flexible to software development pricing and delivery. They tend to offer fixed prices and fixed deliverables for the documented projects. When it comes to open scope work, flexible pricing is usually offered.
Note a Sub-clause of the Outsourcing Tips
Make sure that the company is competent enough to properly manage the contract. As a rule, professional IT companies provide overviews of implemented software and case studies on their sites. Check out whether they have similar contracts, verify the technologies and frameworks that were applied, study their major partners and, once again, carefully check the vendors’ references.
Read Also Checklist of 8 Tips in Negotiating an Outsourcing Contract and How to Get Around Them Easily
5) Convenience in Communication to Successfully Outsource Web Application Development
Communication means exchanging of information between sides by speaking, writing, or using some other medium. Convenient communication is a fast process, uninterrupted by any interferences, such as language, cultural differences, time zones, psychological aspects of people.
So, communication is an important soft skill for any service sphere, and IT is not an exception. Much attention must be paid at representatives communication to ensure better understanding.
Skillful project managers have excellent interpersonal skills and manage software development in a professional way that involves tracking developer performance, providing feedback, managing team changes. Misunderstanding, poor language, cultural differences may negate the previous success.
Focus on your vendor language skills and cultural compatibilities. To facilitate communication and interaction, choose an outsourcing vendor that has similar cultural and educational backgrounds. Preferably, your vendor should be situated within a close reach. It proximity reduces travel costs and times greatly. And finally, make sure your vendor is located in the right time zone with similar working hours. That makes communication better and allows you to settle issues without delay.
6) Tips Outsourcing Web Development: Modernity and Innovation
Technologies change too fast. A risk to outdate has never been so actual. For a business it means to lose advantage in the market, give up a market share, become uncompetitive. To avoid this pay attention to the technologies and software development techniques of a potential partner.
A bigger share of companies of a medium-size applies up-to-date collaboration tools, line-of-business software, SaaS solutions, mobile platforms, and other cutting-edge technologies and software development techniques as this is their advantage in the IT market. A successful outsourcing IT company never stops developing new products/services to keep its clients engaged and loyal.
7) Painlessly to Outsource Web Development Check Contractor’s Readiness for Long-lasting Support
In the active phase, you’ll probably find more enthusiasm for the team than on the supporting phase. It’s a normal process, as an outsourcing company gains such profits as domain experience, portfolio, better market understanding, reputation in the market. Nevertheless, for you as a customer, this above doesn’t matter, you from your side want gains as a solid, stable after-sale support. So, pay attention to companies with the software that is on the market for a long time and are still actual.
Hope, that the tips on how to choose a web development company will be useful for your business.