How To Choose Software Development Outsourcing Company For Start-Up

One of the biggest priorities for many companies is the need to balance between reduced cost, maintaining a competitive advantage and continued effectiveness.

In a competitive market, time also plays a role as the speed at which products and services reach the consumer needs to be much higher.

If you are struggling through all this, then it pays to outsource.

For the startup, services like software development outsourcing are essential for one to get ahead in business. Here are some important tips on how to outsource software development.

Inspect the Company

This should ideally be the first thing to do before working with a software outsourcing company. The company portfolio is essentially their working resume and gives a hint of the quality of work one should expect from the company.

Portfolio of Saigon Technology Solutions – a software outsourcing company in Vietnam

As a startup, even though most of the time the product or service is relatively new, it is important to find someone with the right experience and solid track record in the industry. Inspecting the portfolio of outsource company should involve asking for details of past jobs and projects, and perhaps speaking to past clients.

Find out what software the company built in the past as well as their relationship with their clients before, during and after the software was handed over.

Is the final product impressive? Would you be comfortable with a similar relationship with them?

Domain expertise

There are many talented software developers across the world. If you are keen on learning how to outsource software development for your startup, then there will be no shortage of software development company options.

However, in the end, the best option to hire will be the ones with domain expertise.

For instance, if you are a startup that offers financial services, then the individual hired should be one who specializes in the finance industry. The best companies are those that have developers who specialize in different domain areas.

This way, you are assured of a team that is up to date, knows their way around the industry and understands what the competition is bringing to the table.

Communication

Ask startups how to outsource software development and the first thing that most will tell you is to get the communication right. This is almost always a consistent answer with both those who have had positive and negative experiences.

Most people do not realize it, but the single most important thing when outsourcing software development is the communication to the developer exactly what you want to be developed, a process called wire-framing.

Before the whole process begins, everything is basically an idea that lives in your head. You will need to articulate the ideas in your head to the developer as accurately as possible for a good outcome. To do this, ask yourself questions like:

• What do I want my software to do?
• How would I like my app delivered to the customer?
• How would I track conversions for my business?

These are just a sample of the numerous questions that will help in the streamlining of information offered to the software developer.

Ultimately, your satisfaction with the outcome will depend on just how well the communication between you and the software development goes.

Be flexible and work together

It is also important to note that this communication must not be one-sided or rigid. Communication does not necessarily mean giving out commands. Any experienced software developer will tell you that sometimes, what you want is not necessarily what you need.

When communicating with the outsourced software developer, be sure to tell them what you think you want. Do not be rigid, as this allows for the software development to happen in an environment where creativity and fresh ideas can thrive.

Being rigid only ends up limiting the developer; allow them the time and creative space to draw on their experience and deliver not just what you want it to look like, but the highest quality website for the task at hand.

Another important tip when learning how to outsource software development is the collaboration. The best kind of relationship is not one where you would simply give instructions and wait for the end product, but one where there are constant communication and collaboration throughout the project.

The best software developers in the business understand the value of being proactive; they ask questions and are full of ideas, always wanting to understand the user and make suggestions for the final outcome.

For such a relationship to be fruitful, then everyone has to participate in the process of creating the software. Without this, it is impossible to leverage the skill and experience of the software development team and get that quality product you crave.

Small tasks

Every software development task normally has a few pre-development tasks that must be accomplished before the actual development job starts. In the age of digital marketing and internet ads, anyone can claim to offer quality software development services.

You can screen anyone for months on end, but there is no way of knowing what they can do until they actually start working on the project.

There is, however, an easier way to have them prove themselves. After finding a candidate you believe might be qualified for the task, have them complete a small task in order to get a sense of how they work and the quality of work that can be expected from them.

Simple tasks can be anything from simple code design to the creation of a small feature on the company landing page. The goal is, without spending too much, make sure the candidate is the right fit, from communication and collaboration to the skills and results.

Hiring an in-house software designer might be an expensive undertaking for the cash-strapped startup. Outsourcing, however, enables them to pay for those one-off projects without necessarily retaining a professional on the payroll.

Outsourcing, however, only works when the right professional is chosen and a proper working relationship established. With these steps and tips, the question of how to will no longer be difficult.

Saigon Technology Solutions

Saigon Technology Solutions is the leading Vietnam software development outsourcing company, trusted by well-known enterprises and startups in the world such as Standard Chartered Bank, Ideal POS, DMI Global, Onelink, Intellitech to name a few.