Suppose you decided to outsource your software development project to build some customer software like a mobile or web app. It may seem a perfect solution to get a quick effortless result: you just delegate your tasks to some dedicated team of experts or scale your own IT department with new talents.
However, it’s crucial to make the right choice. A mistake may cost much and even lead to the need of rebuilding your ready app from scratch. In this review, we’ll tell you what are the most common mistakes business owners do when they choose and manage a custom software development company and how to avoid them.
Poor communication
Although you might want to totally rely on the developers, you risk getting a poor result or seeing a product looking far from what you expected. To avoid such a mishap, make sure you have transparent communication with developers (or, which is better, their project manager) and have a chance to explain your idea in as much detail as possible.
Your instructions and requirements mean much: think them out beforehand. Besides, developers must know and understand your goals and what you want to achieve with the custom software solutions they develop for you. Some experts advise double-checking if the team got you right and asking them to explain how they see your idea: it will help to avoid any minor misunderstanding.
Looking for the cheapest option
A desire to save money is natural, and the product must be cost-efficient. However, it doesn’t affect the product quality, so don’t mindlessly opt for the cheapest solution. In most cases, the industry-low price implies getting low-quality software or dealing with inexperienced developers who can’t make optimal decisions.
If you need a top-notch product released within the shortest time, don’t focus on low-cost offers. You can stick to the market average price if you are limited in budget, but saving too much remains a bad idea.
Not doing enough research
It’s not enough to check the cost and look through a couple of the developer’s website pages. Your research must include as much information as possible, so take your time and scrutinize the team’s cases, customer feedback on some independent platforms, the company’s credibility, the team member’s experience, and more.
Not having a tech specialist to manage the project
Outsourcing software development is not about delegating all tasks to a team and waiting for the ready product. It’s essential to keep your eye on each iteration and stay in contact with developers: are they doing the right things? Are they managing to cope with all requirements?
Still, some business owners know nothing about the code or are not aware of some complicated nuances. Thus, you must have a tech-savvy manager from your side to help you control the project and explain all details in lay terms.
Not paying attention to the skills and technologies that will be used
One of the things that your tech specialist can do even before your outsource team starts working on the project is some research. No matter what your solution is, it must be based on the most modern technologies. As a project owner, you must have an idea of what tech solutions might be the best for your software, and what is regarded as outdated.
Overlooking ownership of the codebase
When you order software development services, it implies you become an owner of some program code. However, it doesn’t go by default: your agreement with the development team must contain a special clause related to the code ownership.
What if you fail to determine the ownership at the very beginning? It may lead to much more serious consequences than just a poor working app or website. As an owner, your outsource team can sell or use your project for its own profit, which can result in years of useless attempts to prove your ownership.
Final Words
We hope this brief guide will prevent you from being disappointed when you hire a software development team. All our tips are pretty easy to follow: like in every business, you simply must be careful and responsible when you select a provider. Now that you know what things are essential and what is not, you will easily find the perfect team that will deliver the top-notch product for your business.
