Selecting software development services? Arm yourself with essential questions: from experience, methodologies to post-launch support.
If your company is taking on a new software project, the process of selecting a development team can seem daunting – especially if this is your first time. Where do you look? What should you look for ? How do you know which services are best for your organization?
#1: Describe your development process
It is important to have a basic understanding of how the team conducts the software development process. Although different products require different steps, there are certain stages that every development cycle should have.
Items you should look for in an answer include:
- Discuss with you your business and technology requirements and needs for the finished project
- The specific stages and steps they take to build their product, with a step-by-step outline
- The tests they perform
#2 What is your methodology?
You should look for a supplier whose working style and approach matches your business in order to achieve a stronger working relationship and better end results. In addition to asking what methodology they use, you can also ask a vendor what this looks like in a real software development lifecycle so you can reference real-life examples.
#3 Have you worked on projects similar to this before?
Your contractor should have experience working on projects similar to the one you want them to build. This will prove that they have the necessary knowledge to create the high-quality product you need. It will also demonstrate that they have some understanding of the audience that will use their product and will be able to resolve issues that have arisen in previous projects.
While projects in the same or similar industry are an indication that the team is equipped with the technology, experience, and resources to create your product, it is not the only indicator. Another sign that they can meet your needs is if they have developed an app or other product with features similar to yours.
For example, if the software development vendor has worked on banking platforms, they can leverage that experience for a retail payment application.
#4 How do you determine the timeline for a given project?
Timelines can often change as developers work on their project. Understanding how your provider calculates the schedule will let you know what to expect. The development team must be completely transparent with the factors that influence their estimate of when they will be able to complete a project and what will affect that number.
They must also be transparent about how any schedule changes will affect costs. Be wary of a developer who is vague about these details or who doesn't describe them in their contract. After all, the goal is to deliver a product as quickly as possible.
#5 What roles are included in your team?
You should be informed about the specific roles that will be included in your team so you know what services you are receiving beyond the development of the product itself. For example, you also want your product to be tested by quality control experts.
Another factor to consider is the size and experience of the team. How big is the company as a whole? Will they have enough staff to work on your project? Are the team members seniors or juniors? This serves as an indicator of the level of quality and professionalism you can expect. This is not to say that less experienced developers cannot produce quality work, but experience indicates that they have a broader knowledge.
#6 Will you provide post-development support?
Software is never truly “finished”. You will need to continually tweak it and release updates that resolve issues like bugs and improve performance. Ask your development team how they will work with you after the product is initially released. Will they provide additional support? How much will it cost to continue using your services?
It's best to resolve this before hiring them to build the product so you understand if and how they will be able to maintain it. After all, you want your software to have longevity, which will require maintenance.
#7 How will you communicate with my team?
Good communication is essential for the execution of a great product. You and your provider must strike the right balance, keeping you informed as needed without overwhelming you with information. This is why you must know how, when and how often the provider will contact you. Will they send daily or weekly updates? Who is the recommended person? Will they use Slack, Zoom, Skype or other tools?
#8 How do you deal with unexpected challenges or problems?
Your development team may very well encounter problems during the SDLC. Or your requirements may change. If your vendor has the necessary experience creating software, they have likely encountered challenges in the past and have plans to resolve them. You should know what these plans are and how they will affect your project and overall cost.
#9 What security measures do you take?
You no doubt know how important strong security is for any technology, especially given the numerous breaches in recent years. This question is two-fold: you need to know how the software development team will best ensure the security of your product and how they will protect the data and information you provide.
Look for details like security testing, as well as the measures they maintain to prevent unauthorized access to your data. These are indicators that protecting your business is important to them.
