Almost every company has stories about outsourced software development projects gone wrong. Like most sour professional relationships, problems are usually evident from the start….
Almost every company has stories about outsourced software development projects gone wrong. Like most sour professional relationships, problems are usually evident from the start. Uncertain track records, poor communication skills, inflexible development approaches are warning signs that things are not going to go well.
This is because working with an outsourced software development team means incorporating them into your company. Even if they are here to redesign your development methodology or take full control of it, they should still blend in as part of the group.
What you should look for is an expert who can be part of your team. Whether they are with you on a single project or long-term, they need to be able to work alongside you, communicate with you, and share a common technology and development attitude.
Finding this natural fit is the answer to the question: does outsourcing software development work? Certainly yes, if you work with an expert who can understand and meet your unique goals.
What to Look for in an Outsourced Software Development Specialist
Its values – product quality, saving resources and on-time delivery – must be shared. To make sure your potential partner is up to the task, consider these three basic elements:
- Talent . What training and support does a potential outsourcing partner offer its engineers? What is their track record in the market? What experience do they have in your domain and working on projects like yours? Can they take the lead on a project?
- Communication . Do you share a common language, both in terms of communication and technology? Can they describe their approach and solution in a way that you understand and communicate with your team and stakeholders?
- Workflow . How does their location affect the way you work together? Do you share standard work hours and meet regularly? How do they plan to work alongside your core team? This is especially important if we consider offshore outsourcing, which can present problems that a nearshore outsourcing company does not.
Your outsourcing partner should give you confidence that your team, and ultimately your product, will be improved by their presence. When you feel comfortable working together, it's easier to produce better solutions faster.
How to Make Outsourced Software Development Work
The total contract value of the global IT outsourcing market is worth more than $60 billion , and in this increasingly technical world it has solidified its position as a valuable asset regardless of industry. To ensure you see a similarly positive trend in your own company, here are five best practices that you and your software development partner should agree on.
- Meet face to face regularly . Now that video conferencing has become an affordable and accessible option, it's possible to meet in person anytime, anywhere. This opens up nearshore software development options that offer advantages over domestic and offshore options. You should be able to organize regular meetings to discuss project progress and potential challenges and to refine the workflow throughout the development cycle. Open communication channels are crucial to successful development.
- Involve your partner in the planning . Outsourced experts represent more than just engineering overtime. Software outsourcing services must operate end-to-end and be able to contribute to the planning of projects that introduce methods and technologies that speed up the process. Accurately accounting for the time and resources needed at the beginning of a project eliminates the need for costly and time-consuming interventions at the end of the release cycle.
- Demand a customized solution . Every software development project is unique. The same goes for every development environment, every release schedule, and every budget. An external expert should be able to provide a solution tailored to your specific requirements and that meets your business goals.
- Be willing to learn . Outsourcing partners are domain and technology experts. While you should always keep your business goals in mind, it's important to find a partner who can ensure your product meets the latest industry standards and trends and is accessible to the widest possible audience.
- Increase and decrease as needed . You can leverage the expertise of an external partner, seeking their support when your launch schedule requires it. External experts can quickly onboard and stay connected with you during downtimes so you can more accurately assign your resources for maximum effect.
Following these best practices allows companies to make the most of their outsourcing partnership and provide a positive answer to the question, “Does outsourcing software development work?”
Why does software development outsourcing work?
Outsourcing software development makes it possible to deliver a better product, more time-efficiently and within the limits of your resources. With the right partner, it's the most efficient way possible to bolster your core team with the expertise and engineering power needed to deliver a quality user experience that your customers can trust.
