The demand for skilled developers has never been higher. There are many factors to consider if outsourcing software development is the best move for your business. If you’re still weighing the pros and cons, consider the following questions as you deliberate.

Is Technology a Core Competency?

If developing technology is core to your business, you must ensure you have the infrastructure and resources to support your current and future software development needs. In such a situation, you will continually need software development which means you need an internal software development team.

If you are not a technology company, you may need to develop software occasionally, if not just one time. If your software development needs are sporadic or irregular, outsourcing is the way for you. One of the main benefits of outsourcing development is allowing you to do what you do best (focus on the business’s core competencies) while allowing the development team to do what it does best (build amazing technology).

If you lack the technical expertise to work with a software developer, you can still find ways to communicate with your dev team effectively:

• Be clear about your goals: It’s important to set goals for the software, regardless of how specific or vague your idea is initially. What tasks should the software complete? Who is it helping? How does it fit into your business strategy? What are your “must-haves?”Answering these questions will give your team a clear representation of your vision.
• Be flexible: You can’t build new technology overnight. Software projects often evolve as they develop. While deadlines are always front of mind for any competent development team, recognize that they operate within constraints and may produce creative solutions. Giving the team some degree of autonomy works wonders for the efficiency of software development.
• Think like a developer: Explore the angles and details behind the functionality and features you desire and find a concise way to describe them. You don’t have to be a software expert, but you can make things easier for everyone involved. Software engineers love to think critically; you’ll save time and trouble when you learn to speak their language.
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That said, even if software development is one of your business’s core competencies, you may still benefit from outsourcing minor projects or adding to your team through staff augmentation. This can help ease the hassle of the recruiting or hiring process by utilizing an auxiliary team to help you meet important deadlines.

Time and Budget Constraints?

If your existing software development team is small and already stretched to capacity, outsourcing some development projects will ease its burden and shrink the turnaround time on those projects. You could save a lot of time when you have an entire team dedicated to developing and testing your software instead of the handful of people you have in-house.

Think of it this way: if speed-to-market is critical for your application or product, which option sounds better in a time crunch::

• Hire, onboard, and train an in-house specialist—all while facing the possibility of a bad hire and the subsequent need to start the process all over again—over several weeks.
• Work with a ready-made team of experts that can assess your needs and get started on the project right away.

While outsourcing may be a great way to cut costs and save time, companies must ensure that the quality of their product does not suffer. You can do this by carefully choosing which parts of the project you want to outsource. Here are a few ideas:

• Emphasis on user experience (UX): Outsourcing your UX offers an objective, expert opinion and access to technology that might not be available in-house.
• Importance of security: It is worth spending your money hiring a professional team that is up-to-date on cybersecurity threats and protocols. Such an investment pales in comparison to the cost of a security breach.
• Company expansion: Working with an offsite team on your software development allows you to focus on your core competencies and grow your business from the inside.

Additionally, outsourcing your software development can be more cost-effective than hiring an onboarded specialist. You can avoid several direct costs (e.g., health insurance, sick days, and other indirect overhead charges) associated with a full-time employee.

What are the Software Requirements?

Before you outsource your software development, you need to know what you need so you can decide what to look for in your partner. It involves knowing what resources you have at your disposal and what the end product may look like. Here are a few ideas

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• Web app vs. mobile app: Do your needs revolve around your desktop site, mobile app, or some combination of the two?
• Full stack vs. backend only: Are you searching for a strategic business partner to manage UX/UI, backend and frontend, and quality assurance, or do you just need someone to work behind the scenes?
• One-off vs. ongoing: Do you need help turning one specific project to market, or are you looking for something more long-term?

Now that you know what you need, here are a few things you need to look at while finding an outsourcing partner:

• Portfolio: As you search for the right partner, look at their past work, the problems they solved, and the reviews of past clients.
• Performance measures: Before signing any contracts, you need to establish base performance measures to hold your partner accountable at any stage of the development process. Some companies even provide live demos of their products to help inform your decision.
• Post-completion support: Glitches, errors, and other software issues are unavoidable, especially in the wake-up updates and necessary changes. Before choosing a company, make sure they have a solid support plan.

Outsourcing software development can be tricky, especially if you have a nontechnical background. But as you analyze your time and budget constraints, technology needs, and partner expectations, you can make the process easier for yourself. These principles apply not only to outsourcing but also to offshoring, nearshoring, and other outsourcing methods.

If you’re ready to take your software development to the next level and need someone to help you build high-performing software teams that deliver results, click here to connect with experts at ExpertTal.

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