• Home
• /
• Business
• /
• Web App
• /
• Web Design
• /
• Website
• /
• 4 Things To Consider When Hiring a Software Development Company

4 Things To Consider When Hiring a Software Development Company

The need for good software is increasing day by day for companies all over the world. It’s become standard practice for businesses to use at least one software in their daily operations, and those who refuse to adapt to the changing times and modernization always fail in the end.

While pre-made software can be of some use, the best choice for companies is to have a tailor-made software to fit their needs. To have that kind of software, you need to hire a software development company. Before you do that, you need to consider a few things.

 

Choose the perfect type of outsourcing

Outsourcing various jobs is a regular occurrence in companies of all niches and the global outsourcing market in 2019 amounted to 92.5 billion dollars. But before you can pick a company that will work on your project, you need to know more about outsourcing.

Instead of doing research on various different development companies, narrow down your search by first deciding which type of outsourcing you’re interested in.

There are four different types:

• Offshore outsourcing. This is the best-known type of outsourcing and it entails hiring a company that operates from a different part of the world. Offshoring is popular because it’s usually the least expensive solution. However, different time zones could cause issues such as bad coordination.
• Onshore outsourcing. Onshore outsourcing means you would hire a company that’s in your country or ideally, your city. While the rates are much higher, the advantages of this method are being in the same time zone and speaking the same language as the team who is building your software.
• Nearshore outsourcing. A combination of the previous two models, nearshore outsourcing is hiring a development company that is located in a country near you and in a similar time zone. The rates are still usually higher than in offshore companies, but smaller than those located near you.
• Hybrid outsourcing. Those who are looking for a combination of different types of outsourcing can choose the hybrid approach. This usually entails hiring an onshore management team and offshore or nearshore development teams.

The type of outsourcing you choose ultimately depends on what you prioritize and what kind of budget you have.

 

Do extensive research on potential companies

Once you decide on one type of outsourcing, it’s time to do some research. The best place to start is online on trusted websites and forums by typing in specific keywords. Additionally, you can ask for references from companies who already use software that’s similar to the one you want to build.

Once you make a list of about 10-15 companies you think would be a good fit, find out the following things about them:

• How long the company has been in business. It’s important to know what kind of experience the company has because the longer they’ve been in business, the chances of their products being high-quality are higher. Try to find a company with at least 4 or 5 years of experience.
• Number of employees. Another good way to determine the status of a software development company is by its size and the number of people working in it. It’s good when a company has a large number of experienced professionals.
• Previous projects. Search the company website to find out which projects they have completed in the past and what the customer feedback was on those projects. If they have a lot of satisfied customers, it’s a good sign their products are high-quality.

 

Understand what type of programmer you need

Since you’re looking to hire a software development company, the chances are you don’t know a lot about programming. A number of non-programmers are under the impression that programmers are skilled in every type of technology, which is far from the truth.

For every programmer, some coding styles come easy while others just don’t because they aren’t trained or skilled in them. If you don’t know what you’re looking for exactly, it’s good to hire a company that has a team of employees that are experts in different fields. Cloud Employee has a team of fully vetted Software Engineers that can help you with different programming needs.

However, if you do know exactly what type of programmer you need and the type of software you want to be developed, your search for the perfect company will be much easier.

For instance, if you need a Microsoft Access database programmer, you need to find someone who specializes in that field. The company you choose should already have completed different variations of Microsoft Access migrations and needs to be able to help you move your database to the cloud.

 

Communicate your expectations

Communicate as much as possible with the company you choose what you want and expect from the project. The only way you will end up with good software that meets all of your requirements is if you have good communication with the team you hired.

If possible, visit the company you’re planning to hire in person to talk about the project. This way, you will be able to get a more comprehensive picture of the company and see some important aspects such as the infrastructure and the number of staff. You will also be able to talk to the developer in person.

Some points you need to address include:

• The functionality you will require. Be perfectly clear regarding which functions your software will need to possess so the experts can determine what kind of technology they will need to use. Before you hire a company, discuss how expert the employees are in that particular technology.
• Your budget. Talk about your budget and the estimated cost of the finished product as well as if there will be any additional maintenance costs after the project is completed. Don’t go through the hiring process if your budget isn’t large enough.
• Estimated time of completion. The estimated time for building software is from one to nine months, so don’t go into the project with unrealistic expectations. However, if a company isn’t prepared to finish the product in the time you need, try looking at different options.
• Scalability. When new software similar to the one you want to be created is published, your software will need to be scaled and upgraded. Talk to the company about whether they’d be flexible enough to provide changes and upgrades if required, and don’t hire them if they refuse.

 

Final thoughts

The process of finding the perfect software development company will be long and even strenuous at times because there are a lot of things you need to take into consideration.

However, it’s very important to take all of these tips into consideration and never rush into hiring a team you aren’t completely satisfied with. After the software is completed, you’ll be glad you put in enough time and effort to find the perfect company.