Today, we are so familiar with the term “outsourcing” – contracting a company to complete a project for you rather than handling it in-house. In the digital era, IT solutions and software development are in high demand and outsourcing these services can be challenging. From defining your current business operations, understanding your goals and expectations to finding the right fit for your project and examining the final result, there are plenty of things to stress about. Many businesses commit mistakes when outsourcing their IT projects and regret it for a long time. Don’t be like them! We have mentioned below five common mistakes that may destroy your outsourcing strategy.
Mistake #1: Lack of Preparation
A lot of factors contribute to the success of a software development project. Even with the best resources, your project is likely to fail if you don’t have the right plan or vision. Before you contact an outsourcing company, define what you want and need first. And, make sure you have the foundation and plan in place.
If you outsource for the first time, having a solid plan with step-by-step instructions will help you stick to the goals and time you have set. When hiring outsourcing developers, consider the best way to incorporate them into your plan to meet your specific requirements. Determine the best method of communication with your in-house and outsourced team. Create a team from your company to take responsibility for overseeing the project and ensuring it runs smoothly and everything goes as planned. Before signing a contract with any outsourcing team, be sure to work out all details as well as clarify goals and scope of work.
Mistake #2: Choose the Wrong Outsourcing Partner
One mistake that companies often make when outsourcing software development is to skip background research and outsource the wrong people. Not choosing the right partner is the reason for cost overrun, time delays, and bad quality of the project.
To find a good software development partner, you can ask for recommendations from companies already using the service, or do some research on your own. You can visit their websites, read reviews and watch their images or videos.
There are several factors to consider when choosing a software outsourcing company. For example: Do they match your vision for the project? Do they have relevant experience in your industry? How is their team structured? What are their strengths and weaknesses? Etc.
Compare to other software development companies to see who matches your needs and requirements. Narrow down the list until only your best fit is left standing.
Mistake #3: Lack of Communication
Communication between the client company and the development team is essential to the success of the project. By this way, developers can better understand the plan, goals and vision of the client company for an effective development process. Miscommunication can lead to a missed deadline and poor final result.
Communication is especially important when you outsource software development to a foreign company. Because the outsourced team is offsite, there may be some communication problems such as long distance and infrequent communication, lack of face-to-face interaction, time zone and language differences, etc. Therefore, to share thoughts and ideas as well as enhance collaboration, you must maintain communication with the developers on the outsourcing team.
Besides, you should listen to feedback from outsourced IT professionals to improve your software. Finally, you should respect the outsourcing team’s time and trust their expertise. Hourly checking up on them would do no good for the development process.
Mistake #4: Delegate the Entire Work to the Outsourced Team
Another big mistake when outsourcing software development is not being involved in the process. Many companies delegate all of their work to a third-party provider with no care and this has some risks. For example, entrusting your project to a team with unqualified staff can cost money and decrease the quality of the final outcome. Lack of control over the process may also cause delays and poor results.
No one knows your business better than you do. Own your project and empower others to do your thinking for you. To drive your software product to success, you need involvement of staff on your side or the partner side. Clearly defining your project’s scope and goals and communicating openly will help your outsourced team deliver the project on time, on budget and at the highest quality.
Mistake #5: Put Cost over Experience and Skip Testing
“When outsourcing software development, do not base your decisions on price alone”, experts said. If you prioritize cost over quality, you are more likely to start your project with a service provider with bad performance. The price should be reasonable, and don’t forget to focus on other aspects of the service provider such as culture, the quality of resources, the company background, expertise and quality assurance and more.
Controlling the code quality is key to the success of a software development project. Therefore, your outsourcing partner should be proficient in both development and testing. Testing the software can help you identify problems early on. Regular quality control will save you time, money, and effort as it prevents minor issues from becoming major ones.
From the above, the hardest part is finding the right outsourcing partner. EXE Corp, one of the leading IT service providers offers software development and consulting services to accelerate your business growth at a reasonable cost, high quality and quick delivery time. We accompany you to help you avoid those software development outsourcing mistakes and ensure your success.
