Why you should consider using an external software development provider

Why you should consider using an external software development provider

It's hard to imagine the world of business without technology. It drives efficiency and helps us all speed effectively through our daily chores. Depending on your business and the industry within which it operates, it is likely you rely on several software products. As you grow, you'll need that software to grow with you, which is why it pays to have someone tailor it for you.

Who do you call on for such work?

Freelance software developers are often chosen to help with such tasks, but the nature of their own businesses means they're rather 'fly-by-night', offering little longevity for the project or contingency when something goes wrong further down the line. Imagine a vital cog in your business failing and being unable to reach the architect who tightened the screws - the net result can be catastrophic.

Software development teams work coherently and, with varying levels of expertise in different fields occupying the same space, projects can be taken from concept to reality quickly and to spec. By comparison, freelancers usually work alone and therefore struggle to offer the same level of resource for all but the smallest of projects.

So - you need a team. But where do you find one?

You may, of course, recruit. Unfortunately, this can be a costly endeavour and incredibly time-consuming. Equally, if you don't possess a sound level of technical expertise yourself, you'll find job speccing and the evaluation of candidates a frustrating process. There is another option, though, which is to use an external software development company.

Why use an external partner?

Firstly, in just one step, you'll gain a team of competent developers, testers and project managers; a team that is used to working together and which can deliver the product you require. You can tap into years of experience and gain access to skilled professionals who will be able to turn your concept into a reality. Moreover, they'll be used to working as a team, so your investment in their time will pay dividends.

How to make external software development work for you

When choosing an outsourcing partner, you need to bear in mind three things:

• their experience and expertise;
• their ability to listen to your needs;
• the effectiveness of their communication

Finding the right partner is critical. Do they possess the right technical skills and experience you require? If you're not sure what that is, search for partners that offer IT consultancy; they will be able to advise you on the technology and skills required to achieve the results which will push your business forward.

Perhaps most important of all is communication. The right partner is the one which can communicate effectively with you throughout the project. Regular communication means projects will progress as planned and keep you up to speed with progress.

To avoid the risk of failure when developing software, there is one crucial thing to look for; the ability for the team to work in an agile fashion - more specifically, by adopting the Scrum methodology.

Scrum forces the development team to work in sprints by producing quick, regular iterations of the software. Once each sprint is completed, you'll have a releasable version of the product in question and, by breaking work into bite-sized chunks, even the biggest projects can become manageable and deliverable on time.

Using the services of an outsourced software development provider is the perfect solution if you want to boost your business without the benefit of a huge budget or in-house technical expertise. More importantly, there's no requirement for the partner to be local due to the way in which the work can be carried out remotely. Wherever they are, they'll quickly become an extension of your team.

Copyright © 2016 Edyta Szczęśniak of SolDevelo solutions development