The benefits of outsourcing software development projects are many but just like everything else, it also comes with challenges. We see an increase in the number of companies that outsource their projects and this number will continue to increase as outsourcing helps to save time and increase revenue. Despite its numerous benefits, some concerns related to outsourcing hold many companies from outsourcing their projects.
We will be exploring some mistakes you should avoid when you are looking to outsource your projects. If you don’t avoid these mistakes, you can face many problems with completing projects that you outsource. Success in this digital world lies in hiring talented software developers who can develop software according to the requirements. With all of that out of the picture, let’s have a look at some common mistakes that you should avoid when outsourcing a software development project:
1. Avoid Choosing A Vendor Without Market Research
The first thing you should avoid is choosing a vendor without proper market research. Most businesses make the mistake of outsourcing their projects based on cost-efficiency only and not taking other factors into consideration. Although cost efficiency is an essential factor and should be considered, it is not the only one. Before you decide to go with a vendor, you should check how your vendor functions in the markets, its feedback & reviews, and its expertise.
If the vendor has a good reputation and experience in the field with handling different gaming and software projects such as Words With Friends then going with such a vendor won’t be a problem as it will be able to get the project completed in the given time frame according to the requirements, however, if you decide to go out with a cheap vendor that doesn’t have the expertise to get the job done then you will doing more harm than good.
2. Miscommunication
Before you make any deal with the vendor, you should discuss the requirements and milestones that you want to achieve with this project and the vendor must be able to understand the requirements and come up with effective ways to get the job done. Most people who don’t have enough knowledge about this field outsource their projects without communicating what needs to be done.
The solution for this is that you should have a sound understanding of how software development works, are fully clear about the needs of the project and communicate all the important features that you want in the app so that the end result would be exactly the software that you were looking for. All the software or programs that we use, be it a simple one like Scrabble Word Finder or a complex one like Adobe Photoshop, are a result of proper communication even though they aren’t outsourced.
3. Don’t Put Off Software Testing
Some vendors put off software testing until the end of the project when everything is ready but you should avoid such an approach. If you test the software after it is completed then you are most likely to encounter a lot of bugs and glitches. The best approach here is to test the project alongside its development. Testing the project while it is underway guarantees that the final product will be what you want it to be minus bugs and glitches.
Extensive testing should be done by the time that you hire and it should be in your agreement that extensive testing along with quality checks should be done regularly so that the end result is exactly the product that you need.
4. Don’t Put Costs Over Experience
Although the basic reason why most people and companies outsource is to save up on cost, you shouldn’t compromise the quality over costs. In the awe of trying to save costs, you might end up collaborating with an outsourcing vendor that does not have the experience and expertise in the market and you might end up with a poor product in the end.
For this reason, to avoid risking the quality or complete failure of the projects, it is good to opt for an outsourcing vendor that not only has experience in this field and can get the job done but is also not too expensive that it ends up being more expensive than in-house development.
These were the important mistakes that you should avoid when outsourcing a software development project. Outsourcing is an effective way to get the job done while saving your time and money but remember to avoid these common mistakes.
