For organisations that want to tackle a challenging software project, the process often involves outsourcing. After all, there are a number of benefits to outsourcing a software project including time and cost savings, as well as being able to utilize expert resources that can’t be found in-house. Here are some tips to find the right partner for your project and make sure that it runs smoothly.

Clearly Define Requirements in Writing

Not surprisingly, communication is key when outsourcing software projects. Before even beginning to consult with potential project teams, you should clearly define the needs and expectations of the particular software by understanding the users of the particular app or software and their needs.

Once you’ve clearly detailed those needs, be sure to state them in writing to the project team clearly. This should ultimately become part of the outsourcing agreement to help ensure that everyone is speaking the same language. Miscommunication can result in unexpected delays, so this is a very important tip for succeeding in a software collaboration.

Carefully Evaluate Potential Companies

Selecting a company that will work well for your project is obviously imperative. You should thoroughly evaluate companies using various methods. One potential way is to check with your network for recommendations and look at the types of industries a company has worked with in the past. Having an organization that understands your niche can help improve the process.

Once you have created a shortlist of companies to consider, it is time to be a bit more thorough. Check reviews online to get a sense of other people’s experiences. Additionally, inquiring with a company about an outsourcing partnership can be a lot like an interview. Ask about their experience with similar projects, the methods they use in development, processes for customer support afterwards, and other issues. This will help you to not only learn about the company but also get a sense of their culture and communication.

Clearly Outline Time and Costs

When creating the project agreement, it is important to highlight deliverables and milestones in writing, clearly defining what is expected and needs to be achieved in order for that part of the project to be marked as complete. This will ensure maximum transparency while also allowing for a process of moderating any disagreements, should they arise later in the process. Among the things to be discussed and documented include cost, duration, delivery, and release date.

Establishing clear documentation is an important part of the process. Additionally, you can consider discussing assurances for whether a project is completed on time. This can include establishing part of the cost as a bonus when the project is successfully delivered on time, or a discount if it is delivered past the deadline.

Security Protocols

In this day and age, it is more important than ever to focus on security. The rapid development of technologies has also led to amplified methods for hackers to attempt to gain access to your systems and data.

Thus, it is imperative to ensure that you have in place strong, responsive security protocols within the system while leveraging the current benchmarked technologies to provide adequate protection. It is important to have a good discussion about the data that the outsourced team will need access to and the security protocols in place at the onset of the project.

Request Support After Delivery

With any new software, there will certainly be issues that arise even if they are minimal in nature. When you run into problems, it will be vastly better to have post-development support from the company that designed your software so, be sure to negotiate post-delivery support into the scope of the project.

Many software developers offer support in the form of calls, e-mail, or chat. Ensuring that an organization will provide you with adequate support for a period of time is important. In lieu of that, be sure to negotiate that the company adequately train your staff on resolving problems that may arise.

Final Thoughts

There are many important considerations when planning on outsourcing a software development project. Following these tips will help ensure that you are able to successfully identify the optimal firm to work with and ensure transparency right through to the final delivery.