Congratulations! You’ve made a tough decision to develop custom software for your company. The overwhelming benefits of working with proprietary software and the high return of such an investment are the driving force behind such decisions.
The most important part of custom software development is finding the right software partner. With thousands of options out there, from high-profile development companies to freelancers, the choice can be complicated.
Before you dive deep into the selection process, consider the following tips. They can help you avoid mistakes while making the right choice.
1. Stick to On-Shore Development (As Local As Possible)
Since software development is rarely inexpensive, many small businesses try to save money by hiring offshore developers. Software developers from other countries can be experts in what they do and provide high-quality products. However, they often comply with another legislature, speak a different language, and live in a different time zone.
All of the above can make communication difficult. Meanwhile, if any complicated disagreements arise, you don’t have too much power over what a developer in another country does.
By choosing a local developer, you get an opportunity to work with them in person, call them during your working hours, and take advantage of regular communication which is imperative for agile methodology.
Important: If you choose a local company, it doesn’t mean that it doesn’t delegate some of its tasks to offshore developers. That shouldn’t be a problem since your contract is with an American company, and they are responsible for the results.
2. Pay Special Attention to the Website
Today, a website is the calling card of any company. According to Houston software development experts from Entrance Consulting, respectable software developers dedicate a significant amount of time polishing their websites. You should be able to find a variety of information from details to past projects there.
In case a website is hard to navigate or contains incomplete or wrong information, it should raise a red flag.
If the company isn’t serious about its digital image, it can hardly provide excellent results with development. You can move on to the next candidate.
3. Check the Portfolio
Even if you decide to work with a new company, it should already have a portfolio. This portfolio should feature previous work completed by their developers. Don’t hesitate to ask as many questions as you want about previous projects. You can also ask for s of past clients.
Ideally, the company or freelance developers you choose should have experience working on projects similar to yours. Even the most qualified gaming app developer can have a hard time working on billing software and vice versa.
A respectable development company is always happy to demonstrate its portfolio and elaborate on its past work.
4. Talk about an NDA
A non-disclosure agreement (NDA) is an important part of custom software development. Since you will likely have to share a variety of information with the developer, you need to make sure that they keep it private. Meanwhile, you may not want your competition to know about your development plans.
If the development company isn’t ready to sign the agreement, consider moving on to the next candidate. Any excuse (even if it sounds legitimate at the moment) is likely to signal fraudulent activity.
An NDA allows you to preserve intellectual rights for the product and avoid unnecessary disclosure to the public.
5. Discuss the Delivery Time
Software development can be a time-consuming process. However, you don’t want it to take many months. In order to get your app done within the desired timeframe, you need to discuss timelines and deadlines with the developer.
If the company is working on several projects simultaneously, this can delay the delivery time significantly. Consider working with a developer, who is ready to start working on your project immediately.
Decide on a deadline while still negotiating with the development company. This can help you stick to the timeframe in the future.
The Takeaway
Developing an app is a serious step in every company’s life. By choosing the right developer, it’s possible to avoid the majority of mistakes and receive a new app on time. Think about the time you spend searching for the right developer as an investment in the quality of your custom software.