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Searching for any business partner can be challenging, as you need someone who packs the right expertise you need, and someone you can genuinely rely on.
When it comes to software development, you need someone who can create a software solution that meets the needs of your target customers and helps you achieve your business goals. You need a development partner who understands your business and knows how to help you reach success.
If you’re looking for a reliable partner for software development, you’ll be happy to know that there are a vast number of outsourcing companies out there. But how to find the right company for your business and where to look for it?
It all depends on your unique needs and requirements. I have rounded up the guidelines that will help you narrow down the list and choose a software development partner that’s a perfect fit for your company.
Why Are You Looking for a Software Partner?
This is the most significant question you need to ask yourself. The reason why you need a software partner will help you know what to look for in one.
- Do you need someone to handle front-end development or back-end development? Perhaps someone who can effectively do both?
- Are you looking for professionals who can also cover all the project management and business analysis tasks?
- Perhaps your IT team doesn’t have the time for another project, or they lack the necessary skills for developing the kind of software you want. In such case you may need an expert team to handle the development part or a couple of developers to cover the specific tasks.
Defining your goals and objectives first will push you in the right direction and help you choose the right partner you need. So, put everything on paper and carefully assess all the goals before proceeding with your search.
Looking for professional app developers?
Check out the article on how to find & hire the best app developers to complete your team and speed up the development.
How to Find Software Development Partner: 7 Steps
Once you have figured out why you need a software development partner, it is time to plunge into the search. I like to say that finding a good vendor requires as much effort as finding a good partner. So here're 7 steps to do it right:
Step 1 – Conduct Thorough Research
Once you know what to look for, it won’t be so difficult to pinpoint the best candidates.
Now, you can search for your new partner on Google, but that may not be very helpful. Google will show you the top results relevant to your search, and those might be great companies, but not every company on the list will suit you. ?
It brings you to another question – where to look for a software development partner?
Check out the reviews for a particular company will shine some light on its services, expertise, experience, and reputation.
Quora is among the best online sources where you can find facts and honest opinions, but Clutch might be even better. It’s data-driven and contains reviews and ratings of the leading IT outsourcing companies.
All the companies on Clutch create their profile, but the platform is responsible for all the completely objective reviews. You can rely on them to learn more about how various companies work.
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Step2 – Check Testimonials
Just like reviews, testimonials can help you gain a clearer picture of how a particular company operates and serves its clients.
Testimonials are either written or spoken statements about an organization and its products or services. As such, you can rely on their authenticity and transparency. There’s rarely anything that can give you more insight into a company than its previous and current customers.
Also, ask the software partner the contacts of their current / previous clients and get on the phone with them. That way you can ask deep questions and get to know how it’s like working with this vendor.
Step 3 – Assess Expertise
Part of the road is passed. The next step to help you find a software development partner is checking the company's expertise. How to do that? Check the domains a company specializes in.
Your development partner should have proper business expertise. Let's say you have a fintech startup idea, check if your prospective partner works with the fintech technologies.
You don't want to work with someone who doesn't have a clue how to help you achieve your business goals. The company you choose for a long-term partnership must be able to cater to your customers' needs. It must pack the right expertise to develop software that will meet the needs of your target users.
Step 4 – Explore Case Studies
One of the best ways to check your potential partner’s experience and expertise is to explore their works. Look for their previous cases and dive into every little detail that will showcase how they work, and what makes them different.
Case studies will show you how a particular software development company has solved various challenges that they previously encountered. They will show you what solutions and features they implemented, what tests they used to make sure everything ran smoothly, and how they managed to create great user experiences.
Perhaps someone from their case studies is still their partner, so you can even learn more about how they operate in ongoing business relationships.
Step 5 – Evaluate Company’s Culture
A company's culture is the personality of a company that provides you with an insight into the company's values and behaviors in its work environment.
To learn about the company's ethics, goals, and expectations, you can ask for an Introduction call or visit the vendor's office. Take this moment as the opportunity to talk with several team members (not only sales and project managers), and see the real company vibe.
You should have the same values so that they will treat your every project like it’s their own.
Our client from Sweden recently visited our office. Check how it was.
No matter if you're able to meet in person or remotely, make sure you choose a team of professionals who are dedicated, meticulous, and genuinely passionate about business. They need to be as committed as you are so that you can seamlessly work together toward achieving your goals.
At the same time, to work together as partners, you should openly share details about the product and give feedback on time. It will help you find the best solutions to IT challenges.
Step 6 – Set Up Smooth Communication
Communication is key to any successful partnership, especially when it comes to developing a software solution. If there’s poor communication between you and your chosen partner, how will you ever get on the same page?
It’s essential to remember that excellent communication equals transparency. You need to be able to talk with the entire team you hire about all details related to your projects. Both of you need to be fully transparent regarding the development process and communicate openly and honestly.
You need to make sure there are absolutely no language barriers so that you can understand one another correctly. If you choose someone from another country, make sure they have excellent English language skills.
Step 7 – Interview the Developers.Not Only the Sales Team
Interview with developers can show you the real companies without any sales tricks. The sales team of a particular outsourcing company will certainly give you a great pitch, but the actual development team will help you know whether or not they are able to deliver what the sales rep promises.
The sales team may know all about their developers’ experience and expertise, but do they understand their work? Do they know exactly how various types of software function? Do you know who does? Developers.
So, once you put together a shortlist of companies, be sure to set up meetings with all the developers. Only then will you be able to evaluate who are the right people for the job.
Tips to Find the Best Software Development Partner
These were 7 steps on how to choose the right software development partner. But along the way, you may face up some challenges. There're 2 most common questions I heard from clients:
- How to check that the company matches my needs?
- How to negotiate the price?
Here are the bits of advice to help you.
Prepare the List of Questions
You should devote time and prepare to find the right software development partner. I recommend creating a list of questions that will help you get familiar with your prospective partner.
Here are a couple of questions that can be on your list:
- Can you please give an overview of the process a company will go through when deciding to work with you?
- What does your typical process of taking a new project look like?
- When approximately would you be ready to start the work?
- What will the communication between your and our team look like?
- What information from our end would be useful for you to prepare the proposal?
- How much involvement from our end do you expect during the process?
- The legal part (legal entity, way of payments, periods of payments, etc.)
- What would the next steps be?
It is in your best interest to ask as much as possible right at the beginning. The more precise responses you'll get, the easier the decision-making process will be.
Put Value Over the Price
Price is undoubtedly a critical factor when choosing a development partner, but it definitely shouldn’t be the deciding one.
If someone offers their services at meager prices, they may be sacrificing quality. You may save a bit of money when starting a project, but what if it doesn’t turn out very well? What if you end up with poor-quality software that needs complete rewriting?
You usually get what you pay for, so the cheapest offers may not be the smartest choice.
But what if someone’s services are a bit expensive? Here’s the article on how to reduce app development costs to help you find 5 ways of cutting IT costs.
Why Uptech Is Your Best Software Outsourcing Partner
Uptech has a stellar reputation as a dedicated software development partner. We don't just say it, but we mean it. Here's what we achieved over 7 years of working with startups and established companies worldwide.
- 150+ products delivered
- Clients from 12 countries worldwide
- Team of 80+ experienced IT professionals
- Revolutionizing products, like Dollar Shave Club, GOAT, Nomad, and Aspiration, are in our portfolio.
- Top-notch expertise in fintech, real-estate, healthcare, and on-demand industries.
These are not just records. We strive to become a reliable software development outsourcing company for our clients. Working hand in hand like one team is what we offer our clients and expect from them in response. It's about a partnership, not simply delegating tasks.
For us, good software development outsourcing is about positive client relationships. It fosters stronger collaboration, ingenuity, and space to do our best work.
Summary
Choosing the right software development partner is not an easy endeavor. There are a lot of factors that you need to consider so that you can make an informed decision. Start by understanding what kind of outsource services you need and follow the checklist to find the right outsourcing company for your project:
- Check Testimonials.
- Explore Case Studies
- Talk with team
- Evaluate Company Culture
Luckily, the guidelines above will help you make a decision that leads to a reliable long-term partnership and achieved business goals.
