Outsourcing services like software development is a popular practice in several industries because of its numerous benefits. If you’re just a startup or have an inexperienced in-house software development team, hiring a third-party IT team for all your technological needs will definitely help you scale your business.

This doesn’t only get you high-quality results in a short amount of time but also allows you to focus on your work without micromanaging your IT team. You will have a better-streamlined workflow, improved productivity, reduced workload, and optimized business processes.

As exponential organizations are growing in number, the demand for IT outsourcing is at an all-time high. According to a report, the market estimate for outsourcing IT services in 2019 was $520.74 billion. But some certain mistakes and pitfalls can lead to risks and losses.

This is why finding a reliable team of software developers is crucial to achieving higher revenue and enhanced workflow productivity. Vates is a software development company where we are offering some of the most well-rounded IT solutions that can elevate your business sustainably and organically. Our team of software testers and developers is highly qualified and has decades of experience when it comes to providing personalized IT recommendations. With our modern digital tools and technologies, we can help you transform your existing IT infrastructure to automate your business tasks.

Read ahead to learn which mistakes to avoid when outsourcing software development services.

Research, Research, Research

We cannot emphasize enough how important it is to perform extensive research before you hire an outsourcing company. Don’t assume that the biggest names in the industry are the most reliable. Giant software companies will not be able to give you the same amount of attention as a small company might.

Before you decide on the company you’re going to work with, here are a few questions you must ask.

• Are their software developers highly-qualified thought leaders?
• Do they get involved in the open source and testing community?
• What is their principal focus? Do they specialize in the testing services you require?
• Have they previously worked with a client in the same industry as you before?
• Will they adhere to the laws and regulations that you follow?

Once you answer these questions, you will have more insight into how the company operates, and you will be able to make an informed decision. Don’t solely focus on cost-efficiency, but select someone that has a trackable history, positive customer reviews, and transparent pricing.

Don’t Allow Price To Be the Main Decision Criteria

When you’re a fledgling startup, it’s understandable that you’re trying to make ends meet and invest in quality services without breaking the bank. But opting for services just because they’re inexpensive will only end up costing you more money down the line.

This is why it’s essential to do background research and see if they have verified credentials before you decide to hire them.

Avoid Being Hasty When Onboarding

Onboarding is when you’re evaluating skills, introducing goals and requirements, and sharing information about what your software vendor requires to complete a project. But there can be miscommunication when you’re hasty during this stage.

If you want the onboarding process to be as efficient as possible, make sure that:

• You’re creating an internal knowledge base to keep everyone up to date on everything
• Taking all necessary security precautions and issuing appropriate credentials
• Establish a healthy communication culture and stay up to date on every delivery cycle
• Create a list of all the expectations and requirements
• Keep important documents and manuals safely in one place
• Make sure the team has custom access permission to necessary tools
• Have regular meetings and set up approvals and evaluations

Be Careful About the Code Quality

While it may not seem like it to non-technical stakeholders, code quality can affect both the functionality and the extensibility of your IT infrastructure.

Having control over the code quality is one of the most important things to remember when you’re outsourcing software development services. Since there are no standards that clearly define high-quality or low-quality codes, making sure you’re focusing on testing coding standards is crucial for successfully outsourcing IT.

Poor code quality can actually result in technical debt. Without proper testing, the code can have a lot of errors like performance issues, coupled components, and other unnoticed issues.

High-quality codes are easier to understand, more maintainable with minimal effort, and highly extensible so you don’t have to write duplicate codes.

Quality assurance methods like static code analysis and unit testing are required to see whether the code is going to perform well or not.

If you’re searching for high-quality software testers, IT professionals at Vates are here to help. Our nearshore software development firm comprises certified IT specialists who can walk you through the complexities of the ever-evolving IT landscape. We have an in-depth foundational understanding of machine learning and artificial intelligence and we will make sure that your business is growing exponentially.

Pick a Company Whose Time Zone and Business Culture Meshes with Yours

Hiring a company whose business culture does not align with yours can be challenging. It’s essential to find out if the company you’re partnering with is going to easily adapt to your work culture or not. Are they sticking to deadlines? Are they working to proactively find solutions? Do they only perform tasks you ask them to do or are they willing to go the extra mile to make improvements?

Another thing to consider is time zones. You need to make sure the company you’re picking is mindful of your work schedule.

Find Out Which Development Methodologies Are Being Used

Find out which development methodologies the outsourcing company is using before you initiate a project. Once the outsourcing company builds you a software system and you find out that the backend structure and security are both compromised in the making, there is no going back.

This is why you need to make sure you’re aware of all the different development methodologies that the outsourcing company is implementing when they’re building your software products. Ask them to provide you with the different options and methodologies before you begin working on a project.

Overlook the Staff Augmentation Delivery Models

It’s easy to hand over the entire project to the hired IT team and forget about the project until it is wrapped up. But outsourcing does not mean that you are leaving everything to the hired individuals without overlooking the processes.

It’s better to add extra testers on a long-term project and have them co-manage the delivery models.

Allow Easy Contact

Miscommunication and misaligned collaborations can easily lead to mistakes that could have been easily avoided. It’s important to remember that even when you’re outsourcing a software development team, you still need to dedicate some time to respond to their queries and help them solve problems. Software outsourcing is primarily about collaboration and you should consider this as a two-way street.

Once you’ve established an easily accessible point of contact on both sides, everything will go much more smoothly and promptly. This will also create synergy and make it easier to work with an outside team.

Don’t Be Vague About Project Estimates

Make sure you’re being clear and concise about project estimates. Whether it’s time or money, offshore software development companies can be vague about project estimates.

Setting unrealistic goals and expectations for the company can also be damaging to your partnership. This is why make sure to sit down and properly get accurate estimates before initiating the project.

Get Well-Rounded IT Solutions with Vates!

Now that organizations across the globe are transforming themselves into exponential organizations, leveraging emerging technologies to elevate your business is crucial to stay on top of your game.

This is why at Vates, we aim to help companies renew their IT infrastructure with the most advanced digital tools and custom software. Our highly qualified team of IT professionals will analyze your current IT systems and provide you with personalized recommendations that will help you achieve operational success.

We are committed to providing the most comprehensive IT solutions and software testing services to help organizations improve customer interactions and gauge customer needs. Our IT specialists have used robust analytical tools and have helped hundreds of our clients grow their businesses in this complex economic environment. We have thirty years of experience in providing the most reliable IT services internationally.

Our services also include IT augmentation services, big data consultation, software integration, custom software development services, IoT solutions and consultations, PMO software services, Jira service management, Agile software development, and much more.

We also work in multiple time zones so you never have to worry about addressing the needs of your global clientele. Ready to start working on transforming your company?

Reach out to us today to learn more about our nearshore software integration services company.