7 Signs it’s Time to Choose a New Software Development Partner for your Business

Although some may still argue that in-house development is better than offshore software development, this is far from reality. In the current COVID19 situation, outsourcing software development is the most appropriate thing to do for your company/business. It not only saves time but also saves the costs needed for the project.

In comparison to the in-house development team, Software outsourcing can provide some significant benefits. While outsourcing software development needs is the right thing to do, but at the same time, you cannot assume that every company will get the job done right. Most startups and even established businesses end up changing their software development team due to inefficiencies and other reasons. Hiring another company to develop an app or software for your business is a pretty popular strategy nowadays. Is it time for you to change your software development team too?

While choosing a software development partner, you need to consider a few fundamental factors. The main ones include professionalism and quality. If at all you are not satisfied with the services you are getting, then you will know that it is time to make changes.

Here are seven top signs that show it is time to choose a new software development partner/vendor for your business:

1.      Reduced quality and innovation

As stated above, quality is one of the primary factors to consider when working with an outsourced software company. They need to be innovative and always coming up with new ideas. If at all, it gets to a point where you do not get the right quality, it will be time to leave and get another service provider. A company, especially for a startup, cannot survive without innovation. There should be a constant flow of ideas and new software that aims at solving problems and opening up new means of adding revenue. The other alternatives you have include training them or using other expensive resources. Both are time-consuming and eat up a lot of money that you could channel elsewhere. Besides, you might train them according to what you expect, and they might still fail to deliver.

2.      Constant delays

There’s nothing that puts off many business owners like delays. Having agreed on a specific date and then failing to get things done by then is a recipe for failure. Have you ever heard of the saying – procrastination is the thief of time? Some software developers will tell you that an app is almost finished, only for you to wait for additional days to get it completed. Sometimes, you have already set up a product launch, and then boom comes the disappointment.

While it may be understood that once in a while there may be delays due to unavoidable circumstances, there’s a limit. Remember, when dealing with software development, consistency is vital. It would be best if you find a software development company that delivers on time, without compromising on the quality.

In some cases, you even find that the developers have the software/application running just fine, and you have even started receiving feedback from the product’s first users. However, you are impatient and can’t wait to get a full-featured software/application in your possession. The developers, however, keep on postponing the release date from one day to another. This is not only irritating but also time-consuming.

For many of such instances, the trouble lies in the mode of testing, which is perhaps implemented late. Undetected bugs can slow down the launch of the software. Therefore, early detection is vital to help in debugging. Late debugging can be costly and time-consuming. You need to work with a competent team that will not delay the launch of your applications.

3.      Budget overruns

Startups, small and medium enterprises usually walk on a tight rope in terms of their budget. With several costs to handle, most of these enterprises look for ways to reduce expenses. Software/Application development isn’t the only stage that requires a steady flow of funds. Other sectors equally need a fair amount of investment. A good example that directly fits here is the marketing needed after the software/app launch. Creating the product is not enough, as you will still need to get it out there for the market to embrace and use it. This may include spending on social media reach, contextual advertising, cold outreach, and public relations, among many other expenses.

At times, the outsourcing company you choose fails to estimate the amount of work needed to create the application, and this leads to overruns. This creates a significant problem for the startup or business, as they will need to carry out a budget re-planning. This is to help cover the unexpected costs incurred during development. In this case, you not only risk losing profits, but also the gains made in the software development. Therefore, the best solution, in this case, will be changing your software company. It will help if you got the right individuals who will get the job done effectively.

4.      Lack of specific deadlines on project completion dates

People hate being told – we will get it ready by next month. Instead, it is more preferable and reassuring when you get to hear a specific date of delivery. Saying next month, next week or so is always a strategy used by companies that are unsure of what they are doing. The current software market is highly competitive. Therefore, any disparity in the time taken to deliver software can affect the business in a significant way.

Your software development partner may take more time than expected to clear the project, and then somebody else launches the same idea. Time waits for no man, and you can end up missing a golden chance to be the first innovator to launch an idea. The faster you can go from your idea to an app that people can access and use, the easier it is to take charge of the market. Remember, people are innovating new applications daily, and you might be shocked to see something similar to what you are creating getting the limelight before you.

Unclear predictability in the development process can affect when and how you launch your app. This is evident as you have no other option than to wait until it is completed. Most companies that also fail to give specific deadlines are mostly the ones that want to bite more than they can chew. They go-ahead to sign several contracts simultaneously in a bid to secure the highest number of clients. And this is a recipe for tragedy, as it becomes difficult to keep up with the demand from all of these clients.

If at all your software development partner must take several projects at once, then they must set deadlines and meet them. Otherwise, they will try to kill two birds with one stone and miss both. And at whose expense will that be?

Remember, when the state of affairs is like that, it often leads to the postponement of other integral plans, such as gathering feedback from first users and promoting the software. This, of course, gives other companies a competitive advantage over you.

5.      Distorted focus

Yet another turn off you can get from your software development partner is a distorted focus. You can notice if your software team has a distorted focus in their mode of approach. Some companies only direct their energies and attention to the development process alone while ignoring the results. Yes, you might get all the responses about implemented features and upcoming plans of development. However, you may fail to know whether the application will meet the set requirements and expectations. Working without focus is equivalent to walking blind without a guide stick.

You will then begin to doubt the viability of the entire project when you cannot see any good results. When choosing a software development partner, consider one that gives a clear direction of how everything will flow. At ISHIR, we follow a streamlined process to ensure a smooth and complete requirements gathering phase in all our software projects using the agile development methodology.

6.      Not Factoring Scalability

The primary motive of any business is growing, and fast growth for that matter. It would be quite unfortunate to notice stagnation due to the lack of a reliable software development partner. Sometimes the software development team may even deliver the application on time, but you begin to notice some crucial features missing. Or maybe, the feedback from your initial users might be that a specific feature needs to be added to the application.

In case of such an instance, it would help if your software development partner acted first in creating those updates and dividing each module into sprints and following the agile methodology. During the project requirement gathering phase, it is advisable to factor the scalability of the software. This helps in planning the modules and gives clarity on the timelines and estimations. This would help maintain the scaling up of the  and improve feedback from your clients.

7.      Lack of collaboration

When developing software, there needs to be a direct collaboration between the software development team and the client. Frequent communication is essential to enable both parties to share ideas and make improvements where needed. It would be unfortunate if there’s little to no communication during the project. And this is a red flag that you should seek pastures new.

Implementing Agile can be a positive change for your business, but it can be complex to implement if not well managed. Take time to assess what your business needs, your bright spots and challenges, and work with a reliable software development team for best results.

Conclusion

Wrapping up, it would help if you worked with the right software development partner. In case you notice any of the above red flags, it would be best to change to a better option. We at ISHIR are ready to accommodate your software needs and deliver quality.

If you’re still not sure if your company is ready for offshoring, then talk to our Software Development Experts today!