Follow These Simple Rules To Outsource A Development Team

Design and software development outsourcing is becoming a popular trend nowadays. Small, mid, and enterprise-level companies are leveraging this growing trend of outsourcing development teams from around the world for convenience and to get the job done as quickly as possible. Along with convenience, there are many benefits of hiring development teams, the number one being cost-efficiency and expertise. There are a variety of outsourcing companies available globally, that are bringing in innovative products for business growth and sustainability. All you need to know is where and how to find them.  Outsource a development team, but do it very strategically. 

Just imagine...

you have started working on an amazing idea and laid out the plan, and halfway through you realized that you lack that one skill needed to develop a particular feature. Now all your confidence goes down the drain, meanwhile, the deadline approaches for you to present your idea to the potential investors - the deadly demo day, which will decide your fate. What will you do? In times like these, you outsource help, the only right solution, available.

Companies outsource development teams for their software projects from staff augmentation companies. Why? Because it offers flexibility and quality. Despite this, many companies believe that outsourcing developers including the web design and development team or project managers don't work out well for them. To avoid such situations, you should know what to look for in your choice of company.

Before moving on to the list of important things to consider before you outsource a development team, let’s have a look at when should you outsource.

Recommended: Staff Augmentation in Software Development - Solve your Hiring Problems

The Right Time to Hire a Dedicated Development Team

I have said it before and I will say again, that outsourcing facilitates companies to fill in their skill gaps by hiring qualified candidates, sharpening their efficiency, and honing their focus. Either as a team or an individual in the gig economy, outsourcing can help companies complete their projects from anywhere on the globe, business leaders, on the other hand, don’t need to spend a hefty amount for travel expenses. 

The outsourcing software development industry is thriving since it offers an affordable option specifically for startups looking to scale. But that doesn’t mean that you just blindly jump into it because everyone else is doing it. Before making it an active part of your business strategy and operation ensure that it is a good fit for you.

So when to hire a dedicated software development team?

Keep reading below.

• Your company lacks the level of skills needed for project management. Through outsourcing, you can have access to specialist project managers to manage your project from initiation to execution. 
• When you lack the resources amid economic uncertainty (such as the global COVID pandemic), outsourcing is super beneficial. It can help you remove unnecessary costs and make business-critical operations more efficient. 
• When you don’t have the skills required to design a seamless user interface. Recruiting, hiring, training, and retaining employees can be daunting. Here, outsourcing is your best bet.
• Things are rolling fast? Are your employees missing important deadlines? Outsourcing allows companies to invest their focus on what matters. Take the help you need from a third party.
• If you are a non-technical company looking to gain a competitive advantage in the market and to deliver a ‘bugless’ customer experience, outsource an IT department. 

Things to Consider Before You Outsource a Development Team

Make Sure to Hire the Right Team 

It’s simple, looking for an eCommerce development company? Hire only that specialize in the field. Make sure to hire the best prospects suited to your exact needs. Therefore, instead of searching for a software development team, narrow down your search.

If you are looking for front-end or back-end development then seek the same. If you need a design team, then outsource just the design team. For example, "if you are an e-commerce brand and will be using Shopify as your platform, you will specifically want to seek out web designers with experience designing Shopify themes," suggests April Gillmore, CEO of ClickFirst Marketing.

Else it will be a huge pain if you don’t know what you are looking for exactly.

Look at Past Work Portfolios

Some companies are good with mobile development and some with WordPress or web design. Therefore, it is very important that you closely look at their past relevant (a strong word) work portfolios or experiences.

Know who they have worked with and how they can bring creativity into your project. You can weigh them based on their previous projects and design style and compare them with what you want. One way to judge is to see their live work, if a company has worked on multiple design and development projects, yet none of those websites work that means it didn't work. This tip can be extremely useful before binding yourself into a contract you regret.

Local V/S International

Interested in face-to-face meetings? Hire an outsourcing software development company in your vicinity. This way you can stay away from offshore software development challenges, communication is the biggest one. But if you are finding top talent across the border, or willing to work remotely with an offshore development company without worrying about timezone management then go for it and do not compromise on quality by hiring locally, just for the sake of it. 

Test Their Potential 

Well, this can be reasonable for individual designers, but web or mobile app development companies may not come on board with you on this since testing may require time and they may never seem to have enough time just to know in the end that they haven’t been hired to work on your project.

But if their dedicated development team model entails offering individual designers or developers then this strategy can work out for you. Because it is difficult to gauge someone's potential by just looking at their portfolios. See them actually doing the work to determine whether or not they are a perfect fit.

Recommended: 6 ADVANTAGES OF DEDICATED DEVELOPMENT TEAM MODEL

Clearly Define Your Project Scope & Schedule 

Being a company looking to outsource a dedicated development team, it is your responsibility to clearly define your project scope and the final delivery date. Fail to lay out the scope of your project and you are looking for a bag full of misunderstanding and miscommunication along the way.

This can negatively impact the work of your partner company along with your expectations of getting quality work and on-time delivery. What can you do? List down important milestones, and deliverables, along with your expected deadlines, features, and functions. Steer clear of any grey areas.

Focus on Building a Relationship

Do not just hire a company to handle the job, rather work towards building long-term relationships. This is a great way of developing trust, this way you can collaborate on future projects as well. Having a virtual cup of coffee with the CEO can do the trick which can lead to a faster turnaround time, favorable project pricing, and high priority. 

Know Their Project Management Methodology

Having a proactive project management methodology can help ensure that the project runs smoothly. You need to understand how the company works, and its processes for complete satisfaction, before handing out your project. Make sure to have a dedicated project manager, who knows what he is doing. Who should be responsible for all the outsourced work, project managers are also the direct POC (point of contact) for the client company.

Sign a Confidentiality Contract

Undoubtedly, trust is the foundation of long-term and healthy partnerships. Yet to make the partnership official, securing it with a confidentiality contract is a must. Your outsourced development team will have all the work records even after you have concluded the project therefore it is crucial for having a formal contract that details the risk of disagreements and legal stance. A contract maker will alleviate your job with a professional contract template.

Outsourcing software development shouldn’t be a problem if you follow a few simple and important rules. If you are doing things the right way, you can find the one that works best for you.

Looking to outsource a development team? Look no further, give us a call and we’ll see what we can do for you.