Important Note: Although I am myself in someway associated with a software development company, I will deliver 5 points to you that I’ve gathered from an objective point of view or rather, the point of an entrepreneur or CTO looking for the right software partner.
And before you spend your time reading this whole thing (which I know you’re dying to do), I’ll summarise the whole article in 5 bullets at the beginning rather than the end. Saves you time, for those like me who want to get to the point.
If I am a business owner looking for a technology partner, here’s what I’d look for:
- Somebody nearby. I know this is not always necessary, but I like the feeling of being at least in a close enough time-zone.
- Highly skilled developers that have a demonstrable history of success in an enterprise-grade software environment, meaning projects where huge amounts of money is on the line. Clutch.co is a good platform for verifying reviews.
- Excellent communication – written and verbal for both technical and non-technical stakeholders. They must be able to clearly articulate thoughts and offer their point of view when necessary.
- Attitude – I’ve put this in bold because this, to me is the most important factor that separates the best from the rest, if all other factors are equal. How do they present themselves? Are they willing to go all in and treat my business like it’s their own? Will they make excuses or provide solutions? At the very top level of this game, overdelivering isn’t a pleasant surprise for the client – it is simply expected.
- Cost. Obviously, if resources weren’t finite, this wouldn’t be a point but for most companies, there is a budget to consider. However, what I will say is this, I wouldn’t be shopping around for the cheapest option. That is a certain way to lose time or money in the end, the cheapest is the cheapest for a reason. I believe that “you get what you pay for” definitely applies in this business.
Ok, now on to the article…
The global pandemic has changed the face of the earth in a few short months. Depending on which industry you’re in, it has effected your business in a different way. For example, if you are a face mask or hand sanitiser manufacturer, you’ve probably seen business boom by 1000% or more since pre-pandemic days. In some other industries, not so lucky.
This article will look at how this global pandemic has effected the Software Development-as-a-Service space and what we expect for the foreseeable future. In short, I think that businesses in every industry have been forced to look at their online presence as a safe haven from the effects of the pandemic, and there has never been a better time to be in the software development, mobile development or web development as-a-service business.
Embracing technology: The only way forward
Before the pandemic, we were already embracing technological advancement in every area of business and society. You’d often hear “there’s an app for that” for a variety of human problems. That acceleration towards technology has just been put into super-drive.
What that’s meant for software development companies and highly skilled developers in general is that there has been an increase in demand, not too different from the trend seen in the face mask and sanitiser businesses.
With more projects on the market and less highly skilled talent available to fill the key technical roles in those projects, more and more companies are turning to outsourcing software development companies to fill that demand.
Now, if your company is considering this option, here are five points that must be considered.
1. Nearshoring, closer to home
Anybody that has ever posted a job requirement for a software development role knows that people from far and wide will find their way into your inbox looking to kindly work for you. More specifically, from regions where the cost of labour is much cheaper than Ireland, the UK, USA, etc.
They’ll be cheap, ready to work and honestly, they can often be very hard working and productive. The problem is communicating your vision can become an issue. Time-zones can be an issue. And often, what you’ll save in money by going to those regions, you’ll pay for with your time in management issues. There is a stigma attached to outsourcing to “cheaper” regions and that’s something that exists for a reason. It can be beneficial to pay the extra few quid to work with companies and people, closer to home and that understand the culture, the landscape and the people the product/service is being built for.
2. Communication
As mentioned under the last heading, communication issues can occur when you outsource to regions where English is typically not the native language. There’s also a cultural difference between people and this is especially important when it comes to assembling teams that work with your existing in-house developers.
Paying a premium for seamless communication is a worthy investment. It will save you from frustration and wasting time. Ideally, you want somebody that will go out of their way to understand your business model, where you stand in the market among your competitors, and understand the strategy behind your ideas. Then they should be in a position to contribute more from a software point of view. They should be able to communicate.
3. Experience
Pretty straightforward. What have they done before? I need to be able to trust that I’m not taking a huge risk in working with a company that can’t execute on my idea exactly the way I want it. The only way I can minimise that risk in my mind is based on what I’ve seen the company do for other clients.
Typically, I categorise projects under three classifications:
- High number of transactions / revenue
- High volumes of traffic
- Highly sensitive data
The product I’m developing may contain elements of one or more of these classifications. And if I know which category my project falls under, I know what to look for when I research the companies portfolio and client references. Clutch.co is a great platform for this, mainly because they verify reviews via Linkedin profiles or through phone calls.
4. Attitude
Picture this. We are facing a global pandemic. It’s effecting every kind of business. Some people will take this opportunity to develop areas of their business that they never had time for before because they were focused on their bread and butter. But they’ll keep in touch with their customer. They’ll let their customer know when this is over, we are coming back stronger than ever before. Then on the other end of the spectrum, there’s the type of person that will turn off their phone, close shop and say “we’ll be back when we’re back”
At the end of the day, it comes down to attitude.
I strongly believe that all other things considered equal, attitude is what separates the great from the good. There’s a great lecture by Jordan Peterson, where he mentions the reality of what it takes to reach the top of your field. Since organisations are just collections of people, I think the attitude of the leaders in a company is what determines if they can create excellent results.
I am grateful that I get to witness this firsthand every day. There is a couple of guys I see in our DCH labs that put in nothing short of 60-80 hours per week at their craft, and I just think it’s hard to beat the guy that’s putting in the graft that much week in, week out. Not to mention, the customer notices that too, that we are always available. And if we need to be there on weekends, bank holidays, etc then that’s what we have to do. No complaints.
5. Cost
Lastly, and probably one of the most important factors for the non-technical stakeholder’s in the company. What will it cost?
I think the most important thing I can say here is typically, like most things, in software development what I’ve seen is you get what you pay for. You can’t expect highly skilled world class builders to work for cheap. But I think the main point about cost I’d be looking for is not the cheapest company, rather the company that can deliver the most value for my money. The best fit to make my idea have the highest probability for success.
If I have a set budget, can they deliver on budget? In time? With all the required features? If the answer is yes, then that’s perfect. It does help to share these pieces of information with the development company and if they are good, they can quickly tell you “Well, yes this is feasible” or “No, I think you need to revisit the drawing board.”
Now, if you’ve made it this far, time for a small plug. Initial consultations at Dev Centre House are free of charge, and we do our best to add value to your project from the get-go. Get in touch today at [email protected] if there’s a project you’d like to discuss.
