How To Successfully Outsource Software Development

Outsourcing software development projects come with their own set of challenges. There are many things that can potentially go wrong. Your terms with the outsourcing services provider may not be clear resulting in missed deadlines and overshooting budgets or your communication with the outsourcing team may not be smooth resulting in a product different than what you had envisaged. But if you keep certain things in mind, all of this can be easily avoided.

Here are some tips to help you outsource software development, the right way.

1. OPT FOR FLEXIBLE PRICING Asking for fixed prices guarantees you peace of mind, but may tie you down unnecessarily in the long run. The software development mark is nimble and fast-paced, and flexibility is key. Changes to the standing specifications will lead to renegotiation of pricing terms, which is bound to slow down progress and may even adverse effect your working relationship with the service provider. Opting for a flexible pricing scheme frees you of such situations and in exchange of a fixed budget allocation, the flexibility and agility, you are afforded makes it worth every penny.
2. STAY INVOLVED Software has its inherent quirks and there exist multiple approaches to get something done. But often, such alternative approaches are not compatible with each other. Therefore, when software work is to be handled by two separate entities with presumably different approaches, it is advisable for the core team to be deeply involved with the service provider in every step of the development process. Complete cooperation needs to exist at every stage of development to ensure that no incompatibilities are introduced at any stage, which will have drastic impacts later on in the life of the project.
3. COMMUNICATE It is essential for your core team to properly and clearly communicate your requirements with the service provider. There must not be, under any circumstances, any miscommunication. It is crucial for the service provider to have a precise vision and idea of what your team needs so that they might focus the product as tightly as possible for your requirements. Keep the chain of communication open at all times.
4. UNDERSTAND THE LEGAL RAMIFICATIONS AND INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY RIGHTS ISSUES Software, for all intents and purposes, is intellectual property. This brings with it the associated concerns about who owns what when software work is outsourced to a separate entity. Agree beforehand that the service provider forfeit all inherent intellectual property rights to you and the source code they create to fall under your ownership before you commission them. This agreement is a core part of the main contract with the development vendor. Also consider adding a non-disclosure agreement that will prevent unauthorised distribution of source code from their end.
5. KNOW WHAT TO OUTSOURCE It is crucial that you retain the core parts of your product to your in house team. They found the basic building blocks of your product and hence deserve the time and effort of the core team in their development. Ancillary components that do not have much intrinsic value in the end product are best outsourced to a development vendor, freeing up resources for your team to dedicate on the core components and affecting innovation to further refine the product. If you outsource core components of your product, quality control becomes a major factor. Also, it becomes difficult to work with external code as an intrinsic component later on in the life of the product.

So there you have it. These are some things that you should definitely keep in mind before you decide to hire a software development vendor and outsource your development business. Be aware of the potential pitfalls and always be aware of your position in the bigger picture.