Choosing the right software outsourcing partner is not an
easy process and shouldn’t be taken lightly. There is so much to consider
before coming up with a conclusion. From costs to communication, you should
prioritize your project needs. You should carefully analyze all aspects and
interview potential vendors before a decision.

Having worked in the industry for 12 years, we have prepared
this guide for you to investigate the common steps and issues that you may have
when searching for a software development partner. Hope you can find the right
tech partner for your project. 

So let’s get into the 8 important stops while choosing your
software development partner.

1.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
Clarify your goals and priorities 

You should help your potential partner understand the scope of your
project which will be the most crucial information in the evaluation and
estimation process. You should have a discussion with your team to put together
a ‘must-haves’ checklist for the capabilities required from a software
development company. Analyze different project management approaches and
methodologies, engagement models, and billing methods to discuss with your
potential business partner. You should think carefully about the concept of the
project, and what key features and design it should have. It would be good to
work with your team and create technical requirements but if not software
development companies are open to help with the definition of technical and
non-technical requirements.

2.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
Define the best suitable location of your
partner (availability and time frame)

You should consider a local country vendor if there will be a need for
frequent onsite meetings with the development team. If you are open to working
remotely with onshore or offshore companies then should consider at this early
stage the difference in time zones, the availability of each developer as well.

3.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
Create a list of potential partners

You can search for software development vendors&nbsp; either by simply googling them by your
desired location, technology, or project management style, find them in IT
company catalogs like clutch.co, goodfirms.co, techbehemoths.com and others,
and lastly apply to platforms like amplifyre.com&nbsp; who cares for the matching process by the
unique data-driven approach analyzing requirements and finding the most
compatible software vendors.

The tips for this process would be not to be limited by the first 10
results, as usually in the first ranks appear companies with quite good
marketing and SEO. You should rather search wider and go deeper into each one
of them, analyzing their websites, social media activities, founders’ and
employees’ Linkedin Profiles, etc. 

Be careful with the IT company directories as well. Sometimes there are
top listed companies who appear there as they pay more. So you should
thoroughly investigate the details.

4.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
Investigate the price

The lowest offer is not the best option. The cheapest price is not
necessarily the most cost-effective one because of quality issues. Clarify how
the change process will be handled. Some companies add a dramatic increase in
cost by offering low prices, then initiate lots of changes by adding new
charges to the project. So protect your budget and timeline by discussing such
issues beforehand.

5.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
Discover the experience of the company&nbsp; 

Understand where the development partner possesses expertise. Analyze the
portfolios, consider the industry experience as a bonus factor, check the
technologies they are experienced. A tip for this phase would be the caution
against the companies with tons of listed services and technologies. They may
transfer projects to third party vendors and increase price by adding a margin
there. Considering the length of time they have worked with their own clients
is a more preferable metric of expertise level. Besides, sometimes clients
don’t allow the development partner to publish the projects in their
portfolios.

6.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
Make a shortlist for interviews

Filter the companies you found by the factors defined in the previous
steps. Record the information about them. Have up to ten companies on your
shortlist. Use red flags as factors for excluding companies from your list.

7.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
Contact and ask questions

Now you should be actively contacting your shortlisted companies and
directly asking your questions. Ask about the challenges they have faced so
far. How have they handled them?

Consider the communication style including the
language limitations. Speak about the potential vendor’s software development
model, engagement models and project management approaches. You should discuss
also the post-sale service options.

The tip for this phase would be to be prepared to speak with different
staff not only the sales representatives. You should interact with executives,
project managers and technical staff there. &nbsp;Ask the technical staff how
they maintain the code quality, and insure code simplicity or code review. Ask
about the QA process and how the software development estimation is done. 

Besides, you should clarify their previous experience as sometimes
clients don’t allow the development partner to publish the projects in their
portfolios. So you should ask and you will get answered. It’s a common practice
to ask for official references from previous clients.

8.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
Do your best choice

To be able to choose the best
software development partner for your project you should secure that your needs
and requirements are met, your resource limitations are considered and red
flags are looked out. Besides, you should be able to work together on the same
vision ensuring the common working styles and effective communication. 

In this guide, we tried to cover common steps and issues
that you may have when searching for a software development partner. Hope you
can find the right tech partner for your project. If you will need advice, <a href="https://developway.org/contact-us/">contact
DevelopWay</a>, to get the answers to your tough questions and get help
to build the software designed specifically for your business needs!&nbsp;

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