What does a Software Agency actually do?

Every business runs on software, which is why companies prioritize software development to build and improve their products, services, processes, etc. With more and more businesses moving towards digitalization, there has been a huge multiplication in the offerings and scope of software development projects. But cracking the software development process is no less than a challenge, especially when you are a start-up. As a start-up, you have limited expenses and resources to nurture the whole development process. Hiring in-house teams in such cases can not only take up much of your time but will also cost you more than you can imagine. 

Wondering what to do when you do not have an in-house development team? The answer is: outsource to a software agency! 

Let's find out what software agencies do and how they are beneficial to the successful completion of your software development project. 

What is a software agency?

A software agent is a business organization focused on designing and developing scalable software applications, frameworks, and tools for enterprises or start-ups. A software development company is meant to perform various parts of the software development process under one roof. This involves everything, right from the conceptualization of software to the final launch of the software product. A software agency is made up of developers, software architects, testers, and so on. Each company has its own methodologies for working with its clients and providing them with valuable service. 

Services Offered by a Software Agency

Most software agencies provide solutions that resonate with the demands of their customers, whether they are related to new products or updating existing ones. 

Below are some of the main services provided by a software agency: 

Custom Software Development

In recent years, there has been a lot of noise surrounding custom software development in contrast to commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) software. Custom software development is focused on targeting a limited set of requirements, whereas COTS is all about targeting a wide set of requirements. Custom software development is opted for by agencies that want to solve a particular problem or deliver a customized solution to a targeted market. 

Testing

In the end, everything boils down to ensuring software quality! There is no use in launching a product that lacks quality. It is the most crucial aspect of a software development journey. Finding a software agency that prioritizes software testing is not an option. Software testing consists of various types of testing that involve unit, system, and integration testing, the most common among several others. Each test is performed at various levels during the software development lifecycle (SDLC). 

Software Support and Maintenance

Software support and maintenance are provided by software agencies to ensure customer satisfaction, software reliability, and reduced operational costs. The primary goal of providing this service is to update and modify software products to fix bugs and maintain the user satisfaction score. Offering 24*7 software support assists software agencies in developing robust software that is free of major errors. 

And the list has not ended yet. There are more such services offered by software agencies, such as IT consulting, software product development, and so on. 

Benefits of Hiring a Software Agency

There are numerous benefits to hiring a software agency. Here are a few: 

#1 Cost Effective

Hiring an in-house software development team is a time-consuming and expensive process. Delegating your business tasks to a software development agency will be much cheaper than setting up your own in-house team of developers. Deloitte’s 2020 survey revealed that 70% of companies prioritized cost reduction while finding the right software development agency. A team of dedicated professionals will get their job done in a much faster and easier manner. This will not only save you a lot of money, but it will also save you a lot of time and effort. 

#2 Larger Talent Pool

If you partner with a reliable software agency, you will automatically gain access to an external team with diverse skillsets and expertise. Here, you are no longer limited to your in-house team and can hire the best people to complete your project quickly. Based on your project requirements, you can hire any tech stack and innovate your project with cutting-edge technologies, thus levelling up your game to stay ahead of the competition. 

#3 Quick Time to Market

Working with dedicated professionals means getting faster results. Experienced professionals are well-versed in what they are doing and the whole direction of the project. Partnering with a reliable vendor will let the experts deliver the work as soon as you approve the team composition. With the right people, appropriate tools, and experience, you are all set to crack the tough nut without compromising on the quality of the final product. Thereby, we are approaching a faster time to market. 

How does a software agency operate?

Promoting your products and services comes with endless opportunities. Software agencies utilize multiple advertising methods to bring in new clients and retain past clients with exclusive offers, running special contests on social media platforms, email marketing, and so on. 

1. Understands the requirement  

While promoting services, there will be potential clients who will approach you for your services that resonate with their project as well as business requirements. All you need to do is to understand those requirements and provide them with the appropriate solution to ensure the successful delivery of the project. 

2. Understands timelines and limitations  

Setting realistic deadlines helps you achieve goals in a defined manner. It is necessary to construct a plan for all individual deliverables at various phases of the project and then set deadlines for each of them accordingly. Breaking the project into small chunks will help you keep a constant check on the overall budget and timely delivery of the project. 

3. Gives a Quote 

Once there is enough clarity on project requirements and scope, it is time for a final quote for the overall completion of the project. Software agencies adopt different pricing models based on the client’s requirements and the execution of the project. They also consider the risk factors associated with the project, such as data leakage, insider threats, etc., while quoting a particular amount. 

4. Signs a contract with the terms of the project  

Here comes the step of signing a contract between both the client and the software agency. This will include everything from assigning responsibilities, a major point of contact, negotiation, terms and pricing methods, security provisions, and mitigating risks. Everything will be documented, along with the terms and conditions associated with it. 

After the completion of the above steps, here comes the phase where the beginning of the project will be initiated. 

1. Create an Internal Team 

For successful custom-based software development, software agencies create a team of professionals who hold the desired expertise as per the client’s project. If the agency is short on employees, they might consider hiring freelancers or bringing in external talent on an hourly or monthly basis. 

2. Discuss Communication Channels 

Communication is an integral part of a software development project. Software agencies need to ensure that everyone associated with the project is on the same page, both on their side and the client’s side. 

3. Mitigate Potential Risks   

While implementing a software development project, there are strong chances of encountering risks associated with the project. To avoid such a situation, software agencies need to construct a plan by linking all possible risks to the desired mitigation based on their priorities. This will help figure out how to deal with the problems and reduce the risks of the project so that it can be finished on time and on budget. 

Following the above steps will help a software agency deliver at its best, right from being approached by a client to the final delivery of the project. 

Conclusion

Now that you know what a software agency does, and how they can be beneficial, would you like to hire one?  

No worries, we have got you covered!  

Hire Via Amplifyre 

Amplifyre helps you find the best software agency for your project needs through its unique data-driven matching system. The platform analyses your project requirements based on 6 core dimensions, which are as follows: 

1. Project Type: Software Development agencies that have worked with similar collaboration methods and services can provide a better outsourcing experience. 

2. Industry: Software agencies with industry knowledge can lend a lot better insights during project planning. 

3. Technology: Prioritizing the technical requirements of your project will help in finding software agencies that have relevant technical expertise. 

4. Organization: Thorough analysis of parameters such as location, team composition, values, etc. is done to find a good organizational match. 

5. Culture: Finding companies that have a similar work culture to yours will ensure successful and long-term partnerships. 

6. Budget: The whole matching process takes good care of your commercial conditions to help you find partners that are affordable and matches your budget. 

Following that, the matching system recommends the three most compatible software agencies for your project's needs. You then connect with the potential agencies to discuss the details of the project and hire one of them to execute it. 

Once the execution of your project begins, Amplifyre offers frequent health checks to ensure the successful completion of the project. The whole team continues to stay by your side to enable smooth collaboration. 

Hire Your Software Agency NOW!