Software

Six Questions You Should Ask Before Hiring a Software Development Partner Company

Software Development

Today a lot of people are driven towards the idea of hiring a software development partner company. Well, you may ask, why not the in-house development team? To be honest with you, in our view, there are several strategic advantages of outsourcing this service over having an in-house team, but we will address this sometime later. The big question is of the myriad of available software companies operating around us, how can you make a choice? See, bear in mind, picking the wrong partner can be quite a risky affair. We are sure you do not want to hire someone who does not take you on the pathway of success. If truth be told, the chances of failure are massive if you do not pick the right software development partner company. To ensure that you do not see failure, you need to acquire all the required information from the company you intend to hire. It will ensure that you make the right choice for your project. So, how should you do that? By asking the right questions. 

Regardless of how many incredible things you have heard about a company or the excellent reviews they have received, you still need to ensure that they are the right pick for you. All of you will ask questions about billing practices, rates, contracts, and deadlines. Yes, we understand these questions are essential, but they should not be the only basis of your selection. Always remember it in all aspects of our life, making a decision solely based on the price is sure going to lead you to the path of failure. We have mentioned ‘right questions,’ but what are these questions? Here, we will discuss the questions you need to ask, along with the ‘right’ answers you should get. This is vital to ensure that the chosen company can cater to your needs and lead you to the pathway of success.  

We have compiled some questions that have been shared by company representatives from companies that have recently hired the software development partner company. So, let us get started and address these questions one by one. 

Ques 1- Tell me something I should know about your company. Please brief me about the team that will work on my project. 

Why is this important?

When we asked this question to one of our shortlisted software company, they had a ready-made pitch, and we knew it was not them for sure, shares Davis, an IT head with a company offering assignment help services. See, whether the pitch is ready-made or not will become quite apparent from the style and the content of their pitch. This is a great learning experience and will also tell you a lot about them as a company, what their company stands for, and how much they value their clients. Through this question, you can get an idea of whether their chosen team and this company as a whole will be the right pick for you or not. 

What should you watch out for?

While they deliver the company pitch, do ensure that they mention the years they have been running. Of course, it is your call, but we do not think you should be working with a company that has just entered the business. Next, ask them how many developers will be in their team and whether the bandwidth is the issue. You should also know about the average years of experience of each of the developer. More so, it is a good idea to enquire if they have specific developers, project or product managers, or UX or UI designers in mind to who they will be allotting your project. 

What more should you know?

It is not that it is quintessential, but it is a good idea to know whether they have won any awards or have certifications – Oracle or Microsoft. You can even ask the kind of clients that they usually work with. If they are dodging the primary question – who will be working on your project, enquire again. Before hiring anyone, you need to ensure that they have the requisite team to staff your project and have considered how they intend to do it. 

Ques 2 – Have you worked on projects similar to mine? If yes, please share your experience.

Why is this important?

This question was shared with us by Neil, a TFTH representative. He says that they asked this question from their shortlisted teams to ensure that whoever they hire has a successful track record of working on relatively similar projects to what they want. See, if your project is detailed and comprehensive, you do not want to hire a newbie with zero experience.  

What should you watch out for?

When they address this question, focus on the experience they had with similar industries, technical stacks, product features, and the entire understanding of working with an organization similar to focus, style, or size. 

What more should you know?

You can ask follow-up questions, too, such as what did they do in particular to make the project a success. 

Ques 3 – How can we ensure that you have thoroughly understood what we need?

Why is this important?

Leo, a representative with a company providing economics homework help services, says that we asked this question because many a time, there is a gap between what the client has in mind and what the development team perceives. 

Understanding the requirements will mean that they are clear of your timeline, business issues, market objectives, and budget. The two of you must be on the same page. Further, if there is any disparity, ask them why they think their proposed solution is ideal for your business issues and goals. See, this exchange of thoughts is vital to ensure that all the requirements are complete and accurate from the users’ perspective and the business. 

What should you watch out for?

Watch out for words, such as proof of concepts, MVPs or the Minimum Viable Products, prototypes, and wireframes. These are the elementary tools that most software development companies use for communicating their understanding. It will enable you to correct and expand this understanding. If you are lucky, their explanation will have references to your business problems and projects. 

What more should you know?

If you have not heard what you wanted to, ask them again, How will you ensure that you do not miss out on our requirements? 

Ques 4 – What is your software development process? Is this the best according to you?

Why is this important?

Lily, a representative with a company offering the best cryptocurrency trading coursesshared this question with us. She says that a good software company will employ a repeatable and reliable process, which supports the organization, quality control, and consistency. It should be well-thought upon and must be strictly based on practical experience, industry-leading practices, and the lessons learned so far. Further, you need to ensure that their process has evidence-based value-added ideas and point of view. 

What should you watch out for?

In this, they need to discuss things, such as UX or UI research, Agile processes, commencing with an MVP, logging, QA/testing, and iterations. These are vital practices to ensure your project’s success while simultaneously reducing risk and accelerating progress. If they talk about your project in question here, there is nothing better. It implies that they have put enough thought into how they intend to work on your requirement. 

What more should you know?

If they beat around the bush, stop them. Tell them about your expectations from the project, or you can describe a project that is similar to your requirements. 

Ques 5 – When and how will you communicate with my team or me?

Why is this important?

Jack, an associate with a company sourcing online finance tutorssays that we asked this question to ensure that there will be transparency and open communication throughout the development process. If there are no set communication proctors, you cannot depend on them to resolve and identify the issues. In this case, they may fail to deliver you the project you are hoping for. 

What should you watch out for? 

In this question, they should answer how, who, and when of project communication. Further, you can ask if they use any specific tools for transparency, such as Jira or Slack, and your integration into these tools. At all times, there should be clarity on who your POCs (points of contact) will be. If they ask about your preferences, they are right. 

What more should you know?

After they have assigned the primary POCs for you, ensure that the chosen team or POC will be the same throughout the project. 

Ques 6 – What involvement do you expect from me throughout the project duration?

Why is this important?

Sophie, a team representative with Razorhoodshared this question that they asked while they were looking for a software development partner for their company. See, the initial interaction is critical to ensure that they understand the user needs and the business. It is vital for your project’s success.  

What should you watch out for?

See, a good company will always want you to be involved. If they say, ‘Don’t worry, we will take it from here,’ run from there as fast as you can. 

What more should you know?

What they say should be situation-specific. It won’t be helpful for you to know how the industry usually works, ask them how it would work in your favor. 

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