It makes perfect sense to hire a software development outsourcer, when you want to increase the output of your development team without the necessity of hiring additional people.

Outsourcing your software development can take care of the backlog of work that you’ve been struggling with. It allows your in-house developers to focus on their core work and make the most of their skills.

Actually, it can offer enormous benefits and help you make the most of your company’s budget and resources, without hiring expensive programmers to implement your ideas. However, you should bear in mind that there is no magic spell that will make outsourcing partnership a success. But the good news is, with a pinch of open mind, mixed with hard work, you are on the right way to get there.

COMMUNICATION

Successful outsourcing is more than just pure cost-savings, which is often listed as the main benefit. However, on its own it is not enough, as projects can still fail. It seems that the key to successful outsourcing that goes beyond just cost saving is open communication on both sides.

For outsourced relationships to really succeed, the clients should clearly express their expectations, which will empower the supplier to deliver the best service. Be specific about what you want. This essential point is so often forgotten, especially by companies that are under pressure to quickly deliver something they don’t have the internal resources for.

CONTRACT

Appropriate business agreement can be detrimental to the success of your software development outsourcing. The contract must reflect what was agreed on during the negotiations, specify the scope of the project and focus on business outcomes that both sides want to achieve.

When the initial draft of the contract is ready, consult a lawyer. This way you’ll be able to identify problematic areas and amend any points that are not in favor of your business.

CHOICE

How to choose the right supplier? It is important that you look for someone with knowledge and expertise, who will always try to deliver software developed according to industry’s best practices. Look for outsourcers with vast expertise, who have similar goals and will understand your business.

Last, but not least, pay attention to time difference and distance – they say that travel broadens the mind, but in case of software development outsourcing, trust us, the closer the better.

COMMITMENT

Despite the common belief that outsourcing will free you of additional workload, this is not the whole truth. No matter how good your vendor company is, no matter how much expertise they have, you still need to remain involved, because nobody knows your business as well as you.

Your commitment can have very tangible effects on your business. It is certainly easier to achieve if you base your cooperation on partnership rather than just client-vendor relationship.

CONCENTRATION ON THE GOAL

Allow your outsourcing company to implement their own way of working. Trust that they are the ones who want what’s best for your business. Concentrate on what you want to achieve with outsourcing software development, not how you want it to be done.

Try not to get caught up in micromanaging, let them work according to their processes and leave the room for your outsourcing provider to define the ‘how’.

As you can see, there are no shortcuts in successful outsourcing of software development. It requires commitment from both sides, unless you want your recipe for success to turn into a recipe for disaster.

Would you like to learn more about IT outsourcing services? Check out this Software Development Outsourcing Guide.

PS. Maybe you have your own Cs that you’d like to add to our list? Feel free to mention that in a comment!