There is no way around it. When you invest heavily in software development, you deserve world-class software for your business’s needs. When you contact a software development company, what you exactly desire from them is to employ the best developers and designers for your project. Of course, you will ask for the portfolio and talk to their clients, but these things don’t always work.

To make sure you have the right team by your side, be selective and diligent. That means creating a list of questions, setting your expectations, and ensuring you’re clear about what you’re looking for. That way, no matter what kind of tech you’re looking for, you won’t be taken advantage of by low rates. And that’s why we have curated 10 questions you can ask your potential software development company.

10 Questions You Need To Leverage Software Outsourcing Services

What Steps Do You Take To Analyze And Hire Your Development Team?

This is a question for which you will probably get many pre-written pitches. Listen to what they say and how they say it, so you can have a good idea of their services, and if they’re a company, you’d be interested in working with them on a project.

Ask them how long they are in this industry, what they do to keep up with unique requirements (look for diverse experience in various domains), how many developers they have for a particular technology or a whole tech stack(and their experience), and why you should hire them in the first place.

Can You Describe Your Software Development Process?

Once you understand a company’s team, you need to know the whole software development life cycle process. The precise design and development process is important, and they must show that the team follows a consistent, repeatable procedure that aligns with your organization’s style and industry standards.

Most companies use agile, but some may use traditional methods, like Waterfall, that offer little to no iteration. However, we recommend those with expertise in both agile and DevOps practices. According to pwc data, agile projects outperform traditional ones by 28%. If you want to be in the best position possible to reach your objectives, you must work with a company that implements agile development.

What References Do You Have From Previous Clients?

This is an important question. Here you are analyzing their previous work. Remember that their past success does not work as a guarantee, but those references help you determine whether they fit your project. They give you an idea of what your future outsourced development team is really like.

You can ask them to provide a portfolio and testimonials or just do a quick Google search to see if any of the company’s testimonials are out there. You might get quotes from customers or a case study that you can look at. If they don’t have connections, that’s a red flag because they have yet to work on real-world projects. But always check references. You can do this through networking and by checking them out on the web.

Do You Have Experience In Our Specialized Field?

Once you get the hold of a portfolio or testimonials, look for specifically which industry domain they have experience working with. If you’re looking to build an app related to transportation, ensure you have a development team with expertise in this logistics industry. Check out what they’ve done before and see if it’s relevant to your project.

You should especially look out for projects similar to the one you’re building and any examples where they’ve worked with companies similar to yours regarding business models and sector focus.

Can You Give Your Full Attention To Our Project?

This is a great question to answer so you know exactly how involved they will be throughout the development process. The answer usually depends on the company’s approach and whether they have the resources and time to dedicate to your project.

The fact that they’re meeting with you to talk about your project means they’re ready to take on new business and give it their undivided attention. However, they may still have a lead time before they can start working on your project. You need to know this to manage all your stakeholders’ expectations better.

What Steps Will You Take To Understand Our Requirements And Protect Intellectual Property?

It can be frustrating when your needs and the software developer’s deliverables differ completely. This is why software developers must understand all your needs from the start. This way, the software developer can deliver a complete tech solution suitable to your needs.

They’ll almost certainly have processes for collecting information, writing, and providing a specification. What are those processes? It’s also important to have a thorough and clear conversation about who owns the IP and whether it’s exclusive.

How Will We Contribute Throughout The Development Process?

As with any project, you will need to invest much time right from the get-go. What about all the way through? The software development company will be able to provide you with historical examples of similar projects that have worked and give you a general idea of what to expect in the future.

You’re not expecting to be constantly called on for little things. Still, you do want your project to go smoothly from start to finish (of course, to make it successful), which means all parties involved should maintain regular communication and input from both sides (even if it’s just feedback on how things are going).

How Will The Quality Assurance Process Take Place?

The importance of quality assurance cannot be overstated. Make sure that the development team has a well-defined Quality Assurance (QA) process in place. By regularly monitoring the QA process, it is possible to identify any potential issues (bugs or glitches in design). If necessary, request evidence from your technology service partner that they have successfully completed third-party Quality Assurance processes.

Customer service is a fundamental component of any business, and finding a software development partner with whom your customers can interact is rudimentary. You may also inquire how the outsourced development team will manage support and how many support channels they offer.

How Will You Keep Us Updated On Progress?

Transparency is the key component of any project. A good Custom software development Service should be able to communicate when and how updates will be rolled out, including the primary contact points (on both sides of the project).

The software developer might ask if you have specific requests for updates. Of course, it’s a bonus if they’re willing to meet your particular communication needs.

How Will The Post-Deployment Services Be Implemented?

No matter how great the end product is, post-development support is a must-have for any software development project. Does the software developer offer it? And if so, how long will they provide it, and what will it cover?

Maybe they’ll give you some training to help you support the product internally. But what will that entail, and can you contact them if you need help?

Discover more about Software Development

At Ranking Hunters, we help you with everything from operationally augmenting your tech teams to designing and building user-friendly web apps and products.

We also help you drive digital transformation for your clients in the industries we focus on. With our team of the best in the world, you can trust us to get the job done quickly, transparently, and efficiently. Contact us today to find out what more our team has to offer!