Many companies and organizations successfully use offshore outsourcing as an effective business strategy. What is the key to success? The first and most important condition: a supplier must satisfy his needs to the maximum. Your partner must be able to provide high-quality services without delay and within the budget provided.
So here are some tips to help you make the right choice:
1. DEFINE YOUR NEEDS
– Narrow the list of potential suppliers to 3 or 4 companies that suit you best. When making a final choice, take into account the preferred destination (language, cultural similarity, mentality, distance, political and economic situation, legislation, business principles, etc.).
2. COSTS
– Expensive – does not mean the best. Today’s companies, looking for a provider, want to obtain high-quality services at affordable costs.
Large-scale vendors can be quite expensive, but aside from the high costs, there are some downsides to such cooperation. Your project may not get the proper attention; The negotiation process can be long and complicated.
– However, the strategy “the cheaper the better” is not winning either. Don’t compromise on quality.
3. TECHNOLOGICAL AND TECHNICAL ASPECTS
– Technological capacity. It is very important to ensure that a supplier has the technological capacity to complete the outsourcing work.
– Technical aspects should not be omitted either: learn more about test automation systems, applied bug tracking systems.
– Software support and maintenance – Maintenance plays an important role in the life cycle of a software product. It includes the process of improvement and optimization of the implemented software, as well as the repair of defects. Therefore, it is vital to find out if your provider offers these types of services.
4. CREDIBILITY AND RELIABILITY
– Positive supplier reputation. Study customer testimonials; communicate with some of the company’s long-term customers. In fact, the presence of long-term customers in itself is a very good sign that characterizes the provider as a reliable partner.
– Check how long the company is in the market. Actually, 4-5 years can guarantee the stability of the company.
– Ask for company profile and case studies. Study a minimum of 10 work samples, especially in your domain, to assess the quality of design and development. Find out how many projects the vendor has delivered. You can also check out their website and blog to get as much information as possible.
– Awards and certificates surely contribute to the positive image of the supplier; but take seriously only the most recognized and prestigious.
5. SECURITY AND SECURE SOFTWARE
– Security in general includes many important issues such as: protection of intellectual property, contractual laws of the country of location of the provider, political stability, etc. In the age of global cyberattacks, security has become the main problem for all companies in the world. So learn as much as possible about the level of security your potential provider can provide.
– Secure software is becoming a hot topic in the modern world with new threats appearing almost every day. Therefore, your vendor’s compliance with modern secure software approaches and practices such as BSIMM (Building Security at Maturity Model), Code SAFE, OPEN SAMM (Software Assurance Maturity Model) is absolutely vital. .
6. STAFF
– Specify the employee number, their level of education and certification. You should know more about the team you are going to entrust your project to. Check education: Do team members have a bachelor’s or master’s degree in computer science or related sciences? Do you have any internationally recognized certificate? Choose the most educated and smartest team.
– Study the profiles of the members of the development team. You can request profiles of key team members to learn more about their level of education, professional experience, skills and personal qualities. It is very important to ensure that highly qualified and dedicated people are responsible for carrying out the project.
7. FINANCIAL SITUATION AND INFRASTRUCTURE
Pay special attention to the financial situation and turnover of the company in recent years; you can even request a financial review. Its infrastructure and facilities should also be carefully reviewed. Does this vendor have enough capacity to handle your project and meet your demands? If possible, visit the provider’s office to check.
8. SCRUM AND AGILE
Your new external IT outsourcing partner must follow the Agile development methodology. So you can control every little stage of the software development process.
Finally, the communication between you and your provider must be well organized (email, telephone, Skype, personal visits or any other convenient way for you). Find someone who is flexible and customer-oriented to ensure you get all the necessary attention and understanding. An outsourcing provider should insist on detailed design documentation, including a clear statement of business needs and functional requirements.
So good luck finding a great outsourcing partner!