So, you’ve decided to outsource your software development … a big decision.
Now where to start? What to do first?
There’s so much been written, so many best practices established, numerous consultancies are always ready to advise on the optimum ways for your best value. This part, though the most profound, can be addressed in various ways.
After a diligent research of dozens of outsourcing software development companies in various, numerous interviews with crowds of candidates, tests, validations, etc., there finally is “THE COMPANY” which fits best to your outsourcing needs. Now that you have chosen the vendor to outsource your software development, there is the common perception that you can concentrate on your core business and leave everything to your outsourcing partner. It is true for the most part except for some details. In order to make your software outsourcing work smoothly yielding positive outcomes, there are some vital details to take care of.
A Product Owner
Why do you need an extra intermediary between the development team and the project stakeholders? Appointing a product owner helps to eliminate the misconceptions between the parties and to take a proper care of your exact vision implementation, of the crucial for you project features, etc. With a project manager on the development team’s side watching over the budget and deadlines besides all other technical details, the product owner is the one to maintain the problem-solving of the software design and to direct and pinpoint the processes if necessary. The product owner ensures yours is the precisely desired solution with the business logic and necessary software functionality perfectly fitted to your business requirements.
Product backlog with defined objectives
A well-planned agile backlog translates all the assignments your team is going to spend time on including internal tasks. Practice shows that initiating a so-called starting backlog for a couple of first sprints with initial requirements and clearly outlined preliminaries helps to set expectations with stakeholders, and the development team gets a clearer idea of the overall project infrastructure, architecture and technology stack. Defining clear, measurable goals for the outsourcing team as well as prioritizing a list of work from the road map from the start saving time and efforts.
Clearly set goals is a win-win situation for both a client that as an owner of the future software product and the development team. The first has a viable instrument to assess and control the development process while the latter can streamline the development process at every single stage and fulfill the tasks according to the acceptance criteria.
Development and documentation environment
This is a two-fold stage. First, checking the accessibility of the preferred development tools and platforms and communication channels is the cornerstone for your project success. These include a thorough control of the necessary accesses, licensing, permissions, accounts setup, clouds services, third-party tools accessibility, etc., that is everything to ensure flawless processes on the everyday basis without interfering into your core development.
Second, a well-organized documentation workflow is another promise for the future smooth execution of your project. Consistent documentation at every stage, from choosing a common documentation platform and up to work synchronization along the project development is vital for maintaining proper communication, work processes, reporting, the interaction between team members, preparing demos, writing user manuals and release notes.
Coordinated management
Being a customer, you are the one to coordinate all the key processes and control the outcomes; keeping in mind that the team of outsourcing professionals with well-orchestrated procedures cares about your particular success, let them help you. Your crucial opinion coupled with product owner’s verifications and reports alongside effective communication with the team, can help you get deeper insights into the development process and the outcomes, and adjust them in case of necessity.
It’s all about cost optimization/expenditures
So, establishing transparent payment relations under the billing contract with your partner is important, and makes both sides feel secure and mitigate risks. No matter what cooperation model you went for, depending on the particularities and nature of your project: Fixed price, Time and Materials or Dedicated team, there are numerous tools that should be discussed and implemented beforehand for accurate monitoring of the development costs and cross-checking the invoices with your partner in order to balance expectations of quality, deadlines, and price.
And finally …
Outsourcing of your software development is about agility and flexibility on both sides in order to produce excellence with your assignment. A good outsourcing vendor becomes a real partner always listening to understand your needs and asking questions to explore your pain points better and to deliver the best possible decision. Accurate preparation before starting to outsource your software development coupled with scrupulous contracting and attention to details and communication in the process are the prerequisites for your project to be successful and value-bringing. But during the development process there sometimes appear issues like additional integrations, extra adjustments or redesign, etc. The key to your efficiency and ultimately project success is when both parties remain open and ready to discuss all the pros and cons in every situation.
