Learn How to Outsource Enterprise Software Development the Right Way

The software a company uses can make or break its productivity.

Outdated software can lead to inefficiencies and errors, while a well-designed tool can automate processes and make it easier for employees to do their jobs. If a company wants to stay ahead of the competition, they need to invest in quality software development.

Outsourcing software development is usually the best option for large-scale enterprise software projects. It typically results in a better, more efficiently built program that meets all of your business’s project requirements. 

An outsourced software development company like High Seas has the expertise and resources required to build the software program you need to operate your business more efficiently, streamline tasks, and run a tighter ship with the tools you need at hand.

Why You Should Outsource Your Enterprise Software Development Project

Choosing to outsource your software development project may seem like it would cost more than developing your project with an in-house team, but that is rarely the case. Beyond saving your personnel time they could use for other tasks, hiring an outsourced team with the expertise and resources to create your software is usually more cost-effective and time-efficient than developing in-house.

Work with an Expert US-Based Team that Knows Exactly What You Need

When choosing a software outsourcing company, the most important factor to consider is the expertise of the developers you’ll be working with on the project. Deep knowledge of software development principles and up-to-date technical aptitude is essential for creating a high-quality program that delivers the results you want from your custom-made software. 

Here at High Seas, our experience collaborating with large-scale US businesses means that we’re already up to speed on the standards your software needs to hit its mark and optimize your business operations. Our US-based software development company automatically eliminates many complications that can arise from outsourcing your software development project offshore. We are available in real time to communicate and collaborate on your project.

Easy Scalability

With deep knowledge of software design and development and years of experience, an outsourced software development team can resolve any critical enterprise software development challenge that may arise. 

Many businesses don’t have the budget, time, and energy to utilize an in-house software development team. However, outsourcing software projects to an experienced developer team can provide the high-quality software results you’re looking for while remaining within your budget and timeline. 

There are often increased demands on a company’s IT department when experiencing a period of rapid growth. Outsourcing development projects can relieve some pressure from in-house staff so that they can focus on other important tasks instead of being overloaded with projects. By doing this, you’ll create a more balanced workplace. 

Hiring professional software outsourcing services from experienced developers will alleviate the headache of managing every project detail. The software development company will provide a project manager that ensures the project runs smoothly and efficiently. This allows you to focus on other aspects of your business while the project manager takes care of the project and reports back on its progress.

More Flexibility

Choosing to outsource software development projects helps save time and money on recruiting, hiring, training, and retaining employees for the long term. Outsourced software development companies usually have a larger pool of talented experts to develop enterprise software and applications. This makes it easy to find the team with the right skills and experience based on the type of project requirements your software needs.

How to Outsource Software Development Projects for the Best Results

When learning how to outsource software development, there are some essential tips and strategies to keep in mind that will help you ensure your project results in a successful, efficiently built, and intuitively designed program.

Define Your Project Goals 

Defining your project goals before software development begins ensures that everyone is on the same page and that the outsourced developers you hire have the expertise to meet your project’s specific requirements. 

Setting realistic goals will help keep your project on track towards a successful deployment on time and within budget. Software outsourcing to a team of experts gives you access to a broad range of skills and experiences, which is why it’s essential to clarify the business requirements and primary purposes of your software development.

Evaluate Software Developers’ Criteria 

The best way to go about finding a software outsourcing company that’s the right team for the job is to create a list of your ideal development criteria, such as: 
Software Deployment: Do you plan to host your software on an in-house or cloud server?

• Scalability: Will your software need to be scalable to add more users and features in the future?
• Implementation: How do you want your software to be implemented following deployment?
• Integration: Will your software need to be integrated with an existing system?
• Accessibility: Does your software need to be accessible from mobile devices, or will it only be used on desktops? What type of users will need access? What are their needs?
  At High Seas, we specialize in meeting the standards of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) for all electronic information and technology. ADA compliance translates to software development by ensuring everyone visiting your website or using your software receives a similar experience, with access to all the information and features they need.

Another good strategy for choosing the right developers is checking out their portfolios to get a general idea of their experience and skills. This will increase your chances of finding a software outsourcing company that meets your needs and expectations. Find out if they’ve developed software for other companies similar to yours or if they’ve delivered for clients in similar industries.

Conduct an Interview

Interviewing the outsourcing developers and their teams is an integral part of choosing a software outsourcing company. Be sure to ask about their experience with the specific type of software you need to ensure they understand the software and will be able to provide the best end product. 

Developing software is about solving problems. When interviewing potential software outsourcing teams, a good strategy is to pay attention to how they answer your questions. If they have no trouble answering your questions clearly and in detail, there’s a good chance that they will communicate well throughout the project. 

A great question to ask during the interview is how they handle project changes. Frequently, custom-made software projects don’t go exactly as planned. It’s important that the software outsourcing team is flexible and can adapt to changing project requirements.

Prepare the Scope of Work

Software development outsourcing projects are complex undertakings, requiring careful planning and execution to reach successful deployment. Preparing the scope of work is a vital part of the planning process and should be a clear and concise roadmap for the outsourced team to follow. A well-defined scope of work helps to avoid misunderstandings that might pop up during the development process if it’s unclear how you’d like the developers to create your software.

Choose Your Technology Stack

The tech stack is the set of technologies and tools that your development team will use to build your software application. The tech stack includes the programming language or languages that will be used, a database, operating system, frameworks, and other tools and resources that support the software development process. 

Defining the tech stack up front before development begins helps ensure all team members are using compatible software and have the requisite skill to effectively work together. In doing so, you’ll avoid duplicate work and conflicts that could quickly result in budget overruns. 
Talk About Your Software Development Budget
Software outsourcing requires a collaborative business model. You must ensure the chosen model fits your company’s needs and budget. 

Types of collaborative business models:

• Hourly Rates: This type of collaboration is ideal for smaller development projects because you only need to pay for the time and materials spent on development. That doesn’t mean the cost won’t be high, depending on the required skill set and the developers' level of experience. Still, generally, it’s the preferred method for smaller software development outsourcing that doesn’t need an extended amount of time or resources to complete.
• Fixed Rates: Fixed rates are decided at the beginning of the development process once clearly defined goals, scope of work, and project duration have all been decided.
• Ongoing Maintenance: Ongoing maintenance is a better choice for large-scale software projects with many moving parts, complex functionalities, and a high volume of users. An ongoing contract includes fixing bugs, adding new features, and providing software updates to ensure the software continues running smoothly.

Begin with a Trial Project

Before hiring a software outsourcing company, it’s a good idea to ask them to work on a trial project so you can be sure about their expertise. A trial project will allow you to see how they communicate within the team, how they communicate with you, how efficiently they can follow your instructions, and how they plan their workload to meet deadlines.

Pay Attention to Security Issues

Software security should be one of your top concerns when hiring an outsourcing development company. You’ll be trusting them with sensitive information about your business and users. How they handle security issues makes a huge difference in whether they’re the right team for the job or if you need to keep looking for another development team. 

A few of the key security issues to be aware of when outsourcing software: 

• Access to Sensitive Data: Outsourcing software development typically requires outsourcing developers to access sensitive company data and information.
• External Threats: External threats might come from malicious hackers targeting the developers you’ve chosen to work with to gain access to your company’s systems and sensitive data.
• Lack of Control: Software development outsourcing doesn’t mean you can rely on the outsourced developer to monitor your security system. You should still perform regular security checks to ensure everything is going according to plan. In the event of a security risk, you still have your security systems to protect sensitive data.

Build Reliable Software with High Seas

When choosing to outsource software development, you must choose reliable outsourcing developers who you can trust to provide you with the best software for your business needs. 

Our expert crew at High Seas has a history of successful software development projects in many industries and the experience to support your development process from concept to completion. We are ready to guide your business’s software project toward a successful outcome so that you can achieve increased productivity, streamlined business operations, and improved customer satisfaction and efficiency.