Are you looking to develop a SaaS (software as a service) or mobile app? Software development is an exciting and lucrative endeavor, but as competition has skyrocketed, so have the challenges of delivering a product that will survive in the marketplace.
Some of the challenges include keeping up to date with rapidly advancing technology, increased customer demands, lack of resources, and time limitations. If your competitors have existing products on the market or already have a lot of resources at their disposal, then you’ll need to
find ways to develop your application faster, cheaper, and smarter.
In-house software development vs. outsourcing
Choosing between developing SaaS applications in-house or through outsourcing deserves thought. Outsourcing is more cost effective, allows for short-term commitments, and frees up your team to focus on your core business. But it introduces communication and quality concerns, and without careful planning, can leave you with a lack of control.
Thankfully, you don’t have to decide between one or the other. A flexible outsourcing model offers you the best of both worlds.
With flexible outsourcing, you retain your core team of knowledgeable developers but can leverage the power of a larger team when you need it. You don’t have the expense of paying for a full team of developers that aren’t needed at all times, yet at crunch time, you can get
additional support to meet your delivery deadlines.
Price, time, quality—which is most important to you?
Price, time, and quality are three of the most common parameters SaaS companies use to determine how to go about developing an application.
We’d all like our development projects to be completed cheaply, quickly, and to be of high quality. But you must seek a balance between these goals because it’s not possible to attain all three at the same time.
For example, you can develop an app cheaply and quickly, but the quality will suffer. You can create a cheap application that’s high quality, but it will take a long time to complete. Or you can get a high-quality app in a short time, but it’ll be expensive.
When comparing software development companies, this trifecta also applies. Hiring a huge team is more likely to result in the faster completion of your project, for example, but it will also result in higher expenses.
Consider which parameters are more important to you and choose a software development model that will get you the best result.
Getting the best from outsourced software development
To mitigate any communication problems, choose an outsourcing partner that’s always available and ready to discuss the project. This typically means communication through tools like Slack, but you should also consider whether the team can effectively communicate in your language of choice.
A team should offer complete transparency while a project is ongoing. Being able to see how a project is progressing and what’s being completed is essential to avoid unexpected delays.
Ensure the development team is knowledgeable in the particular areas you need. For example, they may be experts in database design, but you need a UI designer, making them a poor fit. They will need to fully understand the languages and frameworks you use.
Preferably, choose an outsourcing partner that can show you case studies of similar work they’ve completed in the past. This way, you can see how they went about it and get a good idea of what to expect.
Outsourcing your software development (or parts thereof) is a fantastic tool for lowering costs, speeding up development, and ensuring a high-quality result. Carefully consider which type of company will assist you the most and you’ll be well on your way to deploying an outstanding application.
