How to Choose the Best Custom Software Development Companies

So you have a great idea to build a software application or a cool mobile app or upgrade your website, add some unique features, etc. to increase business scalability. However, you are at a cross-road which is the best custom software development company to choose from? There are different parameters that apply while choosing the right software development company.

What should you do before deciding on an ideal custom software development company?

You have identified the problem and want to resolve the issue. You have a fair idea about implementing a change but are not sure where to begin. How will you choose that perfect company, amongst thousand others, to help you build great software?

There is a huge difference between finding a software firm and finding the best software development firm. What is that fine line difference between the two?

Understand your requirement:

Before you embark on a journey to locate a great firm, you need to identify the reason you want to hire a development firm. What are your specific needs that can be efficiently addressed by that particular firm? It is best to take a holistic view of your organization, speak with the employees, understand their concerns, take feedback and see if that fits in with your overall criteria of outsourcing the work.

Depending on the absolute nature of work, you can identify whether you need to indulge in onshore or offshore service providers.

Referencing:

It is best to check the shortlisted company’s reputation by undertaking a reference check. Speaking with past clients, checking online reviews, social media forums, understanding their portfolio of technologies, etc. is imperative in deciding the best development company.

This gives you a clear idea about the company’s client base; the industries that they have dealt with, client relationship history, flexibility to work with different teams in varied environments, etc. are certain parameters that you can check with. You are bound to get mixed reviews, but you can generalize the pros and cons before considering the best development firm to work with.

Checking technical expertise:

Gather required information about the company like skill set, team expertise, latest technologies application, experience in handling complex projects, domain experience, decoding your requirements, communication adeptness, strict adherence to deadlines and delivery timelines, charting the project map, etc.

Software companies that have access or working experience in hybrid agile or agile approaches are always ideal choices for business enhancement and better project delivery.

Cost and budget:

It is probably the next best attribute to check before finalizing a company. Cost is quite imperative to every firm as is their technical expertise. You do not want to over expend right at the beginning that is hits your budget as well. It is important to weigh in all the options before actually finalizing on a particular firm.

You need to assess the requirement you have vis-à-vis the cost that has been quoted and the budget you have.

Some companies will overcharge you for the sheer reason of you being bigger; however, it is best to evaluate the pricing and expertise together to get a fair idea. Look for hidden costs, added charges, documentation charges, project fees, annual maintenance charges or monthly sustenance fees, in-house training, personnel cost, etc. to decide the best firm for your requirement.

Project Size:

The size of the project also makes a lot of difference in deciding the firm you want to engage with. At times a small project can be done in-house as well or you may outsource it to a small enterprise or a bigger project will require a lot of complexities to be handled by senior technical professionals; all these have to be factored in before arriving at a final decision.

Usually a project expansion will see the engagement of a fully integrated company that deals with all aspects of software development, rather than liaising with two different firms.

RFP or Request for Proposal:

This is one of the oldest and timeless practices followed in many corporates. You can easily circulate a RFP amongst different vendors or firms with your preset parameters. One that complies with your parameters and whose response seems to be most favorable is the usually the company to be offered first.

You need to further assess the authenticity of these documents by probably shortlisting your top vendors and engaging in a detailed conversation with them. This will give you a fair idea about their standing, technical know-how, costing, delivery, project knowledge, etc.

Post Delivery Support:

There are many development firms complete hand hold the client till delivery and help post-delivery as well, whereas, many immediately shed off weight post project completion. You need to understand the terms and conditions of the potential firm with respect to post-project support.

Usually you may require a 90-day to 180-day support period post-completion of the project to ensure that even if there are small glitches, they can be sorted smoothly. There may be a chance in percentage that you may not have any, however, it is best to have a clean contractual agreement with the vendor before proceeding any further.

Free Trial or Sample project:

There are free trails that are offered by most companies today. During this free trial or sample project, you can clear all your doubts and queries with the vendor. A sample project submission will give you an idea about their hold of the subject and whether they understand the business or not.

Once the free trail is successful, you need not look for any other vendor and sign a full agreement with them.

Conclusion

Although, there are various things that may cross your mind regarding selecting the best custom software development company, but you need to bear these basic parameters in mind as well. Whatever you requirement, it is always safe to evaluate all your options, speak with multiple vendors, check their technical expertise, cost efficiency, and communication channels to get the best end-result. We believe the best company will deliver as per your business protocol and one that blends in well with your processes.

Share this:

Go to Source

The post How to Choose the Best Custom Software Development Companies appeared first on Statii News.

source http://news.statii.co.uk/how-to-choose-the-best-custom-software-development-companies/