When you’ve already decided that you want to invest in custom software, it’s time for another essential decision – a selection of your development partner. We’ve gathered some tips that you may find handy in your decision-making process.
A digital transformation is an inevitable step to make sooner or later in the world of innovation. In many sectors, most processes have already migrated to digital. this tendency will most likely strengthen in the following years. While undergoing such a transformation, the organizations have to decide whether they will rely upon the off-the-shelf software or develop their custom solution.
Is custom software development always a better option for your business? Not necessarily – both options have their pros and cons, and it’s essential to analyze your specific case in terms of the benefits before making a final choice. If you’re reading this article, you probably have already made your choice. Congrats – that means you are halfway there! But choosing a custom software development services provider may be a hard nut to crack, too.
When picking the software company, you should verify some essential aspects that may determine the success of your future cooperation. Which are they? We’ve gathered the most significant factors to analyze, as well as the most common red flags.
3 aspects to discuss with your custom software development partner
A good custom software development company will guide you through the whole process and address all your doubts. However, if you get prepared, you’ll feel more confident during the business negotiations and more conscious of what questions to ask. This way, you can avoid misunderstandings in the future and identify companies that do not meet your standards right away.
#1 Project management methodology
The choice of methodology will have a significant influence on your future cooperation. In custom software development, your decisions shape the effect, and keeping an eye on the way it’s shaping is essential. The project management methodology defines the level of control and participation of the client in the development process, and thus, it should be one of the first things to discuss with your partner.
Agile methodology guarantees you much more control over the shape of the application than the waterfall application development model. Dividing the project into phases in which the new version of the product is developed. You may want to choose Scrum – a leading model in the IT sector, originating in Agile. What is Scrum? In its case, the development teams work in short sprints, which maximizes their productivity and your control over the design of custom software.
#2 Spectrum of frameworks and technologies
Some software houses are specialized in particular frameworks and development approaches. If you know the benefits that come with specific frameworks and you’re determined to choose them for your project, make sure to check whether the company can cope with your expectations. The same goes for choosing between native and cross-platform approaches.
Analyze this aspect with your potential business partners, listening to their arguments. After determining your goals and priorities in custom development, it will be much easier to pick the appropriate frameworks and technologies.
Make sure that the custom software development partner is open for the application of artificial intelligence based automation solutions or other modern technologies, like blockchain. Even if you are not considering implementing it in your custom software, such an attitude augurs well for future cooperation.
#3 Timeframes and communication
Custom software development is a time-consuming process by nature, and speeding it up may cause more harm than good. Nevertheless, it is essential to talk about the deadlines with the company and determine the project timeframes. This way, both sides know where they stand.
When to reconsider your custom software development cooperation?
#1 When the company refuses to give you a quote
Yes – custom software is not a ready-made product on which you can put a price tag based on its calculated value. However, that doesn’t mean that you cannot estimate the cost of the whole development process. A reliable custom software development partner
#2 When the software development partner lacks experience in selected frameworks and technologies
IT is an industry where specialization is an asset. Not without reason – mastering particular languages takes time. A developer should be creative and have a problem-solving approach, but the theoretical basis is essential, too.
The fact that the development team is not experienced with a particular framework or platform is not necessarily an issue. Some frameworks, like React Native, have a shallow learning curve, and they don’t take such a long time to master. However, lack of experience may still delay the launch of the project.
#3 When the company refuses to determine the timeframes
That’s a big red flag – it may indicate issues in the future. Delays and changes of the due dates happen, but avoiding the responsibility since the beginning doesn’t augur well for future cooperation.
If you want to avoid all these issues, reach out to FireUp Software. Knowing these are the problems the clients struggle with the most when working on bespoke software, we made sure to exclude them while determining our approach. We support you on all the stages of the application management process, including the final, optimization phase.
