How to Choose Software Development Partner (A Complete Guide)

In the present world, it is hard to imagine a business without software. It forms a vital part of every business. The global market size of custom software development was USD 24.46 billion in 2021. It is anticipated to grow by a CAGR of 22.3% between 2022 to 2030.

However, for optimum software development, finding the right partner is crucial. Choosing a software development partner can be a little intimidating. Moreover, it is time-consuming too. But having knowledgeable technical experts by your side will keep everything running efficiently and smoothly. 

In this article, you will get to know everything about choosing a software development partner, including:

• What is a software development partner?
• Why do companies look for a software development partner?
• Steps to choose software development partner 
• What to ask the potential partner for software development?
• Companies that succeeded with software partner
• Why is eSparkBiz your best software outsourcing partner?

Software Development Partner : Short Overview

A software development partner is a group of experts or a company who can help you with your development needs. The development partners are basically the outsourcing agencies that offer you the required technical expertise and capabilities. They provide you with one or more certified developers to enable you to create custom software. 

Expert developers can build new software applications or add more functionalities and features to the existing ones. With years of experience in the industry, they can provide you with apt solutions at budget-friendly costs. 

Why Do Companies Look for a Software Development Partner?

There are several reasons why companies look for software development partnership. Here are the most prominent ones. Let’s take a look!

Gain Access to an Expert Development Team

Software development has become important for all tech companies. However, not every company has a software development team. Therefore, they rely on a software development partner. 

With a software development partnership, companies get access to a high-quality and proficient dedicated development team. As a result, the development becomes quite simple, easy, and efficient. 

Access to Domain Knowledge and Expertise

A software development partner can bring domain knowledge and expertise to your business. They have an in-depth understanding of the industry, business, and development process. Therefore, they can provide you with high-quality software to fit your specific business requirements.

Moreover, they have knowledge of the latest trends in the industry. They leverage the best-in-class technologies to deliver top-notch solutions. So, standing out and remaining competitive can be easy for your business.

Save on Costs

If you want to save on various software development costs, the best solution is to find a software development partner. The partners can help you avoid costly mistakes and enable you to save more. As you need to pay on an hourly basis at a fixed rate, the software development cost is likely to be less.

Moreover, you do not have to spend on the infrastructure, resources, and technologies essential for software development. Partnering with the experts helps in lowering operational costs while improving business productivity. 

Work with a Flexible Team

Entering into a software development partnership allows you to work with a flexible team. That means you do not have to hire a full-time software development team. Instead, you can get a team as per your business requirement. 

With a software development partnership, scaling up your business is simple and easy. You can onboard developers when you have a bigger project at hand. However, if the project is a small one, you can lower the members of the development team.

Gain Access to a Managed Team

Managing a team can often be tough and time-consuming. However, with a software development partner, you don’t have to worry about team management. The dedicated project manager will handle the responsibility for you.

Also Read: IT Staff Augmentation vs Managed Services

The project manager has the essential technical capabilities and experience to effectively manage the software development team. The manager will convey your business requirements to the individual developers and ensure that everything proceeds in the desired manner. So, you can be rest assured of on-time delivery and avoid the risks of micromanagement. 

Steps to Choose Software Development Partner

Now that you know the importance of a software development partnership, it’s time to understand the selection process. Here are the steps you must follow in choosing the best software development partner. Let’s dive in!

Step 1: Understand Your Project Requirements

When you begin your search for a software development partner, the first thing to do is understand your project needs. The lack of clarity on the exact requirements can make it challenging for you to find the right team. So, specify the project and business goals. Also, try to have a clear understanding of what you are trying to achieve. 

Moreover, you can outline the long-term and short-term needs of your project. Set a benchmark that you want to achieve. Also, understand the reason why you are outsourcing your development needs to a software development partner. 

In this step, you must also consider defining the scope of your project. Take into account all the resources that you are planning to use. All such information can provide you with an outlook of the final product. 

Step 2: Specify the Timeframe

Once you are clear with the project requirement, you need to set a timeframe. It is all about finalizing a time within which you want your project to be delivered. It will help in giving a deadline to the software development partner.

However, defining the timeframe may be challenging for some businesses. In such a situation, you can opt for the assistance of your software development partner. The expert professionals have an idea of different software development projects and can help you decide the right timeframe. 

When you have an idea of the total time required for the project completion, try to break down the project into different parts. Then assign a time duration to each of the parts. It can provide you with more clarity of the software development process.

Step 3: Define the Project Budget

The next thing to do is to define your project budget. You need to determine how much you are willing to spend on your software development partner. To reach the right calculations, having an idea of your product value is important. 

However, if you have difficulty defining the budget, you can take the help of your development partner. When setting a budget, make sure to focus more on quality than quantity. It will enable you to develop high-quality software and delight your end-users.

Step 4: Plan Staff Resources

When collaborating with a software development partner, companies often forget to factor in their internal staff. However, it isn’t the right approach. Outsourcing will have a significant impact on your internal team. So, you need to take that into consideration.

Take time to think whether you need to utilize any internal staff. If yes, make sure to choose the employees who can coordinate well with the outsourced team. Estimate the hours of work that your internal team will have to invest in the project.

Try to integrate your software development partner with the structure and process of your company. It can streamline all operations and ensure better outcomes.

Step 5: Consider the Different Outsourcing Options

The next step is to look for different outsourcing options. When it comes to hiring a software development partner, there are basically two options. It includes:

• Staff Augmentation
• Project-based

When you choose staff augmentation services, you will have to hire external developers for a specific period of time. While the internal management oversees the staff, the external developers will collaborate and work closely with your team. The best benefit of using this model is that you get the option to expand your talent with the progress of the project.

However, the project-based hiring of a software development partner is very different. In this case, you hand over the complete project to the software development partner. As the complete responsibility of development lies on your partner, make sure to select an experienced and credible one. 

Also Read : Staff Augmentation Vs Outsourcing Which Is The Ideal Choice?

Step 6: Decide the Location of Outsourced Talent

When you are outsourcing your software development project, you have to choose between these three options:

• Onshoring
• Offshoring
• Nearshoring

Onshoring refers to choosing a software development partner within your own country. Onshoring can significantly reduce the time zone and language barriers. However, it can be a bit more expensive than the other options.

Nearshoring refers to the process of outsourcing talents from nearby countries. It is an affordable option as the development costs are lower. Moreover, cultural or language barriers will not be a problem. Therefore, nearshoring proves to be an ideal option for companies.

Also Read: Nearshore Software Development Guide

On the other hand, offshoring involves hiring talent from distant countries. It can provide you with access to experienced software developers. Also, it can lower your development costs. However, you are likely to experience language barriers and time zone issues in this case. 

Step 7: Identify Potential Partners

Once you have a clear picture of outsourcing, you must identify your potential partners. When it comes to hiring a software development partner, you have various options. You can choose developers from freelance marketplaces or collaborate with software development firms.

Freelance Marketplaces

Freelance marketplaces can provide you with a long list of proficient software developers. All you need to do is communicate with the professionals, discuss the payments, and hire the right one. However, finding the right developers through the freelance marketplace can be a bit time-consuming.

The top freelance websites you can explore are:

• UpWork
• Fiverr
• Toptal

Software Development Firms

Software development firms are a reliable option for outsourcing your development projects. Hiring through the firms allows you to gain access to high-quality talents and get more flexibility. It can provide you with better control over your software development partner.

You can walk through their official website and if possible you can also visit the company in person. A quick virtual tour to our Company Infrastructure. 

Step 8: Start Your Research

Now that you are well aware of the platforms through which you can hire your software development partner, it’s time to start the hiring process. First, you need to prepare a list of development experts or companies. You can consider asking for references. However, if you are not able to get any references, you need to do your own research. 

There various online sources available to find the development companies and among all, Clutch is the trusted source where you can find facts and honest opinions along with the genuine reviews and ratings of the leading software outsourcing companies.

It is easy to create a profile but Clutch filters the best companies based on their objective reviews. You can truly rely on the results and get the verified information about how the particular company works. One can check their testimonial as well for understanding their working style and result-oriented approach.

You can also refer to some reputed magazines like ReadWrite and HindustanTimes to get a better idea on their working standard and value they bring to the projects they develop.

List down all the potential development partners. Whether the potential partners have been referred to you or have been found through research, add them to the list.

Step 9: Evaluate and Contact

The next step is evaluating the software development partners and shortlisting the best ones. When it comes to evaluating potential partners, you need to consider a number of factors. The first thing to consider is the experience and expertise of the developers. 

Look for partners who have extensive experience in the industry. Such experts have knowledge of the technical aspects of software development and can pay attention to the minute details of your project. In case the development teams have a prior understanding of your services, business, and clients, it can be a bonus point. Moreover, they must also be aware of the latest trends in the sector. 

Another thing to consider is the price. When it about price, many companies try to find the cheapest development teams. However, you must look for affordable teams and not the cheapest ones. Try to prioritize quality over quantity. 

Also, consider the certifications and accolades of the development teams. You may even visit the official websites and social media channels to know about their work portfolio. It can offer you valuable insights into the quality of services delivered. 

Once you are done with the evaluation, you must contact the shortlisted development teams and interview them. Interview the potential partners in order to narrow down your options. Pay attention to their communication style, coding challenges, and more to identify the best one. Through proper scrutiny, you can reach a final decision.

Step 10: Hire the Software Development Partner

The final step is to select your software development partner. Once you have selected the right partner, make sure to prepare a contract and get it signed. The contract must include all the terms and conditions of the software development partnership. 

Signing a contract avoids any confusion in the later phases of software development. Moreover, it also increases the liability of your software development partners. 

What to Ask the Potential Partner for Software Development?

Deciding between potential software development partners can be quite confusing. So, an ideal way is to interview them and ask relevant questions. Here are some of the best questions you can ask your potential partners.

• Can you describe the end-to-end development process in simple terms?
• How long have you been in the software development industry, and what are the different projects you have worked on?
• What are the different technologies you have experience with?
• What is your approach or methodology of software development?
• Which programming languages are you proficient in?
• How much time will you require to complete a software development project?
• Do you provide quality assurance?
• What tech stack will you use for the software development project?
• How can the development team be contacted during the development process?
• What makes you different from the other software development teams?

Companies That Succeeded with Software Partner

Want to learn about the companies that succeeded with a software partner? Here are a few companies.

#1. WhatsApp

Brian Acton and Jan Koum launched WhatsApp in 2009. For their web development, they decided to outsource the task to professional developers in Russia. It enables them to access highly talented and skilled developers. Moreover, it reduced their development costs and enabled them to attain huge success by getting 25.6 million users as of 2021.

#2. Slack

Slack is one of the most widely used instant messaging platforms. The ability to communicate faster and more effectively made it an excellent replacement for the email system. Slack outsourced its software development and logo creation to a firm in Canada. The outcomes are clearly evident as the revenue of the company accounted for USD 401 million in 2019. 

#3. GitHub

GitHub is a reputed hosting platform and a subsidiary of Microsoft. The company outsourced its MVP development. Today, the company has more than 40m+ developers and 44m+ depositaries. Moreover, GitHub has been successful in hosting over 100 million repositories in total. 

#4. Alibaba

Alibaba is one of the eCommerce giants in the world. The company that was initially a small internet firm is now one of the biggest eCommerce websites. The founder of the company, Jack Ma, outsourced its web development to a firm in the USA. The outcomes are quite clear. Even today, Alibaba outsources its production to firms in China. 

#5. Google

Google is a tech giant with a team of 89,000 developers. However, the company still outsources its work to developers around the globe. It is mainly due to the lack of in-house expertise and the need to keep costs lower. The strategic move of Google helped it achieve greater success. 

Why is eSparkBiz Your Best Software Outsourcing Partner?

eSparkBiz is a top-rated software development company specializing in the delivery of exceptional services to clients. The company provides its services in 20+ countries. With more than 12 years of experience in the industry, the firm leverages the best-in-class technologies and meets the development needs of businesses. 

The team of highly skilled developers is well-versed in the intricacies of software development and can handle any project. eSparkBiz takes pride in having completed over 1000 projects. Moreover, the client retention rate of the company stands at 95%. 

Delivering flawless development services on time and ensuring client satisfaction is a top priority of eSparkBiz. For this reason, they have achieved a rating of 5 on HubSpot and 4.9 on Clutch. They believe in exceeding the expectations of the clients.

Harikrishna Kundariya

CEO, eSparkBiz

Harikrishna Kundariya, a marketer, developer, IoT, chatbot and blockchain savvy, designer, co-founder, Director of eSparkBiz @Software Development Company where you can Hire Software Developers. His 14+ experience enables him to provide digital solutions to new start-ups based on Web app development.