Outsourcing 101: Make Outsourcing Software Development Work For You

Outsourcing is a practice that has truly come of age and matured past the initial hiccups and teething troubles. It is no longer considered a passing trend but rather a practice that is here to stay, with obvious advantages. Especially with software development, outsourcing has been a particularly beneficial system. Software development outsourcing is all about creating a successful partnership. 

More often than not software development outsourcing means ‘off shoring’ the service/production, although near-shore and on-shore practices have also gained traction. Some of the typical outsourcing set-ups include: Software Product development outsourcing, IT consultancy or hiring specialists developers, IT department outsourcing (also known as Offshore Development Center or ODC), and last but not the least custom software development for your business. 

Software development resources are now offered through more distributed, process-centric, low-cost global delivery models which rely on using near shore or offshore facilities. Some of the advantages that one can consider:

• Cost savings
• Development team scalability based on projects
• Rapid time to market
• Extensive quality assessment and testing
• High quality development and delivery

India is undoubtedly one of the more popular destinations to outsource software development and processes. Indian companies like BeachCherry Software have been providing their services to clients across the globe including USA, UK, Canada, Australia, Europe and many others. Offshore outsourcing to India is considered a safe bet, and has become a significant business strategy which not only helps to cut cost, but also helps to be globally competitive. If you are looking for high quality software development at cost effective rates then India is one of the best options. 

The reason for preferring India, as an offshore software development partner country, to other competing destinations in outsourcing business, is the great pool of educated human resources combined with world-class infrastructure/quality and years of experience as a software service provider. Additionally, the encouraging Government policies for IT sectors make it conducive to outsource from India.

Also consider the full spectrum of software development services that is possible to outsource: from mobile application, to SaaS to ecommerce development, .NET expertise, custom web development, and software migration and application maintenance. There is a high demand of professionals worldwide who can work in technologies like .NET Technology, PHP, BizTalk & SharePoint development as well as rich internet application development (flex & Silverlight). Not surprisingly, skill-sets in these technologies are better outsourced than hired in-house.

What factors to look at before selecting an outsourcing vendor?

• Expertise and leadership:  When you make the outsourcing partnership, you’re not just purchasing a service; you’re also purchasing expertise.  Make it a point to check out the people behind the venture.
• Market reputation: Speak to some of the vendor’s clients and get feedback. Has their experience been positive? 
• Technologies and innovation: Are they up-to-speed with the latest technologies? There’s no substitute for a careful, in-depth evaluation of the provider’s products and current operations.  Assess the quality and efficiency of the candidate’s technology and services. Do they innovate and make an effort to be at the fore-front of technologies?
• Delivery models: What are their outsourcing models? Some of the common models include: ODC, T&M (Time and Material) and Fixed Bid, Hybrid Delivery. Will they provide a model that fits your requirement?

It is also important to remember the following when outsourcing:

• that although the supplier takes responsibility for the process, you still need to actively manage the relationship
• clarity and transparency of terms and conditions before you sign the contract will help both parties
• make the effort to establish a good relationship - this calls for constant communication and flexibility
• nominate a member of staff to take responsibility for liaison. 

BeachCherry Software has in-depth experience in providing custom software development to clients across the globe. The company’s unique strengths are its people (highly skilled professionals), technology (in tune with the latest demands) and experience.