Imagining today’s digital world without software products is impossible. Technological advancements and innovations have managed to enter our lives at such an extent that we cannot perform even our everyday tasks without their help. Today, any sector from human finance to marketing, and healthcare to media, software products are needed
As much as it is important to be aware of the importance of software products in any enterprise, it is also important to learn about the software that is the most suitable for its needs. For example, the requirements of software development for a hospital will differ greatly compared to the software development requirements of a travel agency. But how do Similarly, the requirements regarding development of an Android phone will differ greatly from the one being developed for iPhone. Now, it is clear to you that Different enterprises manage to get the software product according to their specific needs? Well, the answer to this question lies in bekey.io.
Consider yourself to be CRM manager in the USA. Your job is to hire the best people who can manage your company’s interactions and relationships with your customers. Now although you are efficient in doing your work, you are having a really hard time finding a custom software solution that can enable you to work with greater efficiency. You want to start looking for a custom software development company that can deliver you what you want. But how would you find such company?
Define your goals, objectives and timeframe
The first and step in finding your desired custom software development company is to be aware of your own business goals, objectives and the timeframe in which you want to achieve those goals and objectives.
Determining the Business Goals
You can begin working on your business goals by dividing them into short-term and long-term goals.
Short-Term Goals
Short-term goals are intended to be completed with a shot span of time, such as days, weeks, or months.
Examples of Short-Term Goals
- Increase in sales by 10% at the end of this quarter
- Increase in employee satisfaction by 6% at the end of this month
Long-Term Goals
Long-term goals are envisioned by keeping future of the business in mind. These goals usually span over years and decades.
Example of Long-Term Goals
A soccer ball manufacturing company can have the goal of marketing its footballs in every major soccer-playing country in the world.
Defining the Business Objectives
Business objectives are those measureable results companies want to maintain with their growth.
Examples of business objectives are:
- Maintaining consistency in revenue generation
- Ensuring that the supply chain remains intact
- Ensuring that their employees’ productivity does not decrease, etc.
Timeframe
Before approaching any custom software development company, you must be aware about the timeframe in which you want to achieve you business goals and objectives. This way, that company will be able to meet your demands in an efficient manner and will deliver you within the determined deadline.
Find software development companies
After determining your business goals, objectives, and timeframe, the next task on your list must be finding the custom software development company that suits your needs. Here’s how you can look out for the following while searching for your custom software development company
How does your potential custom software development company approach your business goals?
- Learn about the technology that is the most suitable for your project and business goals
- Learn about the communication practices of your potential vendor
- Consider the development methodology of your vendor
- Learn about its security practices
- Learn about its structure and team dynamics
- Engage your potential vendor in discussions regarding testing, and after development
Further in this article, we will discuss these points one-by-one. However prior to that, it is important to discuss about the company’s portfolio and experience in the software domain you want.
Check their portfolio and experience in your domain
Before starting your discussion with your potential software vendor, you should know if it works in your desired software domain or not. For example, it would be useless for a medical device developing company to approach custom software developer excelling in gaming application development. The best way to determine if a software developer is right for you is to look about their credentials on the internet. Usually, developers mention their working areas, domains, and credentials on their websites. Visiting their websites can help you a lot in learning how much they are experienced in your desired domain.
Your top priority should be to look for a developer whose portfolio is versatile and who has completed a lot of different projects. This is because compared to a new software development company, these companies have a lot of experience facing the challenges related to software development.
Now, we shall discuss the seven-point checklist given above, using which you can find a software developer that suits your needs.
How does software vendor approach business goals?
Before you hand over the responsibility of developing your desired custom software, you should know how they pursue your business goals. If they find your goals skeptical, or discourage you then you should refrain from building a partnership with them. However, if they encourage you in your goals and offer you their augmentation in completing them, then you should definitely collaborate with them.
Consider what technology will work best for your project
While discussing every aspect of your collaboration with your potential vendor, you must ask them regarding the technologies they will incorporate in meeting your demands. Many software developers still like to work the old-school way that does nothing except wasting your time and resources. So, ensure to look out for those software developers that are well-versed of today’s technology and know how to use that technology for your benefit.
Learn about vendors communication practices
You might be looking forward to hire a team of nerds that do nothing except rigorous coding, day-in and day-out. Make sure to have a team of those developers on board that are efficient not only in the technical tasks but also have the necessary communication and rapport-building skills. With such a team, you will be able to get regular updates and discuss all the aspects of application development in an amicable and collaborative environment.
What is the company’s development methodology?
One of the important things while considering your software development vendor is to learn about the development methodologies it uses. There are a variety of software development methodologies, such as DevOps, Agile, Feature-Driven Development (FDD), Extreme Programming (XP), scrum, and crystal. All of these are different software development methodologies, but you should be aware of the one that works the best for you and communicate it to your vendor.
What are their security practices?
A software vendor that takes its online security casually is prone to online attacks. Such developers can bring no good to you and your company. Therefore, you should try your very best to avoid such developers.
How are their company structure and software team dynamics?
If your software developing vendor does not have a very good structural hierarchy, then it is likely that your idea will not get the value it deserves. Therefore, look out for those vendors having a dynamic and professional working environment. There should be a good relationship between employees and their employer. Moreover, the software team working on your project must be good with communication skills and should maintain a friendly contact with you throughout.
Also, look out for the risks that might be involved if your application contains any sensitive data. If that is the case, then you should be stringent regarding your application’s security.
Testing, after deployment software maintenance
The last thing you should be looking in your potential software developer is the support it is willing to provide after the project has been completed. Discuss all of these developments with your vendor and ensure that they commit to provide software configuration, orientation, customization, maintenance, and backup services, in writing.
