The global economy bolsters innovation, and technological marvels continue to be a driving force. These endeavors, however, are on a constant collision course with risk vs. reward scenarios: inflation, superfluous investments, and of course – an idea with zero interest behind it.
It’s no secret that a project without investors is essentially a death toll for many a company. This is why sub-industries like software outsourcing have risen over the decades, showing aggressive levels of expansion both in India and the Latin American market. Nevertheless, it’s also no secret that many companies have called for an end to outsourcing and similar strategies, such as Agile. The reasoning behind this is simple: a company that makes a bad partnership will forever be tainted with that failure, risking months of progress, capital, and even intellectual theft.
As an outsourcing company, we’re not here to claim impartiality. We are here, however, to make the best case for our business plan. We urge newcomers and titans of the industry alike to not only invest and partake in outsourcing initiatives, but to find the best possible partner – even if that could mean the competition. We care about results, and quality procedures bring quality results.
The Essentials
We’ve written in the past about similar steps one should take before choosing an outsourcing partner. We’ve outlined the seven basic steps when one finds themselves in the process of consideration. Choosing the right outsourcing partner, however, is like finding the right romantic partner – it can’t be boiled down to a set of steps. It’s an evolving process, filled with loads of promises and exhilarating outcomes.
So here we present you with three new questions you should ask yourself before embarking on a potential outsourcing partnership.
Where Do I Look For A Partner?
Just like its romantic counterpart, this first question requires a bit of creativity. Many companies use referrals from other partners to find an outsourcing partner – we’ve used this in the past, which why we’re proud of always sharing our trusted partner list.But to limit oneself to simple referrals means that we lose out on more forward thinking companies and projects.
Certain directories, like Clutch, are excellent places to find peer reviews and highlights detailing the best data a company has available. Finding the right offer, aligned with the perfect portfolio, can be simplified through a simple search on directories like these. Hackathons, tech events, and the like are also important, as they reinforce that sense of a growing tech community.
Finally, don’t be discouraged by email offers. Some of the best companies continue to use email marketing strategies to reach potential partners, uncovering hidden opportunities that many people would have probably ignored due to an internet algorithm.
What About Their Expertise?
Currently, we are facing a shortage crisis on a national scale. Finding the right engineers and developers becomes harder, as economic struggles mean that rates for the best talent become higher. Ergo, outsourcing becomes a lucrative business for both ends, as companies get access to the best talent for lower rates.
But how can you tell that you invested in the right talent?
Any outsourcing company worth their salt will have a portfolio available. A decent portfolio will include not only a list of notable clients and partners, but a detailed history of their use cases. You should also look for a list of the tech they’ve worked with previously. That way, you can ensure you are getting the best and most adequate skills for your specific project. As a company, we only advertise our areas of expertise – you can rest assured that if we included it in our portfolio, we’ve worked with it extensively in the past.
Finally, look out for their recruitment processes. Find out if the company has a rigorous testing period, what type of tech they use to evaluate their candidates, and how thorough they are. Look for soft stills as well – being bilingual means you can work easily with a whole team of engineers and developers without facing a language barrier.
Will I Enjoy Continued Maintenance & Support?
Outsourcing partners generally come in two flavors: companies and agencies. While we may be biased, we desperately implore you to look out for companies instead – even if that doesn’t necessarily mean us! Companies offer end-to-end support and a more direct approach compared to an agency. You can always look for their services page to find out if they provide the basics – business analysts, project managers, QA analysts, etc.
Additionally, remember to ask for post-launch support methods during a discovery call. A good outsourcing company will provide you with ways to continue to scale the app and ensure that you still have every tool at your disposal – be it QA testing, iOS or Android app development, or any additional support.
We pride ourselves on being the best, so we aren’t afraid to ask you to look for the best. We hope this guide continues to push you in the right direction to achieve your project completion – and make your vision a reality.
