You might be tempted, if your business has a requirement for an app, to commence a search for talented and highly qualified individuals who can be recruited to form an in-house development team.
However, there is an alternative strategy that can bring your solution to market far more quickly and cost-efficiently. Which is why we believe you should consider outsourcing software development.
Instead of a lengthy recruitment process assembling a team to create your software product, followed by time spent waiting for your new app development team to get fully up to speed, you can drive forward with your software development much sooner.
ZirconTech has considerable experience of working as a software development partner to businesses in the United States and beyond, and matches that experience with technical insight and agile methodology to deliver outstanding solutions for our clients.
To ensure the maximum benefit when outsourcing software development, however, it is essential to understand precisely how such a collaboration should be conducted.
1) Initial Collaboration
It is essential that you work closely with your chosen development team so that all parties understand exactly what you are trying to achieve. When outsourcing software development, the people working on your software product need to be familiar with a considerable amount of information. This includes:
- Your detailed business plan
- The specific objectives you are trying to achieve with your development
- Your target market and competition
- The overall strategy that this software development supports
2) Detailed Requirements
At ZirconTech, we are always happy to use our experience to help you to define the scope of the proposed project in fine detail. However, to achieve this we require a host of details.
These include key functionality features, personas of ideal users of the product, results of research, user stories and the workflow envisaged. This is especially key if the project in question is a UX development piece.
3) Agile Software Development
There are numerous agile methodologies available to any development team. They include Scrum, XP, Kanban and Lean Software Development, and any initial briefing and collaboration process should include a decision as to which methodology is best suited to your company and the particular type of development being undertaken.
However, there are certain principles common to the methodologies that contribute towards successful software development. One is that there should be regular reviews and communication between members of the development team and the business for which they are working. There may also be feedback throughout the process that will help to refine the product and its development process.
4) Testing Your Software Product
Going straight to market with your app or other software product is not advisable. If users encounter problems with using your product, you may require costly and time-consuming revisions that make gaining customer buy-in an expensive process.
That is why testing is an essential part of the process for any development team. The first step should be to create a prototype; the next major landmark is the delivery of an MVP (minimum viable product) that can be subjected to stringent testing by people with an understanding of the ultimate target audience.
Only when that MVP has been thoroughly tested, and any feedback assimilated into the workflow so that outstanding issues can be addressed, can you consider preparing to launch your product to the market for real.
5) Support and Maintenance
The work of outsourcing software development is not complete once the software product in question has been created and launched.
It is essential to continue to work with the development team to ensure that any minor issues are addressed, and that the app in question is maintained so that it works as well as it should at all times.
Conclusion
As you can see, there are several considerations to be taken into account when you push ahead with outsourcing software development.
The work of a development team should include extensive initial collaboration so that the target market is understood in fine detail. The early stages of your software development should also include the creation of a prototype and an MVP.
By ensuring that these crucial steps are incorporated into your app development process, you have the best chance of ensuring a product is created as cost-effectively as possible, and that it will achieve your business objectives.
Talk to us at ZirconTech about our outsourcing software development experience – and how it could help you and your business!