At first, it may seem like a tiresome process. Especially when you are seeking long-term collaboration with a software development partner. No matter the type of service you need, from UI/UX to transitioning from an offline store to online sales using Shopify, you’re looking for a trustworthy partner. To help you out, we summarized four essential things to keep in mind when choosing your future software development partner.
Why do you need a partner in the first place?
It might seem like something you naturally think about before researching. But there are lots of entrepreneurs that didn’t have a clear overview of their “why”. Without this overview and clearly expressing their needs, your collaboration with your software development partner might end in a poor, short-term association. With having services delivered that didn’t meet the objective they set, the quality wanted or the budget desired.
So, the first step in choosing a reliable software development partner is to understand exactly what kind of software services you wish to acquire. Then, start defining the software goal, the project scope, and the technical details. These will offer you, and your future software development partner, a bigger picture of the project, making it easier to work together toward the same goal, rather than going in opposite directions.
Do your research
After you define properly your software and technology needs, you can start searching for various companies or independent contractors to help you cover them. Start searching online for a potential software development partner you would like to work with. Make a shortlist of the companies that caught your interest and seemed to fit your wants and needs. Then, you can start the interviews.
Are you compatible with them?
Before requesting a meeting with the potential partners in your shortlist, do some research on their backgrounds. Check out their culture, the methodology they use, and their work on previous projects (you should find this information on their website or social media pages). This research will offer you an idea of your company’s compatibility with the potential software development partner. It might also raise some new questions to ask them at the meeting.
When interviewing your partners, make sure that you have a clear overview of your collaboration’s flow. How will they ensure they understand your project’s requirements? How will they communicate with you? What level of involvement is it expected of you? How does their process reduce your risk and increase your chances of success?
Make sure that at the end of your meeting, you have a thorough sketch of how you will be working with them. Also, by clarifying all aspects, you’ll be able to notice if your potential partner is on the same page as you.
Transparency and clear communication are key
A challenge a company could find itself in with their software development partner would be poor communication, or the lack thereof. Before beginning a collaboration with your software development partner, make sure their explanations are clear and easily understandable, without overly technical terms.
Communicate your requirements clearly. From the beginning determine together what are standards of quality you are expecting and is what they’re offering. This way, both parties can have realistic expectations and be transparent throughout the collaboration.
Even if it may seem overwhelming at first, these 4 steps will get you closer to a balanced and long-term collaboration with your future partner. The key to choosing the best software development partner is being on the same level. So, define your needs and requirements, do your research, clarify any concerns and be transparent.
If you’re in your researching stage and you are unsure if we could be a reliable partner, here’s a few things about us:
- We have dedicated teams for all our projects;
- We offer ongoing support, even after launching;
- To make sure we are on the same page when it comes to your needs as well as the technical possibilities we can offer, we establish a free discovery meeting first. In this meeting, we will be discussing your company’s needs and exploring the areas you want to cover. Afterward, we have a second meeting where we will be presenting the technologies we’ll be using, we establish the deadlines with you and we discuss budgets;
- We use only cutting-edge technologies;
- Our solutions are validated nationally and internationally;
- We have a set of protocol and security standards used by big players from the industry;
- We are AGILE, therefore you’ll always be updated on the project’s progress with status meetings, demos in each development stage, etc.
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