Tips on choosing the right software development company

There are plenty of software development companies out there and while that does mean there is plenty of choice, the reality is that it can be complicated to decipher which company best suits your needs.

With specialisation in certain areas, varying levels of quality and countless other factors, here’s our guide to help you choose the right software development company for you.

Technology experience

There are no guarantees that you’ll pick the best possible software developer. There may be many factors that can affect this but looking towards experienced teams is the best first step you can make. An experienced company will have a portfolio of previous development projects where you can gauge if they can do what you’re looking for and they should know whether they can assist. 

It’s no surprise that experience is a benefit when you’re gauging if someone is capable of doing a task but in an industry where so much can go wrong, go over budget, go beyond the expected timeframe and possibly end up with the end cloud software solution not meeting your needs. Having an experienced team means that you are likely to avoid these pitfalls. 

Product development methodology

You don’t need to have an end cloud product completely planned out before you speak to a software developer but knowing what you need to gain from the process is pivotal. 

If you have a strong idea about what you want and want it done exactly like that then a traditional software developer that uses the waterfall method could be a good option but if there’s things to be decided  or there is scope for change then a company that uses an agile approach could be a better partner for you.

Overall an agile approach is more likely to deliver an end software product that meets your needs but there are cases where a waterfall approach could suffice.

Technology partner services

Your budget will dictate a lot in your project. The type of service received can vary hugely between a product studio and a typical software developer. Getting a product studio involved is typically a bigger investment but the quality of team that you can get far exceeds that of a standard software developer. 

Senior developers, a project manager, a product owner, a product designer are just some of the potential experts that could come with a product studio team. You don’t need to go for a product studio to get the added roles but it does mean that you’re more likely to see a full-service cycle service which includes software development, testing, and design.

Price and quality

The wide availability of potential developers does mean that you could find someone who matches what you’re looking for exactly and when it comes to minimising the cost of the overall project, all of the above factors come into play. 

The reality of any situation is that you will probably spend more than you are expecting and pricing and quality is closely related. Software development companies come in a range of sizes and will come up with different approaches to tackle the cloud project in hand. So when you receive the quotes for your software project, consider all the factors, ask questions and make sure you know exactly what is included and what isn’t. Once your partner is chosen, to keep the spend on track communication between both the internal team and technology partner will keep the development lean, on-track and efficient.

Communication

Finding the right technology partner also means that you find a team that you are comfortable communicating with. At a basic level you want to make sure that your needs are being listened to and met but communication extends beyond the development process.

If your project is to develop something to be used internally, integrating your end solution might seem like an afterthought but if the partner are able to help your team adapt to changes then you can truly avail of all the new benefits. Looking for partner that are skilled at change management is important particularly when there are a lot of changes your end users can avail of.

Reviews

There might be a lot in this for you to consider but a good, simple gauge is simply looking up reviews. Seeing how other people have found the team you’re considering can really sum up important features, the quality of the team and the overall quality of what they can create.

Hopefully our tips have made your search for a software developer a bit easier but if you’re still struggling to figure out what direction to go, reach out and contact our team and we can see if we can provide you with a development service that fits your criteria and goes beyond your expectations.