How to Choose a Software Development Company in 10 Steps

A huge number of software development companies on the market can confuse any customer. It’s worth putting in a lot of effort into choosing a reliable vendor because professionalism will directly affect the speed and quality of the work. Here are the ten key steps that can help to choose a software company!

Step 1: Defining Goals, Objectives and Timelines

First of all, it’s best to draw up a clear plan, including the ultimate goal and the timing. This will be necessary when selecting a company: every developer wants to understand the concept of the project before agreeing to work on it. It`s important that the employer and the developer have a complete understanding of the tasks and interpret the goals in the same way.

Step 2: Analyze Available Software Development Companies

After setting goals, start to search for a team that will meet your requirements 100%. In general, you can search for well-known and reliable companies using Google. But it`s more convenient to use Clutch and other similar services to rank applicants according to various parameters such as location, work experience, salary, specialization, and so on.

Step 3: Explore the Portfolio and Total Experience 

Having found several suitable companies, you need to compare them. The most important nuances:

1. Who has the firm worked with before?

2. What about the developers’ experience?

3. What is the scale of work that has been successfully completed by the company?

4. Can it present a project portfolio?

The wider the circle of brand customers, the better. Additionally, it is crucial for the selected company to have experience in working on projects of your specialization.

Step 4: Figure Out How the Company Achieves Business Goals

Before you sign a cooperation agreement, make sure that you and the development team have the same understanding of the needs of your business. As a rule, one cannot do without the help of business analysts who will help to clearly describe the requirements for the software product. At this point, you should investigate if the company provides backup and post-release services, as well as software customization.

Step 5: Decide What Technologies Are Needed for Your Project

As a rule, each company uses a certain choice of technologies to create software. That is why the client needs to ensure that the selected development team is competent in the tools that you would like to be used when creating programs.

For example, if your required tech stack is a Python-based Django framework, then you should approach a Django development agency focused on this technology.

Step 6: Analyze the Firm’s Communication Practices

It’s no secret that when developing software, the team has to consult a lot with the customer. That’s why it’s important to have perfectly working communication processes in order to get a quality result. So, when choosing a company, pay attention to checking how the developers will ensure systematic contact with the client.

Step 7: Find Out the Companies’ Development Methodology

When choosing a company, study the features of each team’s development process. Experienced professionals should use adaptive planning, update the project in a timely manner, use communication tools regularly, and apply other effective methodologies. 

Step 8: Explore Security Practices

To create a quality product, the customer will have to transfer an incredibly large amount of confidential information to the development team. It is critical to ensure that the company uses dependable data protection practices. In addition, you need to find out what solutions the team uses to ensure the security of the finished product.

Step 9: Figure Out the Business Structure

To be sure of the success of the hired developers, the client needs to be aware of the business structure and dynamics of the team. The level of organization within a team is one of the most important factors that affect the quality and speed of work. 

Step 10: Make Sure the Company Provides Testing Services

Finally, the last important step in choosing the ideal development team is the availability of testing services. Great if the company can validate the project at various stages — thanks to this, you will receive a product that will meet your requirements and will also be 100% useful to future software users.

Similar Stories