Credit – http://www.engineersjournal.ie/2016/06/28/hybrid-agile-development/
Using the services of a custom software development company is a critical decision that entrepreneurs take to either consolidate their current business operations or to expand their business. Given the criticality of this decision with respect to a given business’ well being, choosing the right software development company becomes all the more important. So here are a few tips to help you choose a good developer for your next software project.
Understand your own needs first
This is a very important aspect when selecting your software developer. You should have a “clear” understanding of what your needs & requirements are as it will help you to ask the right questions to your developer about how they will go about designing and developing a solution for your needs. This will also help your potential developer to have an appreciation of your existing technological ecosystem and provide a realistic & optimal estimate for software development.
Seeking referral or recommendation
It’s a great idea to seek the opinion of your peers and people from your network who have employed the services of a development entity. This will help you make a better & informed choice when it comes to selecting your own developer by getting some feedback, be it good or bad.
Take a look at the portfolio of the company
You need to go through some of the past projects to have an idea about the previously built apps by a given software developer. Though not always the case, the longer a company has been in software development business, the more the likelihood that the given company has built a reliable name for itself.
Understand different software development methodologies
Though you don’t need to know about coding yourself, it still helps to do some research on the current software development methodologies such as Waterfall vs Agile, and their pros and cons. Furthermore, you should also research about the tools and technologies that your platform currently uses or will be using in the coming time. This will help you understand your environment’s strengths and constraints with respect to the application development. This will also assist in estimating how your new application will integrate with your existing systems and platform.
Make sure you get it in time
Make sure that the custom software development company has a good record when it comes to delivering it on time. In-time delivery, in addition to budget and scope, should be an important criterion while deciding your software developer. You can check the past delivery time record of the software vendors you are talking to and also don’t forget to check their professional accreditations and certifications. Doing this check will ensure you are talking to right people with right background, experience, & credentials.
Choose a vendor with good communication skills
Make sure your software vendor team is friendly and easy to communicate with as choosing a vendor team that prefers to work as a ‘silo’ will likely not lend clarity and transparency for your project. Doing so will allow you and your team to establish effective and smooth communication with the vendor and hence your software development process will be more efficient.
Pay attention to the user experience
Make sure you choose a company that has skills and resources which can provide a great user experience. Here again, you can check the testimonials and referrals of a software vendor to ascertain what type of user experience it provided to its previous customers.
