For most businesses, using a custom software for their operations will prove to be more useful than using other third-party software solutions. And by hiring a good development team, a highly customized software can be created in a matter of few months. But most businesses face a tough time trying to decide which software firm to hire for the project. To help you with this, we list out five important factors you should consider when evaluating a custom software development service.
Portfolio
The first thing you should check is the portfolio of the developer. Look at how many clients they have served and how many of them continue to be their clients. Check the number of custom software development projects that have been completed. You should also look at whether the developer has already created a custom application for any company similar to yours. For example, if you are a call center service, then you should check whether the developer has created custom software for any other call center service. If yes, then that should definitely make the developer a prime candidate for your project. Reputed custom software developers will always have a long list of clients and finished projects. It is always better to hire such experienced developers for the project than inexperienced services.
Delivery Time
You must ask the developer for an exact delivery time. And you should ensure that the developer does have a history of delivering projects on time. If you come to know that the developer has a tendency to go past the deadlines far too often, then that is a red flag. Delays in finishing the project can affect your business plans. Plus, it can also increase the entire development cost of the custom software. Ideally, the developer must provide you with a fixed delivery date in writing. Plus, the entire project must also be divided into various milestones so as to ensure that the development of the software is moving on as expected.
Communication
Make sure that you are able to communicate with the developer perfectly. The successful development of custom software will likely take a few months at the minimum. During this period, there will be numerous meetings and video conferences between your business and the developer to discuss the progress of the whole project. As such, if the developer is unable to communicate with you properly or if they constantly seem to misunderstand you, then that is a major problem. Such issues can easily lengthen the software development time and cost you more money. To avoid such inconveniences, only hire a developer with whom you are able to communicate with ease. According to Miles Harris of Praxent, using a results-first approach to software development is the key to the success of a software business
Ownership Of The Application And Data
Be sure that you will be the complete owner of the software. Some developers will often not provide full rights to their clients. You don’t want to be in that position. Since it is a custom software that is being developed by your investment, you should make sure that you have the full ownership and right over it. Plus, in case the software collects any third party data, then that data should also belong to you. Talk with the developer and get them to sign an agreement that makes you the rightful owner of the application and data.
Test Completed Solutions
You should also test any of the finished projects the developer has completed. There is a big difference between a portfolio and a live software. While a portfolio is good for judging whether the developer is experienced or not, you will only be able to understand their true skill when you use any of the software created by the developer. So, insist that they give you a few finished software solutions to test. If the developer is hesitant or tries to downplay your request, it is better not to consider them for your project.
But before you select a developer, make sure that you have a very clear idea of the software you want. For this, you will have to first list out all the processes in your business, then analyze it and find out which of these processes need to be supported by the software. Only then will you have a detailed knowledge as to how the software must be developed. Without proper knowledge of how the software should turn out, it is very likely that there will be confusion and even conflict between you and the software developer. But if you provide clear instructions to the developer, you can get the software done faster and cheaper.
