What to Consider when Outsourcing Mobile App Development?

Developing a mobile application for business from scratch is a challenging endeavor; it is costly and might take quite a long time to build. To speed up the process, many companies turn to outsourcing to get their app developed by an external mobile app development agency. Choosing the right mobile app development outsourcing company  will enable business to speed up the process, save costs, and get their app built with quality.

However, there are a certain number of factors that companies should keep in mind when looking for an outsourcing partner. For starters, customers companies need to make sure that the mobile development team is qualified and good at what they do. The ultimate goal is to find a reliable outsourcing company that provide quality app development services while staying within budget. Here are a number of factors that businesses should consider when outsourcing their mobile app development project:

1. Ask questions, and ask do ask lots of questions! Communication is critical to ensure the success of the project, so there are important that customer companies must ask their outsourcing partners such as questions about past mobile projects that the outsourcing companies have developed, developers’ skills, technology stack and development methodology, communications methods and etc. Outsourcing companies that are experienced with mobile app development won’t find it difficult to answer those questions.

2. Interview developers: there are certain skills that customers companies should expect from the mobile app outsourcing team. It’s a good idea to ask developers about their experience and skills in iOS/Android technologies as well as cross platform app development. In particular, customers should check out previous apps (by downloading from app store) developed by their outsourcing partner to have a look and feel the quality of the app. If it doesn’t feel right, then it’s time to look elsewhere for other options. In addition to technical skills, communication skills are also equally important. Thus, customer companies should have a direct interview or maybe over Skype or video conferencing (in case of offshore software development outsourcing) for English and communication skills assessment. 

3. The next step after confirming that outsourcing company has the expertise and experience required to take on the project, customers companies need to work closely with development team to identify requirements for their project, specifically the features,and design of the app.

4. Get a quote: having an estimate of how much the app would cost to develop will provide an understanding for app owners to efficiently allocate resources for their development project. Sometimes, “cheap price” will lead to a compromise in quality while expensive options might not be expensive at all consider the quality provided. More importantly, customers should be open to negotiation for a fair deal and win-win situation. Doing so will allow both parties working together in the future comfortably.

5. Request a development timeline and milestones of app project: before finalizing on the contract for outsourcing, customer companies also need to thoroughly discuss with their outsourcing partners about the project timelines and milestones, which are the points of projects where specific tasks are expected to be completed. Having a clear idea of where the project stands allow customers to understand and have a full view into the project progress. Furthermore, this offers customer a chance to test the app features, and following the beta stage of development.

Conclusion:

Yes, outsourcing mobile app development project is one challenging task. However, it is entirely possible to find a reliable mobile outsourcing partner to work with if customers companies are willing to be diligent with their research. It’s best to take time and carefully consider various options to find the best suitable partner for the job.