If you’ve outsourced your software development to the same provider for a considerable length of time, chances are the relationship is on autopilot, has become stale or, at worst, is breaking down.
Are you both communicating regularly and effectively? Do you have a true partnership with a plan for future endeavours with a set of shared values and goals? If not, it may be time to switch off the cruise control button.
Is your software development provider measuring up?
Measuring software development efficiency and productivity is never easy. Below are indicators as to whether your provider is in line with industry standards.
- Is bug-fixing taking up more than 20% of engineering time? If so it’s likely that there’s a deeper problem within the software architecture.
- How many new features are you receiving per sprint (or month)?
- What are the delays in meeting release targets?
- How many customer support requests are coming in?
- How many defects are found during development or after release by customers?
- What’s the time from code complete to done?
Flexibility: Is your outsourcing provider meeting your evolving product needs?
The features and functionality of your software products will be constantly evolving and you shouldn’t have to use all your negotiation skills with your current software developer for minor changes. Many businesses nowadays require tailored solutions to meet their unique challenges.
Do they solely focus on project execution or offer collaborative support?
Do you feel empowered to suggest improvements and discuss ideas in an informal context? Can you ask for advice, suggestions, or feedback on topics that they might not be involved in? A collaborative relationship allows you to engage directly with the software outsourcing team to solve support and other problems. They should also have an appreciation of other parts of your business, like sales, and advise how your product can be built to complement these.
At Transputec, customer collaboration means truly productive partnerships that bridge the gap between strategic and tactical software development solutions. Our collaborative methodology enables all stakeholders to be involved in refining functionality enhancements.
Does their delivery model align to your methodology?
Agile development practices are becoming the norm. If your software development provider uses Agile, you can expect collaborative, iterative and rapid delivery of software. However, Waterfall is still widely used, particularly within the UK public sector. Its linear process allows issues found during development to be bottomed out during the design phase. At Transputec, we’re well-versed in both Agile and Waterfall methodologies depending on our clients’ preferences.
Is your provider passionate about emerging technologies?
If you want a relationship with your outsourcing provider that is flexible and committed to a two-way dialogue, contact Transputec. We will transform your software specifications into innovative, bespoke business enhancing solutions. Read more here.
Shalen Sehgal
Services Director
