Any company that relies on technology can potentially benefit from outsourcing and, let’s face it, how many companies don’t rely on technology?
If you are going to outsource, here are some do’s and don’ts that can help you make the process a success.
1. Don’t Outsource to Save Lots of Money
Actually, outsourcing can save you money, but don’t choose your outsourcing partner based on how cheap they are. Maybe you can get a programmer for $100 a day but you’ll generally find they won’t do a great job for you.
2. Outsource to Expertise
A great way to use outsourcing is to get the most expert person possible to complete a task for you.
If you have a specialised task, do some internet searches. Look for a company that has done verifiably excellent work in that area. Have they produced a high quality product similar to the one you need?
Contact them and ask them if they would be prepared to help you. They may be expensive per hour but if they’re experts they’ll complete the job quickly and you’ll get a high quality result.
We’ve used this approach for some very successful outsourcing. For example, we recently ported Qlockwork to VB.NET using experts at add-in express and got excellent results for less than it would have cost to complete the work in-house.
3. Have a Clear Specification
Be 100% clear what you want delivered and make sure you express it clearly. Write it down in as much detail as possible.
If you are unclear what you want or you change your mind then at best you’ll spend more than you need to. At worst you won’t get anything usable.
4. Trust Your Judgment When Choosing Your Outsourced Partner
Do they answer questions promptly? Do they ask sensible questions about your specification. Do they point out things you have missed in the specification? Trust your judgment and the quality of the work you can see. That’s usually a better indication of quality than a well known brand or a large company.
5. Have a Clear Contract
Ideally if you have a clear specification and have chosen experts they will be happy to offer you a fixed price contract with a clear deliverable. You’ll then know what you are getting, when and what it’ll cost. Make sure you test it thoroughly in-house before you pay. Even the best quality software will have some issues and you will be better at spotting them than anyone else – it’s your product. The sooner you get them fixed the better.
Outsourcing is incredibly useful; saving time and money and helping you produce a better quality product. However, it still requires careful thought and planning to make it successful.