According to a report published by Statista, the enterprise software market is at about 271 billion dollars at the moment and is expected to grow to about 421 billion dollars by the end of 2025.
The market is expanding, and every brand is setting up its own software. But selecting the right kind of software for the perfect software development company is not exactly an easy task. There are a lot of things you have to look for before shortlisting one. And even before that, you have to make a few decisions. The first one is if you need a ready-made package of software that is available in the market and just implemented for your brand. Or do you need custom software made for you.
Yet another decision is about outsourcing the software work. Should it be a full-fledged software company, or should it be an individual software developer? No matter which one you go for, there are a few things that you have to keep in mind while choosing a software development company. Let’s have a look.
#1 Their overall market experience:
As a company, you can build software on various platforms available in the market, like Windows, Linux, Mac, etc. Find out if the software development company can seamlessly build and manage software in any of the platforms. And not only that, they should have good experience in building this software and have good user testimonials from them. This will give you a good testament to the company’s ability to structure responsive apps and great software.
#2 A strong client portfolio:
A software development company can gain valuable learnings and experience from the kind of diverse set of brands they have worked with, and hence looking at their client portfolio is one of the major items on the checklist. Every industry requires a different set of tools and a different approach, and this requirement can show the company’s ability to implement different tools in different programming languages. All in all, the company should have worked in various industries like IT, Food & Beverages, Real Estate, Gaming, Market & Research, Sales, etc.
Within these industries, look for their work and the following things:
- Experience in programming languages like Python, Java, DotNet, iOS, Android, and many others.
- Offers the best UX/UI
- Delivers your requirements within time and deadlines
#3 Perfect Communication:
Building software requires a lot of to and fro of communication between the client and the software development company. And that is why it is very important to have a good communication channel set. Not all companies are happy with the job that they get done, and there are various reasons for it.
Only 44.66% of the clients say that they are somewhat satisfied with the job that they get done by their software development companies.
So choose a company that has a healthy communication system and a team that can ensure there is no miscommunication. Communication is required before beginning to make the software, while making the software, and even after the software is launched in the market.
Good communication speeds up the process exponentially.
#4 Non-involvement of your competitors in the game:
It would be a great thing if you have an out of the box idea for your brand software and you communicate the same with your developer company, and then you realize they manage the software requirements of your competitors as well. This can cause a lot of disruptions and make your software redundant in case the same ideas are implemented for other companies in your field.
There are a few ways in which this issue can be dealt with. In case of an innovative idea, you can get IP rights so that no one can use them. Or you can discuss in advance with your software development company about the ownership of the software and the rights and controls they have over it. You can add a clause in the contract stating the same and prevent any other company from using the same.
#5 Security protocols in place:
Data protection is a big talk among consumers, clients, and software development companies. So find out about the kind of security protocols they implement in their software and the kind of data they collect through the software. If these do not comply with the customers’ needs, they will never trust the software and then the brand as a whole.
#6 Find about their ethical approach:
The company’s vision and mission are a lot more important than you think. This will give you a fair idea if they can be trusted for you to onboard them on a long-term basis or not. A healthy code of conduct will make things smoother and speed up the entire process. Check their staff, their line of management, their workflow, and their ethical code, and see if they match with yours.
#7 Check if their location complies with your comfort:
These days, the location of the company does not matter as there are companies and individuals that work remotely for global clients. But when it comes to software that requires regular input from both ends, the time zones matter a lot. If the time zones do not align with yours, this may lead to midnight and early morning meetings and a lot of last-minute changes.
About 53.80% of the software companies feel that complying with the client’s requirements can get very challenging when they are working remotely.
So go with an offshore software development company only if they align with your requirements.
Good software is a big investment for your business, and doing it right in the beginning can do a world of good for your business. There are more than 23.9 million software developers in the world, and the number is expected to grow more.
So go for the right software development company and give your brand the perfect software with which it can ease the way you do business and the way your customers interact with your business.