Choosing a Software Development Company - Part 2

Software Development Quotes are provided by up to 4 top companies in your area. They include:

It is preferable to choose a developer who is both experienced in their own domain and familiar with your particular industry. The reason for this is that they will be aware of the common types of needs (both clearly stated and implied), problems and general expectations in your line of work.

Visiting a candidate's website should give you a good indication of these aspects, but the best and most direct way to determine a candidate's experience and expertise is to contact former and current clients. Ask them specific questions about the development company's general service delivery, response to problems, and the efficiency of the developed software.

You can ask to see samples of software, and test it yourself to see whether it is user-friendly (although remember that training will be provided) and effective.

Industry awards are also obviously a good indication of a company's expertise.

• Size
  There are advantages and disadvantages to both big companies and sole proprietor situations. A big company may house all the skills and services needed by your requirements, but you run the risk of getting lost among many clients. The opposite is true for a small company or sole proprietor. Therefore, size is not an important deciding factor. Rather, make sure that the developer you choose can cope with the size of your company, and either cover all your requirements or be able to outsource specialized skills to reputable contacts.
• Personality and communication skills
  This may sound trivial, but your instinctual like or dislike of the person or group is significant in the selection process. You will be working in close partnership with the developer, discussing problems which can become draining and difficult, so it is vital that you get along. The ability to communicate clearly and patiently, without loads of jargon, is also imperative. Software development entails your description of needs and problems being translated by the developer into functional solutions. Misunderstandings are inevitable in such a complex communication situation, therefore be sure that a good basic level of interaction is evident from the start

Note too their interest in the work and in your vision. Passion for a subject will generate creative problem solving.

<< Previous   |   Looking at Software Support Issues and the issue of Cost >>