Things To Consider When Looking For A Software Development Partner:

The search for an effective and reliable software development partner can be challenging and stressful at the best of times, but some tips keep in mind to make the whole process that little bit easier.

Finding a software vendor is challenging. There are many options out there and, in most cases, you won’t be able to evaluate them on their expertise because the lack of those experts in your business is why you need a software development partner.

Entering into a partnership of this nature is not just about pitching a product requirement to a tech company and waiting for them to return with the finished product. Technology has become such a big part of every business that your development partner needs to be far more than just a vendor.

Do Your Research

As has already been mentioned, finding a tech partner can be incredibly intimidating because they have all the expertise. You can start levelling the playing field somewhat by conducting thorough research into what your company needs in terms of software and what attributes are desirable from a software development partner.

Once you’ve narrowed those things down, it will be easier for you to separate the promising candidates from the chancers. It will allow you to have a much more effective conversation with a potential partner because you will be able to tell them precisely what you need.

Make Sure Your Partner Is A Good Fit

When talking to a potential vendor, find out what kinds of companies they have work for and what projects they have worked on. When looking for a technology partner, you have to make sure they can cater to both your and your clients’ needs

This is where research and understanding what you need from a technology company becomes so essential. If you only need a tech partner to make some software for you, you can find the company with the best skills for the right price.

However, suppose you are looking for a long-term technology partner. In that case, you need to make sure they have the right experience in your industry and general business skills to become a valuable asset to your company. For example, when searching for a software partner to power their digital modernization, the American government teamed up with Adobe because of its tremendous cloud computing experience and document functionality.

Similarly, in the entertainment industry, Disney Interactive needed a platform to launch their unique Vinylmation short film, Blank, so they partnered with Google, a ready-made and perfect place for it on the Google Play Store. Moving into iGaming, when BetMGM, one of the best NJ online casinos, wanted to create their first online casino software, they partnered with Playtech. The latter have bucketloads of experience in the industry.

Read Testimonials And Reviews

Nothing will tell you more about a company than what their current and former customers think about them. Testimonials published on any given company’s website will be positive most of the time, but there is more than you can glean from them than whether or not it’s just an excellent company to work with.

This is because most businesses specifically choose which testimonials they display, which is a loose commitment to how they want their company to operate. If the testimonials say things like “Completes projects promptly and with no errors”, you know that meeting deadlines and thoroughly checking their work before submitting is critical to them.

Additionally, no one will be offended if you ask them for current and previous clients’ contact details to get references. If they do, that is a massive red flag, and you probably want to consider a different partner anyway.

Ask The Hard Questions

This point is probably getting tired by now, but this is not an easy process, so when you get down to the point of vetting potential partners, don’t shy away from asking questions that might be difficult for them to answer.

Find out what problems they encountered on previous projects and how they dealt with them. Some companies might try to hide behind confidentiality here. Still, they can discuss issues and solutions on projects without going into too much detail, so press them on it because it is crucial.

Partnering with a software development firm is often a long-term relationship, so you need to find out everything you can and raise all the red flags there are to find to make sure you end up working with a company that suits you.