How to choose the right software house?

14.05.2019 Angelika Siczek

business person holding out a phone with a hologram symbol of idea and technology

Why is choosing the right software house in the online business so important? To a large degree, it is the software vendor that determines the success of the entire company. Creating a customer-friendly space and meeting the expectations is very significant, for example, in the case of online commerce by the e-commerce software house. If you choose software to create your own digital product, you will need to specify your preferences. Then do a good market analysis and compare the results with your requirements. There are many different offers from a number of software companies that promote your portfolio. However, this does not mean that they are right for your product. That’s why it’s worth creating a list of requirements for your preferred software.

WHAT QUESTIONS SHOULD BE ASKED BEFORE CHOOSING A SOFTWARE HOUSE?

The portfolio and the various services of a particular software house are an important factor that should be considered when selecting a programming provider. First of all, it is worth answering a few questions about the nature of the planned project.

What are the specifics of the company?

Can you indicate which particular competencies your project requires? Do you need professional advice, the employment of external specialists or do you rely on a comprehensive implementation of the entire project? It’s also worthwhile to determine if you need special technology and programming solutions that will make your project work. For example, if you need to authenticate mobile payments or back up user data, you should set it from the beginning. For example, if you have an online trading business, you choose the e-commerce software house specialized in this industry.

How big is your project?

Does your project require the involvement of the whole team or just a few people? If you already have specific skills to run your business, be sure to specify them and identify other possible areas of specialization where you need help.

What budget do you plan to spend on the project?

How do you want to finance your business? Will the budget change over time or do you want to make that clear right from the start? You should also specify whether funding is external, internally, and how high your budget is.

How much time do you want to spend on the project?

Do you have a scheduled date to which you would like to be done? Do you work with stakeholders who can stop funding if you do not meet certain deadlines? Do you foresee situations in your company that could affect the start or stop of your project?

If you answer all four questions carefully, you can be sure that you have determined the correct course of action. This excludes companies that do not meet your requirements from the start. If you compare your answers to the results of companies that have done similar projects, create an initial list of potential candidates.

WHAT TO LOOK AT WHEN CHOOSING SOFTWARE HOUSE?

PORTFOLIO AND EXPERIENCE

Practice matters the most in every field. That is why it is worth paying attention to the portfolio presented by the software house, which will show the projects implemented so far. In particular, account should be taken of:

Did the company carry out similar projects to yours? Is he eg an E-commerce Software House specialist?

Did she cooperate with well-known brands on the market?

Does the company specialize in many different sectors or has it chosen only one field?

Does it have projects related to UX and UI design in its portfolio, system architecture or applied technological solutions – which ones?

Does the company also deal with mobile applications and PWA?

HOW TO COMMUNICATE WITH A CLIENT

Communication plays a remarkably important role in successful cooperation. It projects on the success of many ventures. Consequently, before you decide to choose a software house, pay attention to how it communicates with its clients:

Does the software provider get involved in creating the customer’s product vision and in working out the best solutions together?

Does it translate specialist terms and proceed in such a way that the service is understandable and transparent for the client?

Does he assess his solutions from a business perspective?

Does he care about the client’s success and not only on the service?

Does he use special tools to communicate with the client or does he give the client some insight into the work being done?

Who will be qualified for running the project and how will you be able to contact this person? It is particularly relevant if the company you choose is located away from your business location.

COMMANDS AND REFERENCES

The fact that the company works in the business it does frequently depends on the commands and references of previous clients. If you can find positive opinions on a certain business online, it is a good indication for you to form conclusions. You can additionally see whether the company has obtained any certificates, special awards or prizes relevant to your industry. You can also find reviews on forums and industry portals.

WAY OF WORK

Although you are only going to be involved with the implications of the software house you choose, it is worthwhile to familiarize yourself with its operation. Most software companies use Agile methodology to manage a project. It is effective and promptly produces the expected results. However, the software house can also be in a system such as Waterfall, which is based on performing basic activities as a piece of different phases. Get to know the different working methods and decide which one suits your project best.

COMPETENCES, TECHNOLOGIES, AND SECURITY

What are you most interested in from a customer’s perspective? This is, of course, the effect of cooperation that you will take with a software house. Therefore, pay attention:

What programming languages do programmers specialize in?

Does the company carry out work in the area of a frontend, backend or both?

Does the company produce mobile applications, web applications and does it specialize in CMC and Internet solutions from Things (IoT)?

Does the e-commerce software house pay attention to the efficiency of the system and does it care about its security?

COSTS OF COOPERATION

From the point of view of every entrepreneur, price is one of the most important aspects of the business. Consequently, you need to make sure that you pay the costs before the final selection of the software provider. Make sure that the amount you are most likely to receive is detailed and accurately determines the scope of work. Make sure that the estimate takes into account the cost of maintaining and implementing functional changes in the project. This is a very important subject that deserves special attention to avoid possible misunderstandings.

GOOD COOPERATION

Questions that you ask yourself before you conduct research and then the company you select depend solely on the details of your project. The more you analyze, the better you specify your expectations. Keep in mind that choosing a software vendor is very important to successful collaboration. Therefore, it is not worth making compromises in this regard and choosing exactly what suits your needs best.

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