8 Questions to Ask When Choosing an IT Outsourcing Service
Hiring a third party to get a job done can be tricky. In a cluster of IT solutions providers, with every one of them blowing their own trumpet and cranking up their PR engine heat to the max, decision making becomes obscure ad blurry. However, if you already know how to see through the smoke and mirrors, all their spin doctoring is not going to have any effect on you.
If you have been asking questions before hiring third-party workers and still got bad deals, you may have been asking the wrong questions. These eight points will help you clear the fog when you want to hire a reliable IT outsourcing company.
1. Do They Empathize With Your End Goal?
It is the holistic approach taken by the IT outsourcing services that help them score clients consistently. They are not only focused on creating a competent software program, but more inclined towards understanding the client’s intention that goes into building that software. They perceive the whole project from a business and feasibility standpoint rather than punching program code and not giving a damn about anything else. A few rounds of a brief talk with the team leaders/senior members of the team will help you know what they are all about.
2. Are They Using Latest Development Technologies?
This is one aspect where you are supposed to know the stuff. Even if you are not from a tech background, you will have to do a fair amount of research on what are the upcoming and hot technologies being used by IT services companies. During your discussion with the development team, ask them what technologies they usually work with and whether are they ready to adapt to new programming languages and database technologies. This makes a lot of difference especially when you know what is going to work for the best for your project. As for staying afloat with the latest development technology is concerned, you can refer to blogs such as Geeks for Geeks, Six Revisions, and Web Resources Depot.
3. How Widespread Is Their Product Development Knowledge?
For an IT solutions company, one sure sign of professionalism is how spread-out is their knowledge of overall product development and delivery process. Whether they prefer Continuous Deployment, Agile Methods or Continuous Integration makes a huge difference. It is the discernment and insights that they have about software product development in general, and this comes from versatility in product development. Being all about one type of product and being a jack of all trades are extremities. The one who finds a golden balance probably will be able to provide you an equally better post-delivery and product security service.
4. Are They Quick?
In the race for software project development, it is the hare that wins and not the rabbit. Despite questions, discussions and brainstorming sessions, work speed holds a ground of its own. If your chosen team from the given IT outsourcing company is slow-paced and easy going, it may not bode well when you have a strict product launch date on the schedule. Maybe, it’s the culture over there. If the company fits the bill with every other criterion on the list, you should make a point to explicitly mention that they have to get going with the work as soon as possible.
5. Are They Genuinely Cooperative?
Good IT outsourcing services always make a point that they ask questions to the client and show a healthy enthusiasm so that they can perceive the project from all possible dimensions. During your briefing sessions, note whether the team members and their seniors are asking questions and thus trying their best to leave no stone unturned to comprehend the depth of your project in all manners. Teams that skim over the client details only on the surface level are not only doing a great disservice to your project but also their organization.
6. Do They Have Manpower Back-Ups Ready?
Losing a team member to an uncertain situation during peak work-time can be a pain in cash for you as a client if the hired team does not have replacements ready. This is what happens when you hire smaller organizations as even the absenteeism of one member can hinder the pace of development of your project. Always see whether your chosen team has a support of their peers or if they have an internal replacement system that ensures that client is not left in a lurch. It is the mid-sized to large companies where you find such arrangements.
7. Are You Fine With Them?
Huh?! What does that even mean? As apparent it is that you may have had a similar reaction, to put in a nutshell, it merely states whether you are comfortable in dealing with them as people. Being too judgmental makes no sense and is immature; however, if your team cannot show some semblance of emotional and interpersonal competence, it is likely not going to bode well for your project.
8. How Many Feathers Do They Boast In Their Cap?
Although, it is not a rule etched in stone that they should have a long line of projects in their history that brings them here. However, having something to show in general and projects that resemble yours in particular, are marks of assurance that can help you decide if they can do the job or not!
That being said, with an abundance of IT outsourcing companies in India, making a wrong hiring decision can give you a run for your project and money for a long time.
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