Outsourcing Software Development

We might be biased, but working with an external software development partner can have a lot of benefits. We’re also realists, so we know there are some downsides, too. Outsourcing isn’t right for every situation, but here’s the good and the bad if you think it’s an option to consider.

Pros of Outsourcing Development

• Larger Talent Pool with Latest Technology Skills

• Cost Control

• Your Internal Team Stays Focused

• Fast Access to Senior Development Talent

Cons of Outsourcing Development

• Requires Onboarding to Existing Systems

• Underestimated Stakeholder Involvement

• Finding the Right Fit is Hard

Read more about each pro and con here.

There are advantages and disadvantages to outsourcing custom software development, and each organization’s requirements are going to look different. It’s important to find the right partner and relationship to make development outsourcing a success.

Some situations are ideal for outsourcing development, while others are better suited for an internal team, when there is one. 

Here are some signs outsourcing might be your best option.

No Internal Team - If you don’t have internal development resources, then outsourcing is an obvious option. Now you just have to decide which setup makes sense.

Specific Skills Requirements - If a project requires technical knowledge that no one on your team has, outsourcing is a great, efficient way to get the work done.

Lacking Internal Capacity - If you have a new project or enhancement but the internal team is already at capacity with system maintenance or other projects, outsourcing can help you balance both priorities. 

Faster Delivery Needs - If your internal team is working on a system but the workload has outgrown capacity, an outside partner can serve as an additional resource to speed things along.

An outsourced development partner adds a relationship to manage, but the right partner will bring value to your development needs to make the challenges of external partnerships well worth it.

Once you’ve decided outsourcing might be a good fit, you have to decide how you want to set up your outsourcing arrangement. Every software development partner is different, but here are a few common categories for adding development capacity. 

Hiring Independent Contractors - Independent contractors can join your team as needed for short or long contract terms. It can be tough to find reputable developers with capacity—they’re in high demand. But if you need a little bit of short-term help, it’s a great option. 

Using Staff Augmentation Resources - Similar to independent contractors, working with a staffing company lets you bring on the resources you need for whatever length of time you need them. Contract terms and rates vary widely with this option.

Partnering With a Development Company - By working with a development partner, you get a whole team as an extension of your team. This option is ideally a much more collaborative arrangement, which requires more of your time but adds a ton of value.

At Far Reach, we do project-based work, and our favorite relationship is a long-term partnership where we’re truly integrated into your team. We like to bring ideas to the table and be involved at the software strategy level.

Like we said, Far Reach is a development partner. We like to collaborate with clients on projects, become an extension of the team, and bring kickass software to life. 

Finding a partner that has the right fit can be tough. It helps to have similar company cultures, and you absolutely need to have an understanding of working styles and be willing to have the hard conversations. 

Here are some tips when you’re looking to outsource to a development partner:

• Ask friends, colleagues, and peers for referrals 
• Do your research—read blogs, case studies, and reviews
• Don’t just look at price; it could cost you
• Trust your gut if you get a bad feeling or something doesn’t add up
• Make sure they can explain their processes (we use agile/scrum)
• Ask questions

You can read more of our thoughts on evaluating a custom software outsourcing partner. Make sure you can build trust with the team and feel comfortable asking questions and having tough conversations.

For a list of questions to ask, download our outsourcing guide.

A true partner will spend time thinking about how their work impacts you as a client. For example, we spend a lot of time educating our clients on how custom software projects work since most people are involved in approximately zero projects in their lives. We think a lot about how we work and are transparent about things like our automated testing philosophy, constraints of custom software, how work and budgets change throughout a project, and our other work processes. 

We’re honored that clients are happy working with Far Reach—we work hard to make that happen.

Here’s what one of our clients had to say to an independent review site: “We're a fairly new company and we were building out some of our initial functionality. We needed some support to get there and needed to work with some experienced software developers that we trusted to help build our product.” Read the full review. 

There are a lot of software development companies out there. Work with one you trust, feel comfortable with, and can picture working with for years. 

Want to see if Far Reach is that right fit? Reach out and let’s talk. No strings attached.

Custom software projects are a big undertaking, especially since most people (except software nerds like us) only go through one, if any, in their careers. There are a lot of challenges with outsourcing software development, but a successful partnership, built on trust and communication, can make the process...well, almost fun!

You have to be clear in your vision, comfortable asking questions, and willing to push back. Your development partner should be willing to answer questions clearly, provide adequate budget and timeline expectations (look for larger ranges at the beginning), and be able to show their experience. (Here’s some of our past work.)

Make sure you work with a development company that understands your goals, has the right experience, and can work well with you and your team. 

Since you’ve read this far, you might be looking for a right-fit software development partner. Far Reach might be it. Let’s find out.

Here’s how we’ve helped clients with outsourced software development.

Want to dive deeper to determine if outsourcing is right for you? Read some of our blog posts on the topic.

• 

  READ

  Outsourcing Software Development: Pros and Cons

• 

  READ

  How to Reduce the Risks of Small Development Teams

• 

  READ

  Three Options for Adding Custom Software Development Capacity

If you’re thinking about expanding your team’s capacity and working with a custom software development partner, reach out. We’ll talk about your goals, your needs, and see if it’s a good fit.