From Idea to Launch: A Step-by-Step Guide to Outsourcing Your Software Development Project


From Idea to Launch: A Step-by-Step Guide to Outsourcing Your Software Development Project
From Idea to Launch: A Step-by-Step Guide to Outsourcing Your Software Development Project
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In today’s fast-paced digital era, it has become crucial for every organization to have respective business software to boost productivity and efficiency. Nonetheless, developing top-notch scalable software requires professional developers well-versed in technologies and programming languages, including java programmers and python developers, to develop a particular software. Finding these resources in-house is challenging. This is where outsourcing vendors come into the picture. By outsourcing your software development, one can quickly get the necessary skills to make your business vision online.

Outsourcing software development has a plethora of advantages, such as access to global talent, reduction in development cost, faster time to market, and scalability. However, in order to take full advantage of outsourcing software development, one has to be aware of the correct process and make mindful choices, or else it can lead to increased development costs and delayed deployment of the software to the market.

Based on our broad experience and learning, we have created a comprehensive step-by-step guide to outsourcing software development that has been performed for clients.

Step 1 – Define your outsourcing goals and objectives

Above all, the first thing you must be clear while outsourcing is about your software goals and objectives; otherwise, gaining maximum benefit from outsourcing software development will take time and effort. To establish ideal goals and objectives, keep in mind the below-mentioned steps.

  • Interpret what special software skills and expertise you are looking for in your outsourcing partner.
  • Estimate the cost of outsourcing project development and deliverable timeline of the complete software.
  • Consider the security, regulatory, or compliance certification required to deliver a project successfully.
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Step 2 – Research & Shortlist Potential Outsourcing Partners

Finding the ideal outsourcing software development partner requires thorough consideration and research. Considering the steps below, one can find a potential outsourcing partner for the software.

  • Look out for countries like, e.g., India, Ukraine, Poland, Philippines, and Vietnam that are best known for outsourcing software development and delivering top-notch software within the budget.
  • Moreover, utilize platforms like Google, LinkedIn, or B2B to search for the best outsourcing partners in the identified countries.
  • The next step is to contact the identified best outsourcing partners and request case studies of similar projects they have worked on, company portfolio details, and other relevant information.
  • Select the top 4-5 potential outsourcing partners with a good track record of delivering quality software.

Step 3 – Request and Evaluate Project Proposals

Once you have a list of potential outsourcing partners, request project proposals to proceed with the software development process.

  • Create detailed project requirement documents, workflow diagrams, and necessary external resource information to provide overall information on the project.
  • Share project information with the outsourcing partner and, based on the initial review, select potential partners that best meet your criteria.
  • Evaluate the project proposals received from the outsourcing partners and select the potential partners that best meet your criteria.
  • Request resources and resumes and conduct technical and logical interviews with potential candidates of outsourcing partners to assess their skills, problem-solving abilities, communication skills, and collaboration capabilities.
  • Request references from the shortlisted outsourcing partners to verify past performance and the quality of work.
  • Once you have completed the evaluation process, select the top 2 software outsourcing partners who performed best in the evaluation process.
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Step 4: Finalise Contracts and Payment Terms

The final step in evaluating the outsourcing software partner is to finalize the contract and payment terms.

  • Divide the project into manageable milestones with specific timelines to track project progress accurately and measure the outsourcing partner’s performance.
  • Apprehend the project deliverables and their timeline, also map payment across each deliverable.
  • Be conscious of the pricing structure while comparing the factors such as hourly rates, fixed pricing options, and any additional costs involved during the development process.
  • Create detailed SOW documents which outline project requirements such as functionalities, timelines, and change request processes. This document serves as a reference point for both parties throughout the project.

Step 5: Project Management & Effective Communication

Establishing effective project management and communication processes makes it easy for an outsourcing partner to deliver high-quality software on time.

  • Project management tools assist you in monitoring project progress, tracking tasks, and making necessary adjustments to schedules and resources to achieve desirable results in time.
  • Set up regular daily, weekly, or monthly meetings to track project progress and discover potential issues and bottlenecks.
  • Ensure to get regular feedback from all team members and stakeholders regarding project progress and resolve issues promptly by providing necessary support and help.

Step 6: Define Quality Assurance Processes

To get high-quality software delivered from outsourcing partners in a given time constraint, it’s essential to have clearly defined quality standards and policies. Follow the below-mentioned steps to create quality assurance standards and policies:

  • Specify the acceptance criteria of the software, covering functionality, performance, usability, and regulatory standards. In addition to that, outline the testing requirements by defining test types, specifying tools/techniques, and identifying specific scenarios or data sets.
  • Assess the testing process, including testing methods, documentation, and defect reporting. Offer feedback and suggestions for improvement.
  • Collaborate to institute a pipeline automating build, testing, and deployment for reliable releases. Set up infrastructure, select testing tools, and define workflow cycles.
  • To systematically track bugs during testing, define a standard format with details like production steps and severity. Cooperate for timely bug resolution and provide feedback.
  • Create comprehensive product documentation guides for software usage and update them about the changes or enhancements.
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Step 7: Deploy and Launch the Software

To successfully deploy and launch the software, follow the below-mentioned steps:

  • Structure necessary technical infrastructure with obligatory details like database, servers, and networks required for software deployment.
  • Conduct post-deployment testing with friendly customers to diagnose any specific issues in the production environment and address them promptly.
  • Meticulously perform the deployment process by following the deployment process document. This may include file transfer, assigning user ownership, network configuration, etc.
  • Perform post-deployment testing to ensure proper deployment on the production server. Perform initial testing with potential users to discover real-world issues.
  • Set real-time monitoring software to monitor software performance, detect any critical issues on production, and resolve issues promptly.

Step 8: Post-Launch Support and Maintenance

Establishing post-launch support and maintenance processes is crucial to ensure the smooth operation and continuous improvement of your software product.

  • Allocate a team of developers to handle support post-launch issues; the Team should have end-to-end product knowledge and be able to resolve issues promptly.
  • Use monitoring tools to track key performance indicators (KPIs) such as response times and error rates.

Final Thoughts

While outsourcing your software development projects, it is essential to clearly define your outsourcing goals and objectives. In addition, research and shortlist potential outsourcing partners while requesting and evaluating the project proposals and finalizing contract and payment terms. It is also crucial to establish an effective project management and communication process. To get high-quality software, define a quality assurance process. Choose the outsourcing partner who deploys and launches the software and offers post-launch support and maintenance.


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Sikander Zaman
writing is my profession, doing this from long time. writing for many online websites one of them is scoopearth