Benefits Of Outsourcing Software Development

When it comes to creating a brand-new software application from scratch, there are two options: gathering an in-house team or going with an outsourcing company.

In-House Team

A software application, especially a web application or a mobile app, demands the service of quite a few professionals.

You already have a vision of your application. Now you need at least:

• A graphic designer to draw the detailed views of the application,
• A software developer builds those views using computer codes,
• A tester to prevent software bugs and errors,
• And a data integrator to collect and incorporate dynamic data into the application.

Besides personnel matters, you have to pay attention to material things as well such as office rental, equipment purchases, and services (janitor, security, utilities, office supplies, food, and water, etc.).

Having built out the application is not the end, though. You must retain that professional team to help host, maintain, and update your software over time.

Furthermore, that team has to ensure your application will evolve to accommodate the changes of your customers and business rules.

Not all companies can gather such an in-house team. Big companies can do it since they can deploy plenty of resources.

But for most medium and small companies, their core competency is not software development. They’d rather spend their valuable resources on product development, customer acquisition, and customer care.

In this case, outsourcing software development is an excellent choice for most medium and small companies.

Outsourcing Software Development

Cost is one of the key driving forces towards opting for outsourcing, as it is true that outside professionals in developing countries such as India, the Philippines, and Vietnam are compensated much less than opposed to an in-house team.

However, other aspects could be just as important when you choose outsourcing software development. Here are the main benefits of outsourcing:

(1) Lean company

Your company does not have to add another team to your payroll, avoiding many headaches related to labor laws. When dealing with offshore software development companies, things like taxes, insurances, benefits, labor complaints, labor disputes, etc. are never a subject of conversation.

(2) Fast company 

If you want to rush the deadline of your software project, you cannot simply add more engineers to your in-house team, because your resources are limited, and you cannot hire and fire people at will. Outsourcing companies such as Manifera, on the other hand, can expand their workforce instantly to accommodate your changing demands. Best of all, as we ramp up our capacity to meet your rushed deadline, your cost will not increase linearly. Since our professionals charge at low rates, we pass on the savings to you. Your application will come to the market quickly and cheaply.

(3) Sharp focus 

Having freed yourself from software development, you can focus on the higher tasks such as marketing, navigating the client’s demands, investing in product research and development, doing customer service, etc. Outsourcing enables you to focus on your company’s core values.

(4) Enhanced efficiency

When you decide to outsource your software development, it is the best of both worlds. You can focus on your core values, and the outsourced partner can do what they do best—software development. Outsourced partners such as Manifera are perfectly capable people that know the ins and outs of application building. We guarantee a highly-skilled team of professionals will transform your vision into reality.

(5) Responsiveness 

An in-house team gets slowed down over time due to organizational conflicts and territorial tendencies. Outsourcing companies such as Manifera do not carry this burden. When you thrive, we thrive. We grow with you. We do not resist changes. When you demand changes, we make the changes quickly—without friction. Offshore professionals are invested in every step of your software project. Their only goal is the successful completion of the tasks you give them.

(6) Hassle-free partnership 

When working with an in-house team, you are burdened with the responsibility of taking care of every little need of the team. Outsourcing rids you of this burden, as the partner will take care of their team. In this partnership, you provide your vision and direction, we show you the result.

Outsourcing Roadblocks

Outsourcing is not without weakness. The partnership between you and an offshore company may encounter the following difficulties.

(1) Availability

Offshore companies are often many time zones away from you. When you work, they are sleeping. When you sleep, they are working. But this problem is not a big deal. There is always some overlap between your working time and that of the outsourcing company. Live meetings via conference tools such as Skype and WhatsApp can be set during this time. Communication tools like email and messenger can also facilitate information exchange around the clock.

(2) Language barrier

Most offshore projects are managed using English. The language barrier is no longer a major concern today because many offshore professionals can communicate in English. Furthermore, your contact person at the outsourcing company often speaks fluent English.

(3) Cultural understanding

There is a good chance that an offshore project fails because developers, who are located in a developing country, do not understand fully the context in which the software is deployed in a developed country. Sometimes they miss the nuances of some software features. In this case, you must search for outsourcing companies that have roots in an advanced economy.

For example, Manifera’s developers are located in Vietnam to give you the benefit of low cost. But they are managed from Singapore and the Netherlands. The executive team from those advanced economies' know-how companies are operated on a global scale. They transfer their knowledge to the development team and guide them on every step of each project. The guidance helps the development team see a bigger picture than just the technical side of software building.

In summary, for most mid-size and small companies, outsourcing your software development is an excellent choice. You will reap many benefits if you are able to manage a few difficulties such as time zone differences and cultural understanding.