Outsourcing different aspects of a startup isn’t anything new for businesses. These businesses can outsource different aspects of their project that can help them reach the completion stage faster.
One of these different aspects is known as programming outsourcing. Today, we will talk about programming outsourcing, the right models to do it, and how you can do it.
What Is Programming Outsourcing?
Programming outsourcing, similar to software outsourcing, is the idea of outsourcing the programming aspects of your organization. Programming outsourcing allows you to interact with professional programmers with extensive experience worldwide to work on your project for an affordable fee.
Programming outsourcing is a practice that more and more startups are adopting because of the high-quality delivery while allowing lower expenses.
Key Reasons Behind Programming Outsourcing For A Company
There are quite a few reasons why a business might leverage programming outsourcing, including:
- Streamline development processes
- Increase profitability
- Strengthen position in the target market
- Improve overall customer experience
- Saves more internal time and resources
- Improves strategic business functions
Tech Aspects That You Can Outsource
While it’s called “programming outsourcing,” there are quite a few tasks involved in software development that can be outsourced:
- Agile DevOps services
- Backend development
- Feasibility study
- Post-deployment support
- Software QA & Testing
- User research
- UI/UX design
Benefits of Programming Outsourcing
1. Cost-Effective Approach
Even larger companies cannot avoid the lucrative option of outsourcing their projects, which can yield great results at a lesser cost. The option is even more desirable for startup companies who start with a very limited budget and set of resources.
With programming outsourcing, smaller startups can save costs in terms of development and other business processes.
2. More Room To Maneuver
When you’re in a competitive space, you will need additional breathing room to keep all your business processes intuitive, which can help you get a competitive edge. With programming outsourcing, you can get additional hands working on your project while your internal team can focus on core business operations and help improve business functionalities.
3. Diversified Option For Talent Hunting
When hiring locally, your options for choosing tech talents are limited. But when it comes to programming outsourcing, you get to choose from a wider pool of professionals from around the world who can bring in additional niche expertise along with your requirements.
With more options, you can ensure that only the best of the best are taking on your project and will be able to deliver an end product that’s a cut above the average in the market.
4. Reduced Time To Market
With programming outsourcing, you get access to a dedicated team who will only work on the assigned product development project. When working with an internal team, it’s normal for the team to get sidetracked with other internal procedures that take away attention from the app development process.
With an external dedicated team, you can have a completed product in your hand much faster than you can publish, reducing the time to market.
5. Access To The Latest Technologies
It’s not possible for all businesses to always have access or update their access to the latest technologies. If you partner with a high-end vendor who also provides all possible required tech stack, you have a high chance of partnering up with a team that also comes in with all the latest technologies.
It can boost the overall development and functionality of your product.
Programming Outsourcing Types
1. Onshore Programming Outsourcing
This refers to an outsourcing model where you outsource your programming objectives to a third-party vendor established within your current living region or country. This model allows you to partner with local talents to complete your project.
2. Nearshore Programming Outsourcing
Also known as nearshoring, it’s when you partner with a third-party external vendor in your neighboring regions or countries. This model helps minimize the time and cultural differences while giving you more options to choose from in terms of tech talents.
3. Offshore Programming Outsourcing
The offshore outsourcing model is the standard we know and utilize the most frequently. This model allows you to look for and recruit professionals globally and choose team members or vendors from any country or region worldwide.
Popular Models Of Programming Outsourcing
1. Digital Solution From Scratch
This is one of the basic models of outsourcing. The process starts with the client coming up with an idea and requirements. The client then conveys their requirements to the vendor, and the vendor takes the project through certain stages to determine the project scope and delivery timeline.
The development begins after ideation, documentation, prototyping, and proper estimation. Before the development begins, the software team can easily calculate the required time and resources for the final product based on information gathered from previous phases.
2. Dedicated Team Model
A dedicated team model is great when you have a complete product but need continuous improvements. A dedicated team only works on a single project, and their entire goal should be to improve your product according to customer feedback.
With dedicated teams, it’s easy to get access to the best talents while saving time and resources on additional training, and the additional team members can easily attach to your team and improve the work process.
3. Price Per Unit
The service model operates on a specific cost set by the vendor, and you get to use the service after paying the pre-set fee. You can either pay for a fixed number of hours on demand for each external team member you onboard, or you can pay a fixed sum each month.
4. Build-To-Order
This model aims to provide a robust model where the client can choose the preferred tech stack and other development options. Then, the vendor offers a robust strategy to deliver the client a great product within their requirements.
The build-to-order model is great for starting small projects from scratch since it’s highly cost-efficient and delivers exactly your needs.
5. Software Consulting
The software consulting model is where your company seeks a professional outlook with detailed knowledge about specialized software solutions.
There are multiple scenarios where software consulting is a highly suitable model:
- You need help with a one-time project
- You require external recommendations and expert advice regarding specific software subjects
- You need a trusted development partner to recommend solutions for specific technical needs
- You want specialized experts on your team for a certain process or tool
Our software consulting team at Impala Intech has been proven highly efficient in different projects throughout the past years. With our extensive expertise and portfolio, we aim to provide the highest value to each of our clients with our diversified outsourcing offerings.
5 Steps To Make Programming Outsourcing Very Easy
1. Determine & Specify Your Business Needs
Start by establishing exactly what you need at a particular stage of your startup. If you aim to test the market, you only need to create a prototype. If you’re a startup with a product in the market, you need resources to continue improving your product to keep it relevant.
2. Find A Suitable Employment Model
As we’ve mentioned earlier, various employment models exist for different businesses with different needs. Analyze your company culture, then determine a model that suits your business best.
Then, it’s up to you to choose the right professional talents according to your current requirements and start your project.
3. Choose The Right Country For Outsourcing
It may sound weird, but the country of your choosing can affect the deliverables of your project. It’s not always about the pricing models; it’s more about fluent communication.
Not everyone from every country is fluent in their native language or English despite being highly skilled in their respective fields. While their expertise can benefit you, the lack of communication jeopardizes the speed and progress of your software development.
4. Verify The Expertise For Potential Hiring Candidates
When hiring, it’s better to verify the skillset and expertise of every potential candidate. While there are a lot of professionals out there who work with complete transparency and honesty, sadly, there are also agencies who are vague about their skills, and partnering with them results in a shoddy product that can result in a catastrophic loss.
Before partnering with a vendor or any external professional, ask them directly or manually to research to validate their claims of expertise in any field. You can continue your project with them once you’re assured their claims are verified.
5. Communicate & Finalize Your Decision For Hiring
After settling on the pricing models and your chosen time, sign the final contract and start your project. Remember to create a contract agreeable to both parties, and all the terms and boundaries are set clearly.
Famous Companies That Utilize Programming Outsourcing
Here are a few famous companies that utilize programming outsourcing and various other aspects of different outsourcing models.
While Google always prioritizes its in-house staff, Google also strategically applies programming outsourcing on projects that require continuous and cost-effective deployment. This way, Google can maintain multiple projects through development and management.
During the early years of WhatsApp, the company outsourced most of its app development to focus more on core business procedures like marketing and internal management.
Alibaba
Alibaba’s fast growth comes from its decision to outsource its entire development to a firm in the USA. They onboarded a highly skilled set of developers for their website and app while the internal team worked on sales, marketing, and business management.
Slack
Slack hired a programming outsourcing agency in their early stages to complete their product. The hired team didn’t only work on the application; they also worked on the logo and most of the initial features.
FAQs
Implement data encryption, sign strong contracts, conduct security audits, and choose partners with robust security measures.
Use project management tools, regular check-ins, and milestone tracking to stay informed about project developments.
Evaluate your project’s complexity, budget, timeline, and the available outsourcing options before deciding.
Yes, maintaining open communication and setting clear expectations can help you retain control over project direction.
Freelancers work independently on tasks, while dedicated teams are contracted to work exclusively on your projects.