Out-sourcing software development to a third party can enhance the business efficiency, save time to promote the tool, and can lead to significant savings if executed appropriately. However, there are considerable risks that come along with outsourcing software development. It can have adverse effects on the business and cause projects to fail before getting an opportunity to launch.
Here Are 5 Major Pitfalls to Emphasize when Outsourcing Software Development:
1. Obstacles in Communication – Though one of the biggest advantages of outsourcing software development lies in gaining access to global expertise, it also creates one of the major pitfalls – communication obstacles. As businesses are required to adapt to different time zones, languages, and cultures. Maintaining regular coordination with the outsourcing party is of vital importance for ensuring project success.
2. Inability to Understanding the Project Scope – Before outsourcing software development to a third-party, clarity about the requisites, expected deliverables, timeline, and overall project scope is vital for effective outsourcing outcomes. Inadequacy in communication may lead to scope creep and misalignment of the product vision.
Without addressing these concerns, the software engineers will continue to work in silos causing the gap to increase between the expectations and the actual outcomes. Thus, transparency and vividity in the documentation are fundamental in ensuring that the expectations and deliverables that the third-party offers complement each other.
3. Challenges in Code Quality – Identifying whether the outsourced party is adhering to the quality protocols while coding the app is a challenge that amplifies while working for a non-tech firm without optimum coding experience.
4. Unclarity of Stakeholders – Lack of project autonomy is one of the biggest downfalls of outsourcing. If the outsourcing party that a business chooses to develop software programs is on contractual terms, the actual project ownership becomes tricky. Because there is no consistent team or project leader who is responsible for the work and is available throughout the entire development process.
5. Lacunas in Contractual Agreement – A fragile contract or one that favors the contractor can result in lacunas that can be exploited by the outsourcing party and could lead to financial losses. A clearly drafted agreement serves as a roadmap for the outsourced party to abide by and protect the outsourcer from the burden of bearing heavy losses if things don’t turn out right.
The Bottom-Line
It is important for an outsourcer to be aware of these challenges or cons. And ensure these drawbacks do not block the ways towards successful software development.