Outsource App Development in 2021: How does it work?

It is well known that with an in-house developers team any business enjoys better control on its IT resources and output. On the other hand, the same team being closely integrated with your business is likely to have a better knowledge of the business process and this will positively impact the development output. 

In spite of these advantages, there are also few shortcomings and drawbacks for Flutter development. First of all, in-house resources are expensive considering remuneration for the experts and IT infrastructure you need to provide them. Another disadvantage is that the development team with a set of skills limits your scope to embrace trending new technologies for app projects. 

This is why outsourcing is the right choice when you have time and budget constraints. In-house development teams can only fit to projects with very ambitious app projects needing close collaboration for months on end and projects facing no budget constraints. Whether you hire mobile app developers for in-house projects or hire a third-party development service, there are pros and cons on both sides. 

Outsourcing vs in-house development: which is more popular?

There is overwhelming popularity of the outsourcing model of development all over the globe. As per Statista report, market value of outsourced IT services is likely to cross $413.72 billion by this year’s end.

Global Industry Analytics report predicts that the market value of IT outsourcing is likely to grow 5% every year within the span of 2020–2024. A survey by McKinsey on the other hand reports that nearly 87% of companies faces now a severe talent shortage for which they definitely reach out to external IT resources.

Outsourcing App Development

Outsource App Development, IT outsourcing, delegation, IT tasks, Definition of IT Outsourcing

IT outsourcing refers to the delegation of IT tasks and processes to third-party IT service providers. When it comes to app development, outsourcing is actually delegating the entire app development responsibilities to a third party app development company operating in a remote place and utilising the IT resources of their own. 

Outsourcing app development is mostly opted by non-IT companies who lack expertise and skills in developing apps on their own. Outsourcing development is mainly preferred to meet the resource requirements in app projects or to ensure faster development by delegating tasks to experts from other service providers. 

Outsourcing development has its own set of pros and cons like the ones mentioned below. 

Pros

  • When outsourcing the development, comparison among multiple development services corresponding to their price points and value is possible. 
  • Outsourcing development can also ensure speedier development by delegating tasks to experts and experienced professionals.
  • Development outsourcing gives an app project great exposure to different skills and expertise across every tech niche. 
  • Because of outsourcing, even an in-house app project can scale up the development team in case of additional resource requirements. 
  • Through outsourcing an app development project a company can bring in specialists to adhere to the latest industry guidelines and development practices. 

Cons

  • An outsourcing development company and the client company may not be synced on the project requirements and specifications. 
  • You need to take additional safety and security precautions such as agreement on complete code transfer and Non Disclosure Agreement (NDA).
  • Sometimes absence of streamlined and smooth communication between the vendor and the client company because of differences in time zone and cultural aspects becomes a pertinent problem. 

Why Outsourcing App Development is Always A Viable Choice?

choice of outsourcing

Are you still not convinced on the merits of outsourcing app development? Well, let us describe here briefly some of the key reasons to opt for outsourcing app development. 

  • Exposure to different skills: When opting for developers outside of the four walls of your company, you can get ample exposure to different skills. 
  • Competitive development cost: You can compare value against rates from different development services and opt for the most competitive rate. 
  • Faster time to market: Outsourcing development can help you complete the project in time and faster development can be a competitive consideration for choosing the service provider. 
  • Scaling up the project: By outsourcing, app development projects can scale up the capacity by incorporating as many professionals within the ambit of a project as possible. 

Outsourcing Mobile App Development: key strategies to follow

outsourcing development, team duscussing

Now that you have a fair idea about the value propositions of outsourcing mobile app development, here we are going to explain some of the key development strategies and practices to follow.  

Know your requirements clearly

Create a straightforward and meticulously drawn app outline showcasing the key value proposition and the fundamentals of the app. Come with a clear documentation describing the objective of the app, purposes, vision, expectations, drawbacks, and other factors. 

A clear budget assessment

Based on the hourly rate for developers with different skills and different project requirements, make a clear assessment of the app budget. When you clearly assess the app budget down to every single detail, pitching the right app budget to your audience becomes much easier. 

Interview a lot of skilled developers

When you want to get onboard the right skills and professional expertise for your app project, you need to discuss the app project with several expert teams and their corresponding requirements. You need to interview a lot of developer teams until and unless your requirements matches the project perfectly. 

Evaluate development through samples & testing

portfolio, app projects

Now finally, you need to evaluate the work of the development team through their work. Besides taking a deeper look at the portfolio of app projects submitted by them, you can also ask the developers to provide some sample copies of required features developed by them. You can carry out in-depth skill tests for the developers as well. 

Evaluate how flexible they are

Since development involves many twists, turns and iterations in app projects, you need to evaluate the flexibility of the developers across development projects as well. You should always give priority to developers who can meet the changing needs of the app project. Since in modern app projects accommodating client iterations is of extreme importance, measuring flexibility of app developers is a key consideration. 

Post development support

Is the development team of your choice ready to deliver committed support and maintenance services once the app is live and running? This is a key consideration for choosing an outsourcing team. It is important to get onboard a development team that emphasises on long term maintenance and support for their clients as part of their value offerings. 

Conclusion

Outsourcing for mobile app development is not necessarily an imperative but a conscious choice that most app projects adhere to. This requires an in-depth analysis of the actual conditions of an app project and the aspects corresponding to the technologies and competitive growth opportunities for an app project. From time and budgetary constraints to availability of talents to committed output, all things matter in this mix of considerations. 

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