We at Evercode Lab always pay attention to keeping our customers informed and updated on anything that may influence the outcome of their software development projects. However, with some other custom software development companies this might be not always the case! That is why we have decided to post this list of questions to ask before trying to outsource an IT initiative. As a reliable software vendor, we are always ready to answer any of them.
9 Questions to Ask a Software Vendor
Question No. 1.
Is your company actually in the right position to assist us
As for the answer, your IT outsourcing company of choice needs to cover each of the following dimensions: their tech stack of languages and frameworks, their domains of expertise, and industry achievements, such as awards, industry rankings, and relevant portfolios.
Question No. 2.
How would our joint project workflow be?
At this stage, your future partner needs to describe what their preferred methodology is. Nowadays, it is highly likely that you will face one of the multiple existing subtypes of the agile approach. Try to learn as much as you can about the length of their coding sprints; frequency of iterations; reporting practices; the respective roles of account managers, project managers, and team leads.
Question No. 3.
How many IT specialists will be involved in my projects and who are they?
Regarding this question, your potential IT outsourcing vendor needs to provide an estimate of the project team. It needs to include the number and qualifications of its managers, front-end and back-end specialists, and QA staff.
Question No. 4.
Can you verify your experience and portfolio that would cover my market segment?
Beyond any doubt, most companies do publicize their projects, reviews, and references. At the same time, it is a good idea to ask them to provide you with additional credentials not covered by an NDA.
Question No. 5.
What is your typical NDA?
Non-disclosure agreements are the main prerequisite before proceeding with an outsourced IT project. That is why we recommend you double-check how your future partner identifies parties to an agreement; its duration; the definition of confidential information; and the way it will be handled; as well as the remedies stipulated by the agreement.
Question No. 6.
How are we going to communicate with each other?
In this respect, it is crucial that you know which means of communication you will use. Normally, it is preferable to use 100% secure and ‘bullet-proof’ channels as encrypted chats, reliable video conferences, and emails. Make sure that you name all of them explicitly.
Question No. 7.
What would you expect from me to launch a collaboration?
Depending on a particular situation, IT outsourcing companies may require different levels of immersion. That is why it would be reasonable for you to specify what exactly they need (access rights, interviews with your in-house IT team, transfer of knowledge, etc.)
Question No. 8.
What are the assessment criteria?
You need to make your requirements as precise as possible to set clear and unambiguous acceptance criteria. It may save a lot of time and money in the future.
Question No. 9.
How much time do you need to start working and delivering?
Make sure your future business partner knows how important it is for you to start on time and abide by the project timeline. Find out what their policies concerning delays and force majeures are.
Conclusion
Once you have received answers covering these questions, you can make an informed decision. Do not hesitate to ask them while discussing your future IT project with us. You can be sure that you will obtain all the data you might need with Everecode Lab!
