When you’ve decided that your business needs a custom software solution, the choice of partner will have an enormous impact on your project. At Foreach, we’re specialized in custom application development, and a big part of that is being a reliable partner to our customers. We found that a partnership rarely, if ever, ‘just clicks’, however. It takes communication and dedication to make it work, but a crucial first step is selecting the right partner for the job. A good partnership is a source of inspiration and joy for both parties. A bad partnership, well, less so.
In this series, we will focus on individual aspects that are important when selecting a custom application development partner. Finding the best match is more than simply building a spec document for your project and handing it off to possible suppliers, deciding on price who you are going to work with. There’s a lot more to it than that, as we’ve learned throughout the years. This way we hope to give you some insights and help you ask the right questions.
Part 1: Identify the type of project
Not every project is the same, and perhaps it’s not even just one project. A project can be big or small, short- or long-lived, with clear up-front requirements or only vague ideas … We go over some questions you can ask internally to get a better view of the type of project you are dealing with.
Part 2: Determine the level of in-house expertise
The knowledge and experts you have in-house can help you identify what you do not have. The expertise you are lacking is precisely what you are looking for in a partner.
Part 3: Think about how you want to collaborate
It’s not just the project itself that matters, working together effectively is probably the single most important element for creating success. Different ways of working together have different perks and drawbacks.
Part 4: Compare possible partners
Every company is different, with their own track record, technology stack, and services on offer. When comparing software development companies that can build your application, there are quite a few things you’ll want to take a closer look at.
Part 5: Draw up a contract
A contract is the last stage before starting the cooperation. It is both the fail-safe and the positive confirmation of entering a mutually beneficial relationship. But not every contract is the same. It must match with the project and your way of working, so that it stimulates cooperation, instead of jeopardizing it.
Check back in the coming weeks as we explore each aspect.
| Published on Java Code Geeks with permission by Arne Vandamme, partner at our JCG program. See the original article here: A Partner for Your Custom Software Solution – pt 0: an Overview Opinions expressed by Java Code Geeks contributors are their own. |
