When looking for a tech firm to partner with, it’s imperative to ask the right questions. Doing so can ensure you get the most out of the business relationship and fulfillment with the final product.Â
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We won’t respond to these; instead, we will explain why it’s critical that you must ask them because they will assist your business and avoid numerous difficulties and disappointments in the future.
Here are 10 questions you should ask a tech firm today.
01
Are you looking for a vendor or a development partner?
This first question sets the tone. This question can clear the water and avoid further confusion because it offers an answer directly to your plan, what you are looking for, what you want for your growth and your success to look like, and eventually, an idea of what you will receive.
The course of a new client, from the first contact with your staff to their investment and beyond, can take months, but when it fits, it fits, and the process is worthwhile.Â
Having good communication with representatives and being clear about these questions will solidify your possible partnership!
Why is choosing between a vendor and a development partner important?
Your goals and future have to be influenced by several elements, including quantity, quality, and good business relationships.
02
Do you hire regionally or nationally?
There are several reasons why working regionally has advantages, for example:
It opens the market margin of talent
Diversity
Nearshoring is the process of outsourcing certain business services to a company or individual located near your own company’s physical location. It has many benefits for companies and employees, including cost savings, cultural affinity, etc.
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It’s vital for a development company, especially one nearshoring, to take advantage of the talent presented by multiple countries, not limiting it to only one and the cost leverage this diversity offers.
03
Do you have a proven methodology?
This is a crucial concern, and we’d want to emphasize the word proven when it comes to it. You make this question because your development partner ideally needs to give you a walk-to of a current project that shows its methodology and efficacy.
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When they show how and why it works, it assures you that it’s a mature level of development and gives you an idea of what you will have or can expect.
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Every software development methodology has its own strengths and weaknesses. They also understand why some methods work better than others for particular projects, given their needs at any given time.
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The input is about choosing a method to be used on current tasks. Still, it could just as easily apply to future ones because it’s always important to consider what will happen next before deciding what to do now.
Some methodologies are:
01
Agile development methodology
Agile development teams develop the software in mini-increments, using stakeholders’ feedback to guide their work. There are many forms of agile development, including scrum, crystal, extreme programming (XP), and feature-driven development (FDD).
02
DevOps deployment methodology
DevOps is a methodology that helps improve time to market, lowers the failure rate of new releases, shortens the lead time between fixes, and minimizes disruption while maximizing reliability. It achieves this by automating continuous deployment to ensure everything happens smoothly and reliably.Â
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DevOps is essentially a set of practices that sustains an organizational culture.
03
Rapid application development
04
Waterfall development method
04
Who is going to be my point of contact?
It’s a simple question but holds great power. It’s essential to be clear on how the contact will be and how fluid the projects will work depending on this communication.
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Representative positions like account manager, tech manager, project manager, or scalation manager are the ones that communication will always hold their part.
05
How flexible will the vetting and selecting process be?
Businesses today are looking for more than just a development match; they’re looking for a true business partnership. To find the right software firm to grow, you need to find a flexible development company that will allow you and your managers to participate in vetting and selecting the resources that will become a part of your team.
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The proper development firm will understand that your company’s success is their success and will be eager to work closely with you to ensure that everyone on your team is a perfect fit. With the help of a flexible and collaborative development partner, you can take your business to the next level.
06
Which are the guarantee period and handoff process in real-time?
When embarking on a software development project, it is crucial to consider a long-term partnership. What happens when the project is completed, and you need to hand off the software to your internal IT team? What kind of guarantee or warranty does the development firm offer? How responsive are they to software bugs and issues? These are all critical questions to consider when selecting a software development partner.
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You can ensure a smooth transition and a successful partnership by exploring different scenarios and understanding the handoff process.
07
Will the company leverage all available technology to help me with cost, deadlines, and quality?
When it comes to software development, there are a lot of moving parts. That’s why partnering with a development firm that can leverage all available technology to help you hit your cost, deadlines, and quality targets is essential.Â
And because your software development partner can tap into the latest technology, you can be sure that your project will stay on the cutting edge. So when you’re looking for a software development partner, ask if they leverage all available technology, and it could make all the difference in the success of your project.
Today, automation is vital in software development firms.
08
What are your prices according to my budget?
When looking for a software development partner, you must be confident that you have a clear budget defined. That’s why it is decisive to work with a transparent firm with costs and production ability that can fit your plan.Â
Having a clear budget will save you a lot of time and energy in the long run. And it will help you build a strong partnership with your software development firm and the quality you both want for the outcomes.
What is staff augmentation, and why is this question important for this service?
09
What are the most significant elements to ensure that your QA is effective?
How does your company view the role of QA concerning development?
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There’s no ‘just a QA team when developing high-quality software, and Quality Assurance is as important as the development process. Choose a development partner with mature and ongoing QA automation efforts and talent. This will help you achieve the best quality product at a time-efficient cost.
We ensure our QA team has the resources they need to succeed by investing in the latest tools and technologies. We create detailed, tailored test plans and provide ample training and professional development opportunities. By taking this approach, we produce high-quality software products that our clients can be proud of.
We invite you to learn more about our QA services and processes.
10
What is a successful project look like to you?
A thriving partnership is only possible when both the client and development partner clearly understand what success looks like for them.
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Being honest about perspectives and having an open dialogue avoids misconceived notions or misunderstandings that could impede progress. This level of communication and understanding is essential for any partnership to move forward.
Choosing the right development partner is vital to ensuring the success of your goals. Before committing, ask about their technology stack and see if it aligns with your needs. Doing so will help ensure that you find the perfect fit for your team.
A software development firm’s technology stack is the programming languages, tools, and frameworks they operate to create custom software solutions. Each firm has its own preferred technologies that they are skilled in using.
