Outsourcing, which entails hiring other organizations to handle certain parts of your own business, is a popular practice that many entities undertake for several reasons. Doing this, especially in the software space, however, means that you hand over said operations to the hired organization and, to some extent, power to influence the quality of whatever product you’re putting out there.
This is a risk, but one that you can lessen by keeping control of quality, therefore, ensuring that the hired organization delivers both in terms of good and timely work. Let’s delve into exactly what would be done to pull this off, while also explaining the importance of quality control in the outsourcing development niche, according to N-iX.
Why quality control is key
The obvious answer to having quality control, specifically within the software realm is to ensure that the final product is as it’s supposed to be. If the hired organization doesn’t have tabs kept on it, chances are that you may have a host of issues on your hands. Some of the issues that quality control solves include the following:
- The possibility that the projects will have delays in delivery
- The possibility that as a result of the above point as well as others, the related costs may rise
- The project’s general flow will stall, as a result of the Inefficiency and ineffectiveness of the hired organization
What quality control does is add even more certainty to what you may gain as you’re vetting potential candidates to hire as your software development outsourcing partner. If, through quality control, you discover that the hired organization is indeed competent, you can be certain of how credible they are, which will make them a suitable partner going forward.
Being certain of quality
Not every firm out there will be of the highest quality, and you’ll have to make sure that they fit the standard needed for quality work. If one looks at the forecasted growth of IT outsourcing alone, it’s fairly clear that it’s something that we’ll only see more of going forward, of course. However, you have to be certain in the company and talents you hire.
With that in mind, how does one pull this off for their outsourcing endeavors? Well, a few things have to be done to achieve this, and it all starts from the vetting stage when you’re looking for an outsourcing development hire. This continues onwards right through the entirety of the job you’ve hired them for. This process of quality control, therefore, includes the following:
Clear project definitions
Before handing over anything to a potential hire, you have to figure out what the objectives are. This means having a clear outline of the project and what you expect it to be. By doing this, all parties involved, both internal and external, know what to do without there being any confusion.
Thorough vetting
Once this is done, the search for an outsourcing partner can begin. To find the best possible one, you’ll need to ensure that they meet some key criteria. Some of these include:
- The possession of the right expertise to handle a job
- A history, or rather a track record of successful, and quality work that was delivered on time
- The possession of the right security tools for data protection, as well as adherence to data compliance
Effective communication between parties
Before any hire can be made, it’s important to see just how good the potential partners are at communicating with you. This refers to not only the use of the right channel but also the willingness to be transparent, as well as the desire to remain innately so.
By doing this, updates regarding the project can readily be received from the outsourcing firm, and they will also be able to receive feedback just as well. The research emphasizes that credibility in communication is the most influential factor in ensuring successful strategy implementation across all organizational areas.
Ensuring quality
The goal of the chosen outsourcing firm is to create something that aligns with your own, which means that there would be some form of quality assurance at play here. In the realm of software creation, this is often seen after the build has been seen through till the end and is actually for release. The only thing is that they shouldn’t immediately send it to you as is, and should make sure everything is working properly before proceeding.
This means that they should test out the “finished product” to either confirm its quality or work on it further to create the product as it’s supposed to be. For the aspect of quality assurance to be done correctly, especially in the software space, all businesses should know before a hire, how quality assurance in the form of tests is conducted in a potential partner.
Always look for things such as the reviews of code, and other major quality assurance measures beforehand. Afterward, you’ll be able to select the best firm for the best possible work because you know they have the tools and methods to ensure quality.
Ensuring adaptability
As with a number of business operations, chances are that, moving forward, your needs, and, perhaps, by proxy, those of product development, will change. This means that the firm you choose to outsource development to should be solely responsible for changing along with you.
This sense of both scalability and flexibility, especially during the thick of product development, is rather invaluable. It shows that when confronted with any extra work, the firm will quickly and relatively easily attend to it, only enhancing the chances for greater product quality.
Final thoughts
There’s a reason why outsourcing, especially in the software industry, is only going to grow and be used more, and that has everything to do with benefits such as having a wider talent pool, as well as cost savings. To truly benefit, however, you’ll have to lean into the aspect of quality control, which ensures that the firm you choose as an outsourcing partner can do the job correctly.
The above shows that this can be achieved both before the hire and after it, during the process of the job, via several measures that you can take. When these are done, the chances of having a quality product only improve.
