5 simple steps to outsource Mobile App Development

Jul

2022

Nowadays, mobile applications are as valuable to companies as gold. Businesses can stay in touch with their customers through modern mobile applications and, therefore, can build a different relationship than, say, 10 years ago. The benefits of an app are multiple: facilitating the purchasing process, increasing customer loyalty, attracting new consumers, and much more.

If you have decided to develop a mobile application, then all you have to do is think about whether you will do it in-house or through outsourcing. Handing the mobile app development project to a professional mobile app development company is a wise thing to do if you have no in-house IT team yet and if you want to save a lot of time and money and have a high-quality app that delivers value. If you want to know what are the 5 simple steps to outsourcing Mobile App Development, keep reading.

Define your goals and app specifications

Before you actually start looking for the perfect team for outsourcing mobile development services, it is important to identify for whom you will build it (ideal consumer profile) and what problem it solves (sell products, provide consultation, data management, social media, etc. ). After researching the market and discovering what and for whom you build the application, all you have to do is think of a simple, natural, and intuitive flow of the application: what do potential consumers do after entering the application, what will the menu look like, how will it shows the user’s profile, how they will log in to the application, etc. Of course, you will perfect these details with the help of the IT team, but it is helpful to have some idea of how you want the final product to look.

Protip: When you think about the user’s journey in the application, think about how you could create a better experience for him, and for this, you could add some modern features: searches based on photos uploaded by users, push notifications, support chat, a diversity of filters and sorting criteria, etc.

Estimate your resources

Although outsourcing services is a more effective alternative to saving your business budget, it still involves some costs that should not be neglected. These costs depend on the basic technology of the application (native, cross-platform, or hybrid), the number of screens, controls, screen orientation modes, security, the number of languages supported in the application, and more.

So, the more complex an application is, the more expensive it will be. If you do not have enough budget to cover everything you want from the beginning, you can always create just an MVP (Minimum Viable Product) and come back later with an update of the application depending on your users’ feedback. In fact, it is even advisable to schedule mobile app updates periodically to improve the user experience.

Choose an experienced outsourcing app development partner

The process of choosing the perfect partner for outsourcing services can be complex. Try to check as many things from the list below and you will definitely choose a perfect collaboration:

Flexibility in terms of collaboration. A good outsourcing company should be able to provide exactly what you need. Regardless of whether you want to expand or contract the team or plan to expand or reduce the scope of services.
Continuous and well-organized communication. Well-organized and early communication form the basis for successful cooperation. Communication should be structured well enough to be multi-level and across different channels – be it email, instant messaging, phone, or tools like Jira and Zendesk.
Global Reach. First, timing differences —the client and the outsourcer are in different time zones, leaving only a few official shared working hours available to the client— can become a serious problem. We would recommend reaching out to a partner that can provide 24/7 support and assistance in a variety of locations. Second, language skills and an understanding of cultural differences play an important role in supporting external users as well as other providers or partners.
Compliance with quality standards and regulations. Practice shows that a reliable outsourcing service provider must ensure quality control using best practices, comprehensive quality assurance, and compliance with quality standards. In heavily regulated industries like banking or healthcare, this is one of the most important checkpoints for successful collaboration.

Experience and proven competence. Every project counts, and the more there are, the calmer you will be that the IT team will create the mobile application you imagine: modern, functional, and interactive.

Pick the outsourcing company’s service model

Project-based – This is one of the best options to save the budget, but choosing this model often involves a limited stack of technology and the lack of a manager to coordinate application development activities. This type of outsourcing includes a fixed budget team and is more suitable for startups and companies with a limited budget.
Dedicated team – In this model, the outsourcing company forms a customized team depending on the application to be developed. Compared to the model mentioned above, it differs in that there are also project managers who create a task plan, designate team members for each task, monitor the evolution, and ensure that the application is built to the highest level.
Extended team – This model may not seem part of outsourcing services, but it is! It means that business owners or companies offer outsourcing developers a job. This model allows companies to control and audit developers whenever they want but also involves extra responsibilities, such as giving leave and creating a job description.

Select a suitable payment model

Hourly payment (time & material; pay-as-you-go) – As the name suggests, this model involves a fee based on hours worked. Although it is the most popular, transparent, and flexible way to reward the outsourced development team, it does not offer complete control over the budget because it is not always possible to predict how long the project will last.
Fixed payment – A less flexible model, but with full control over the budget because a fixed price is paid for a mobile application with defined characteristics when signing the contract. If you want to make improvements along the way, they may only happen by signing an addendum.

Summarizing this article, the main drivers for outsourcing mobile app development are cost reduction, quality improvement, and risk minimization. And before choosing the perfect team for mobile application development, you must first do market research and get an idea of what you want the mobile application to look like and what it needs to cover. Are you already determined what product you want? Contact our partners at Redbee Software and schedule an appointment