How to Pick the Right Software Development Company: A Quick Checklist

If you are searching for the best software development company and still confused about what to look for, then this article is for you. Today every business needs software to run their business easily. Hence hiring a software development company has become important for all industries, doesn’t matter whether it's tech or non-tech.

Research shows that the U.S. has the strongest software industry. It has already 1.46 million software developers and the numbers are rising continuously. Software developers jobs in US is expected to rise by 22% till 2029. This shows hiring software developers from US companies can be a good idea to get a better outcome.

If you are serious about your investment and want successful software for your business then you should check out our useful software development checklist to know what you should consider and what not.

Why Choosing the Right Software Development Company is Crucial?

Choosing the right software company is the first and most important step that decides how your business will proceed in the future. As there is no one-size that fits all and every business is different in its own ways and might need different technologies to run the business.

It matters because if it is a non-tech, business, it might not need much technological expertise like AI, Machine learning, etc. hence, the overall budget is ultimately decreased. But if you keep future scalability in mind and rely on technical expertise then it's important to consider the technical expertise of the company you hire and their past projects.

Let's move to the software development checklist to explore useful factors for choosing the right software development company.

How to Choose the Right Software Development Company: A Step-by-Step Checklist

No matter whether you have the right knowledge of software or have experience in choosing the best software company, you may end up choosing the wrong company if you don't follow the proper checklist. Read the step-by-step checklist below to understand things more practically.

10 Checklist for Choosing the Right Software Development Company

1. ☑ Define Your Project Requirements

Before you approach any company, the first thing you need to do is figure out what type of software you want. This will need deep research from your side first then only you will be able to explain to the company about your vision and goals.

Let me sum up some very important points.

• Understand what problems your software will solve for business.
• What type of software do you need (web, mobile, custom, enterprise, etc.)
• What are the technology and functional requirements of the software
• Draft a Budget and Timeline

When you are clear with the above points, you can define your project requirements clearly to the stakeholders without any confusion.

✔ Pro Tip: Create a detailed document like a presentation with visuals and graphs before you go for discussing requirements.

2. ☑ Research and Shortlist Potential Companies

You can simply google and search companies by area, or check out websites like Clutch, Good Firms, up works, and more. Prioritize work quality rather than price because good work ultimately pays you in the end.

Let's get in-depth for this section!

✔ Directly jump on websites like Clutch, GoodFirms, Upwork, Fiver, etc. Almost all reputed companies have their account on these platforms so, you can easily check the reviews and the projects they have done to get more ideas.

✔ Take a suggestion from your friend or colleagues who have a good connection in the software development industry or if he/she has worked with any company earlier.

✔ To get better quality results, search by keywords like “top software development companies in [industry]". This will give you accurate results industry-wise.

Once your searching and shortlisting is done. Consider these criteria to shortlist the best ones.

✔ Consider their technical expertise and experience in creating similar software like yours.

✔ Check their reputation by checking reviews and ratings on verified third-party platforms. You can also connect to their previous clients to enquire how their work was etc.

✔ Check the company size and structure whether they have enough developers to handle your project within your timeline.

✔ Understand their work process, flows, strategies, and other factors. This might seem common but impacts the overall experience.

3. ☑ Evaluate Their Expertise and Technical Skills

If you have industry-specific needs for software, then visit their official website to check their experience and expertise in working with industry-based softwares and technologies they specialize in. Like if you are making software for:

✔ Healthcare, you need to check their expertise in HIPAA-compliant solutions.

✔ In retail, you must look for skills in POS systems and inventory management.

✔ If it's fintech, it's important that experts know about secure payment gateways and blockchain.

✔ Other than this, evaluate their technical skills in Front-End Development: React.js, Angular, or Vue.js for engaging and responsive interfaces.

✔ The back-end is the heart of software so also check fluency with the back-end technologies such as Node.js, Ruby on Rails, or Django for strong server-side functionality.

✔ If your need is a mobile app, check expertise in Swift, Kotlin, or Flutter for native and cross-platform apps.

✔ To future-proof your software, also consider the Internet of Things (IoT), artificial intelligence, and blockchain to stay ahead of innovation.

✔ Plus, if they have Certifications and Accreditations like ISO 9001 or CMMI Level 3, this can be a huge plus point.

4. ☑ Analyze Their Development Methodology

The development methodology affects the project execution and its delivery. Every company chooses a different methodology according to the project alignment. 

Ask what SDLCs they have implemented before. Generally, every software development has this cycle.

✔  Requirement Gathering: Ensuring your needs are well-understood and documented.

✔  System Design: This includes creating a blueprint according to the software's architecture.

✔  Development: In this stage, developers write code to build the software.

✔  Testing: In this phase, QA and testers test bugs to ensure quality and reliability.

✔  Deployment and Maintenance: At last, after successful testing and quality assurance, the software is launched and updated as required.

✔ Pro Tips: If your project is not fixed and might need frequent changes, opt for Agile or Scrum. If you have fixed requirements, then waterfall works well for your software needs.

5. ☑ Examine Client Reviews and Testimonials

Client reviews and testimonials speak a lot about the company's reputation. You may find a mix of negative and positive reviews online. But there are some genuine ones too. Below are a few places you can check.

• Check company business profiles on Google and read reviews from there.
• Look for reviews on aggregator sites like Clutch, GoodFirms, or Upwork.
• Cross-check Social Media by visiting their company’s social media profiles, where they might showcase Google reviews or testimonials.
• Also, watch YouTube videos related to the company and its customers if they have reviewed them.

6. ☑ Assess Communication and Collaboration

Clear communication can make any problem easy to solve. Look for the modes of communication tools and their availability, and how openly they discuss and solve the issues.

Understand their mindset and culture fit, and pick the company that aligns with your mentality and culture for easygoing.

✔ Pro tip: avoid the companies that prefer to communicate via email. (this can be a red flag )

If you choose foreign countries to work with, there can be time-zone differences so consider these important points:

• Ease of communication: Make sure the company is easily reachable through communication tools like Skype, Zoom, etc.
• Real-time updates: Make sure the company is using good project management tools like Slack, Trello, etc so you can easily measure project progress and check real-time updates.
• Transparency and Accountability: Make sure the team communicates everything transparently in these tools to keep the project execution neat and clean. 

7. ☑ Review Security and IP Protection

Consider security and IP protection as a priority if you are choosing to work with any outsourcing company. Hence make sure to read the contract properly before signing the NDA and NCA if it's an outsourcing company.

• Look for companies that comply with regulations like GDPR or HIPAA and make sure they are using secure servers with encrypted communication channels.
• Understand what security measures they follow and make very clear about the ownership of software source code. You can also consult a legal person and sign an NDA on paper to make sure everything is on legal paper. 

8. ☑ Evaluate Cost and Payment Terms

Based on the above factors we discussed, software development costs may fluctuate but always focus on quality software rather than cost. Go through their pricing models and based on your project, choose one that fits your needs and budget.

Usually, there are four pricing models in software development:

• Time and material pricing model: This is the most flexible model but it needs continuous client involvement. Here client only pays for the time and resources spent on the software development.
• Dedicated team pricing model: This model is a popular choice for large enterprise that wants proper execution of project. Here everything is managed by dedicated team with expertise to carry everything smoothly.
• Fixed cost pricing model: This model has a fixed price and timeline where developers start work when requirements are clear. This model is not very flexible.
• Mixed pricing model: It is a hybrid model where you can customize the development aspects as per your project needs.
• Other than this, also consider in-house, outsource, nearshore different pricing models and consider budget, control, communication, quality assurance and many other factors to get the accurate cost evaluation.

Read more: In-House vs Outsourcing Software Development: What’s Best for Your Business?

✔ Pro Tip: Apply your pure negotiation skills here. It's suggested to avoid full payment at first and begin with mile-stone-based payments if you are working for the first time.

9. ☑ Confirm Post-Development Support and Maintenance

With the evolving technologies, there can be updates and the software might not work properly or face bugs. Make sure to be clear with the companies whether the post-development support and maintenance is included in the quotation.

Usually, most companies offer support and maintenance for up to 6 months or a year depending on the app's complexity. You must check for post-deployment and post-release testing to future-proof your software and allow users use to it happily,

1. Post-deployment testing: testing done after the software is deployed to find any bugs that occurred after deployment.
2. Post-release testing: this testing is done after every new release or software update. It required continuous monitoring to make sure the software fulfills real-world requirements.

10. ☑ Make an Informed Decision

In the end, it's what you decide. Consider all the above factors and prepare a comparison table, this will give you a clear idea of what is better for your business and what’s not.

Rate every company according to its expertise, communication, pricing models, reviews, and other essential factors. By looking at the table, you can easily break down your choice clearly.

And most importantly, gut feeling is never wrong so trust your inner instincts. If you feel anything suspicious about the company or don't feel like working with them, simply refuse it rather than regretting later.

Checklist with Latest Software Development Industry Standards

Other than the checklist, you should also check the latest industry standards. Advanced technologies like AI, ML, etc can develop smarter and scalable software.

✅Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) Integration

As you know AI is a famous technology in today's time. Explore companies that specialize in AI-driven solutions and machine learning to automate and speed up the development process.

This might look costly to you but it's a great investment to future-proof your software and add value to your business in a long time.

✔ Pro Tip: Ask for case studies or demos of past projects in which they have used AI/ML to solve business problems.

✅ Low-Code and No-Code Development

If you want to quickly launch the software in the market, opting for low-code and no-code development is best. Look for companies that are proficient in tools like Bubble, OutSystems, or Medix. 

By launching the product earlier in the market, you can create a good set mark compared to your competitor.

✔ Pro Tip: check their portfolio for successful low-code and no-code development applications.

✅ Cloud Computing and Services

Cloud computing services and tools make development much easier by providing easy access from anywhere. This is especially a big plus point when the teams are working remotely.

So also look for expertise in platforms like AWS, Azure, or Google Cloud when you are searching for software companies.

✔ Pro Tip: Hire a software developer who has AWS, Azure, or Google Cloud. Certifications.

✅Cybersecurity Focus

look for a company that takes cyber security seriously and has expertise in penetration testing and how to use other advanced security tools. Having secure software is crucial so make sure you ask them what secure coding practices they are following for cyber security.

✔ Pro Tip: make a clear discussion about the security protocols they offer and compliance with regulations like GDPR or HIPAA.

✅Blockchain Technology

If you belong to the finance, logistics, or healthcare industry, choose a company that is experienced in blockchain technology. This helps to have secure transactions and prevent software from unauthorized access.

✔ Pro Tip: if you want software for finance or logistics business, check their expertise in building decentralized applications (dApps) or implementing smart contracts.

Conclusion

The company you choose will always influence your business. It affects your reputation, finances, customer satisfaction and more. Decision-making is a process that gives rise to a high level of distress due to the fact that you cannot foresee the outcome. Each software firm has its own identity, its strengths, and weaknesses in expertise and different work approaches. However, there is a chance that you can still obtain good results by considering the above checklist.

Do not be fooled by these companies that offer you very cheap quotations because there might be some hidden issue that comes with it. Therefore, always pay attention to quality which is a surety of a stronger business.

If you are looking for software development, Maneksoft can be the choice that you won't regret. Don't believe it? Speak with our team today and they will give you more clarity about your software idea.