Henry Ford once said, “Coming together is a beginning, staying together is progress, and working together is a success.”
This quote excellent describes software development partnerships. If you can build a strong partnership, you will avoid many potential hassles of changing your software development vendor.
Read the article How to Change Your Software Development Vendor.
If you want to build a high-quality and lasting relationship with your software development partner, you should read this article.
How to Build an Effective Software Development Partnership: 5 Key Steps
As a company with extensive experience working with partners around the world, JetSoftPro shares knowledge to help you build a win-win software development partnership:
Step 1. Think about documentation from the very beginning
At the negotiation stage, discuss with the software development vendor all the necessary points related to documents, for example, if you need to sign NDA. Check that the contract identifies the responsibilities of each side and clauses for all possible conflict situations.
Step 2. Provide all necessary information about your project and your goals
You need to describe your business process and expectations in as much detail as possible and provide the context of why you are looking for a software development solution.
Step 3. Discuss the details of the work: project duration, work schedule, budget, risks, reporting system, etc.
Step 4. Hold regular meetings
To stay on the same page with the software development vendor, you need to communicate. This will help you track progress and get feedback.
Avoid micromanagement because it slows down and destroys the value of outsourcing. If you need to micromanage — change the vendor!
Step 5. Trust your partner
If you can’t trust your vendor, it’s worth finding someone who can convince you that they have a better understanding of the development process and can demonstrate regular interim results.
Checklist of Questions to Ask a Software Development Vendor
Here are some questions you need to ask your software development vendor after the first week of working together, so you know things are going well:
- Is everything clear in the task? Do you have any questions about the project or its features?
- Do you need more specific information from us/our company?
- How many hours did you spend this week, and what did you manage to do?
- Are the previous terms of project implementation relevant?
- What are you currently working on, and what do you plan to do next week?
It’s Time to Build a Reliable Software Development Partnership
Remember that partnerships work both ways. Therefore, if you want to build a good software development partnership, you must be a good partner too. This means you must communicate, listen, cooperate and stick to agreed rules.
If you have questions about software development partnerships or are looking for an experienced and reliable partner for your product, feel free to contact us.
