The Most Important Questions You Should Ask Your Software Development Partner

When you set off on a development project, more than anything, the aim is to ensure success. And, try as hard as one might, the fact remains that there's always a chance of failure unless you find a qualified development partner who thoroughly understands your requirements. Now, the way to make sure that you get the ideal service provider for your software development project is sharing the appropriate information to enable an informed decision. Now, if you are thinking how you can do that, the answer is quite straightforward: ask the right questions. No matter how many terrific things you may have heard about the development partner, it is still essential to make sure that they are the right match for you and your project. While questions such as those about billing practices, contracts, delivery timeline, rates, and more are vital, they aren't sufficient to help a business decide if the partner fits their development needs. So, to help you out, we collated a list of the most critical questions you must ask the development partners you shortlist.1. Ask about the company and the team that will work on your project: Be sure to see how long they have been in the business to gauge their experience. Ask about how many developers they have since this will help you assess if bandwidth will be an issue.2. Ask about the experience of working on similar projects: Ensure that you also focus on the partner's familiarity with working on similar technical stacks, industries, and product features among others.3. Ask how to ensure the requirement is fully understood: There often tends to be a gap between what the business wants and what the partner delivers. Hence, it is crucial they completely understand your requirements, which means gaining a clear understanding of not only the issues plaguing the business, but also the budget, objectives, and timeline.4. Enquire about development process: A consummate partner will have a reliable method in place that enables consistency as well as quality control. Make sure their process is attentive and based on experience and best practices. It would also be wise to ensure their process focuses on providing value-add ideas and evidence-based point of view.5. Understand the communication process: For the success of a development project, open communication and transparency across the entire design and development process are vital. Moreover, without established communication protocols, a partner can’t be trusted to identify issues and resolve them promptly. So, make sure that the partner tells you who, when, and how will communicate with you. It wouldn't hurt to also ask about who the primary points of contact (POC) will be; the format of updates and when to expect them; and any specific tools they use.There is no denying that there is an abundance of software business partners in the market. However, if you ask the right questions, it won't be too hard to decide who is right for your business. Though you are likely to come across myriad highly qualified partners, never forget that the primary consideration is that they MUST fit your business' unique requirements.

Olivia Johnson is a technical writer, love to share stuffs related to technology & development.