Awards of the best IT outsourcing companies: how to be a winner?

In our highly competitive business world, finding a reliable partner among IT outsourcing companies is an indispensable part of successful project delivery. However, choosing the one which offers the technology and domain expertise you are looking for and understands your business goals is a challenging task. Industry recognition is one of the vital criteria you need to consider while choosing a software outsourcing vendor.

The most recognized industry awards take into account such factors as client references, industry presence, growth, social responsibility, and many more. Thus they help you to make a more grounded and reasonable decision. Furthermore, you should consider such factors as compliance with quality and security standards, membership in international business associations, and a company’s contribution to the development of the IT community.

1) Top industry awards of the best IT outsourcing companies

Here are the key criteria for identifying the most reliable IT awards and rankings:

• They exist for 10+ years. If an award exists for more than a decade, it means it has established credibility both from vendors, clients, and global outsourcing organizations.
• They evaluate a company based on a combination of metrics. To make a valid assessment of a company, it is crucial to take into account a wide range of different factors, including recent client’s feedback, industry presence, growth, and more.

To help you find the best IT outsourcing companies, we’ve compiled a list of the trustworthy industry awards which are a must-have for your IT outsourcing partner:

1. Global Outsourcing 100 (IAOP)

The Global Outsourcing 100 is an annual ranking of the best global IT outsourcing companies organized by IAOP. IAOP (International Association of Outsourcing Professionals) is the association which unites customers, outsourcing service providers, and advisors. It provides a whole-rounded assessment of the company’s operation across a wide range of criteria and aspects including the company’s innovativeness and social responsibility. The contenders are divided into Leaders (more than 50 million of revenue) and Rising Stars.

Years of presence: 12

Participation: Global

To apply for the award, a participant needs to provide a synopsis describing a company (about 200 words) and fill in the application form based on the criteria.

Criteria:

1. Size and Growth factor is based on revenue, the number of delivery offices, and employees.
2. Customer References as demonstrated through a direct reference from a customer showing the value an outsourcing company delivered to them.
3. Awards & Certifications as shown through industry recognition and organizational certifications.
4. Programs for Innovation as demonstrated through specific programs, unique innovation approach to services, and the value they bring to the customer.
5. Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) as shown through corporate programs which are targeted at community development, labor practices, human rights, fair operating practices, environmental involvement, consumer issues, organizational governance, and more.

N-iX (Ukraine), Accenture (UK), Itransition (Belarus) and other companies were included in 2017 Global Outsourcing 100. Also, it’s worth mentioning that every year at least 10 software development companies from Ukraine make it to the IAOP list of top outsourcing providers.

2. GSA UK Awards

GSA UK Awards is the annual listing which recognizes the leading IT outsourcing companies for their sourcing excellence. The Global Sourcing Association is the non-profit association which shares the best practices, trends, and connections in the sourcing industry across the globe.

Years of presence: 9

Participation: UK-based companies or companies working with the UK-based businesses.

To give you an example, here are the criteria for the category of the best outsourcing provider of the year:

• Strategy (describing a company’s strategic vision);
• Partnership approach (approach to communication, talent management, demonstrating flexibility);
• Benefits realization (demonstrate the value delivered throughout all stages of at least 2 recent client projects);
• Best practice and governance (demonstrating use of the GSA’s Global Sourcing Standard, detailing a vendor’s contribution to clients and the outsourcing industry );
• Innovation (describing what makes a company different from the rest of the providers).

N-iX has been recognized by GSA UK 2017 Awards as a finalist in five categories including Telecom, Digital Transformation, and ITO project of the year.

3. IT Europa Award

IT Europa’s European IT & Software Excellence Awards acknowledges the best practices implemented in customer solutions by Systems Integrators, Solution VARs, MSPs, and ISVs across Europe.

Years of presence: 9

Participation: Europe

If a company wants to apply for the award, they need to describe in detail the key project objectives, usage of best practices to achieve them, and ultimate value brought to a client. The categories:

N-iX has been shortlisted as a finalist in three categories for 9th annual European IT & Software Excellence Award for its excellence and innovative approach.

4. Clutch

It is important that an IT outsourcing vendor has Clutch profile and rankings in several categories pertinent to your focus of interest. Some of the categories: Top developers, Top web developers, Top Outsourcing Providers, Top Software Testing companies, and many more. Those rankings are based on direct clients’ references and interviews and indicate the reliability of a vendor.

To provide companies with a list of the best services providers, Clutch leverages the leaders’ matrix. Service providers are mapped based on their areas of focus and their proven ability to deliver.

They consider such criteria as:

• References and reviews (feedback from current and former clients);
• Clients and experience (the client portfolio and types of projects completed for those clients);
• Market presence (accolades, marketing presence, reputation, social media).

Clutch acknowledged N-iX in the following categories: Top 5 IT outsourcing companies 2017, Top Developers Poland 2017, Top Developers Ukraine 2017, Top Java Developers 2016, Top Web Developers 2016, Top Software Testing Firms 2015.

2) Membership of IT outsourcing companies in business associations

Membership in business associations streamlines business relationships and facilitates cooperation with foreign clients. Furthermore, it indicates reliability and trustworthiness in the international business community.

We understand the benefits of participation in business associations based on our experience. N-iX is the Member of American Chamber of Commerce in Ukraine, European Business Association, the British-Ukrainian Chamber of Commerce, Norwegian-Ukrainian Chamber of Commerce, Chamber of Commerce in Canada, and Chamber of Commerce in Ukraine.

3) Contribution to the IT community

IT Arena 2017 co-organized by Lviv IT Cluster, N-iX, and other Ukrainian companies

As a company deeply involved in the development of the IT community we know that participation in regional and countrywide IT organizations enhances brand awareness. Furthermore, it reinforces employer reputation and helps to find qualified and experienced experts for projects in various technology and industry domains.

N-iX is one of the co-founders of Lviv IT Cluster and contributes to its activities. Lviv IT Cluster is a community of major information technology companies, which together with universities and local authorities take combined effort to promote the development of IT industry in the city and in the country. The key organization’s goal is to foster the Ukrainian IT industry, promote it at universities, conduct researches of the IT market, represent the country in international IT meetings, and more.

4) Meeting quality management and information security standards

Maintaining security standards is essential for being a market leader. When outsourcing software development to a third-party vendor, you should take it especially seriously. To guarantee that your future cooperation is performed in compliance with all information security and quality management guidelines, a company must have the following ISO certifications:

• ISO 9001 Certification proves that a company has efficient Quality Management Systems that streamline operation and facilitate customer relationships.

• ISO/IEC 27001 shows that the company performs in compliance with best practices of information security to avoid threats and ensure data storage security.

• The GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation) is a crucial item of legislation which consolidates and reinforces data protection laws within the European Union. The regulation will be enforceable on the 25th May 2018.

Wrap-up

Finding an IT outsourcing vendor which meets your technology needs and has a clear understanding of your business strategies is a challenging task. Industry recognition is one of the vital criteria which can help you to choose among many IT outsourcing companies. It includes such parameters as IT awards, membership in international and local business associations, contribution to the development of the IT community, compliance with quality management and information security standards, and more.