Mobile app development outsourcing has become a go-to option for companies seeking to enhance their competitiveness and innovation. With the ever-increasing demand for mobile solutions, businesses are turning to outsourcing to reduce costs, access top talent, and accelerate time to market. But these aren’t the only benefits of this approach.
This article explores how outsourcing mobile app development can improve your business outcomes and provides actionable insights on navigating the process successfully. Let’s dive in!
Benefits of mobile app development outsourcing
Mobile app development outsourcing is a path to innovation and operational excellence for SMEs and enterprises. Let’s explore how this approach transforms project dynamics and enhances overall outcomes.
Reduced costs
According to the Deloitte Survey, 79% of businesses outsource app and software development to reduce costs associated with hiring and onboarding, office rent and hardware, employee benefits, and offboarding. In addition, hiring mobile app developers from other countries can cost you less due to the difference in the cost of living in different locations.
Access to top mobile developers
Outsourcing mobile app development helps businesses access a vast talent pool of skilled developers with extensive experience and expertise in different technologies and industries. By matching their specific requirements with the most suitable developers, businesses ensure the success of their app projects, leading to high-quality, innovative mobile solutions.
On-demand team extension
By choosing outsourcing, the company can quickly scale its development teams according to project requirements. This flexibility allows businesses to access additional talent resources without the costs of hiring full-time employees. This way, the companies can efficiently manage fluctuations in project workload and ensure timely delivery of mobile app development projects.
Smooth onboarding
Smooth onboarding is a key benefit of outsourcing, as experienced partners streamline the process of integrating new team members seamlessly into existing workflows. It ensures minimal disruption to project timelines and facilitates efficient collaboration between in-house and outsourced teams.
Faster time to hire
Outsourcing vendors access pre-vetted talent pools, which reduces the time spent on recruitment and onboarding. At N-iX, for example, it takes 3-4 weeks to fill in the position or assemble the whole development team.
Expedited product launch
With established outsourcing partnerships, businesses can swiftly assemble teams and initiate projects, accelerating time to market for their mobile apps. This agility in hiring enables companies to seize market opportunities promptly and outperform the competition.
Focus on business development
By delegating app development tasks, companies can allocate more resources and attention to expanding their market reach, fostering client relationships, and driving revenue growth. This strategic focus on business development enhances overall productivity and competitiveness in the market.
These benefits are easily achievable if you have a solid outsourcing plan. Let’s uncover the key strategies and insights to help you navigate mobile application development effectively.
How to launch a successful mobile app development outsourcing project
Regardless of the industry you’re building your app for, these five tips will help you streamline the outsourcing process.
1. Define the project scope and goals
To launch an effective mobile app development project, define objectives, solution functionalities, and its target audience. Here’s what you need to include:
- Target audience: internal (employees), external (customers);
- Mobile app type: internal enterprise or customer-facing app;
- Mobile app development platform: Native (Android, iOS), cross-platform, progressive;
- Scope of the mobile app development process you plan to outsource: end-to-end development, UI/UX, app architecture design, prototyping, QA, etc.;
- Technical requirements: tech constraints, compatibility, integration;
- Measurable KPIs to track project progress: milestones, deliverables, completed tasks;
- Realistic timeline, milestones, and deadlines;
- Desired outcomes and functionality.
2. Choose the right outsourcing option
Offshore, nearshore, and onshore outsourcing are the most common options. When selecting the ideal one, evaluate cost, timezone, and cultural alignment. You should also factor in communication preferences and desired levels of control and involvement in the development process.
Read more: Outsourcing vs outstaffing: Which suits your project best?
3. Define the criteria for the best outsourcing vendor
These criteria should reflect your business preferences and project specifics. For example, if your project requires close cooperation between the extended and in-house teams, you should include geographical location as a choice criterion and opt for a tech partner in the same or similar time zone.
However, the location isn’t the only criteria to base your search on. Other may include:
- Budget;
- Tech skills needed;
- Desired timeline;
- Partnerships with cloud computing and enterprise platform providers like AWS, Microsoft, SAP, etc.;
- Previous client testimonials.
You can apply other criteria that are important to your business model. For example, if you want your outsourcing partner to follow similar sustainability approaches towards business operations, you can feature it among the factors.
4. Choose the software development company
Once you know what kind of company you want to partner with and what you plan to delegate, it’s time to choose the one. Usually, the businesses find the outsourcing partners by:
- Referrals;
- B2B platform searches like Clutch and GoodFirms;
- Personal acquaintances;
- Web search.
We recommend narrowing your list to 5-10 companies and arranging short introductory meetings with the selected vendors to discuss your outsourcing options. If you plan on scaling mobile apps and introducing new technologies in the future, consider choosing a software development company that is skilled in the target technology.
5. Sign a non-disclosure agreement (NDA)
Signing an NDA should precede disclosing any information about your project. It obliges the teams to whom you’re disclosing the information to treat it as confidential regardless of further business interactions. Moreover, it spares you potential legal issues associated with such data being disclosed to non-related parties.
The most challenging part of the outsourcing process is to choose the tech company for the job. Here are a few proven tips on how to find a reliable tech partner and outsource mobile app development with confidence.
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Useful tips for choosing the right outsourcing partner
These seven tips will help you choose the outsourcing partner wisely and ensure the success of your mobile app development project.
Tip 1: Make sure the vendor meets your initial requirements
Create a list of non-negotiable requirements for your mobile app development project and sift the chosen vendors through them. This will help you narrow the choice of companies that deliver the best business value and follow the same business principles and priorities essential to your specific environment. It will also increase the likelihood of getting a solution that meets your expectations on your terms.
Tip 2: Check if it has extensive experience in software development outsourcing
Experience in building specific mobile apps and collaborating with in-house teams demonstrates the vendor's ability to navigate complexities, meet deadlines, and deliver necessary results. Previous projects have given the outsourcing team valuable insights and will help it build the best practices to optimize the development process for your app.
For example, if you’re looking to outsource mobile retail and marketplace app development, N-iX is a great fit for the job, as we have already developed a similar solution for a large UK-based fashion retailer. We also build enterprise iOS mobile apps to increase the users' efficiency by up to 50%.
Tip 3: Check the company’s tech expertise
It’s better to assess the vendor’s tech expertise before signing the contract. This way, you can choose to team up with a company that can integrate any technology into your app in the future. It will save you time and resources associated with the vendor search. In addition, it enables smoother mobile app optimization in the future as they have the resources to support it.
Related: How to succeed with your fintech mobile app development
Tip 4: Opt for long-term partnerships
If you plan a complex project, focusing on a long-term partnership with the same company is better for a few reasons.
Firstly, looking for other mobile app development teams will save time and costs. Secondly, your tech partner already knows your product’s specifics and business approach, which could take extra time to reach the same level of understanding with the new teams. Thirdly, working with a reliable company can give you the confidence to plan further improvements.
Before choosing the outsourcing tech company, ensure you pick the one that focuses on and has resources for long-term cooperation rather than delivering a single project.
Tip 5: Analyze the vendor’s cooperation models
This step helps align the tech company’s approach with your project requirements and preferences. It also allows you to choose the model that best suits your budget, timeline, and level of control. This proactive evaluation minimizes misunderstandings and maximizes collaboration throughout the development process.
At N-iX, we offer Extended Team, Managed Team, and Custom Solution Development. In addition, we do Technology Consulting to assist you in choosing the right approach, tech stack, and workflows to build a mobile app.
Tip 6: Review customer ratings and past projects
It will give you insights into their reputation, reliability, and service quality. It allows you to assess their portfolio, client satisfaction levels, and ability to deliver successful projects. Also, consider getting feedback from previous clients to make informed decisions and select a trustworthy partner that aligns with your goals and expectations.
Tip 7: Inquire about their security procedures
Learning about the security procedures of mobile app development outsourcing companies is crucial for safeguarding sensitive data and protecting your intellectual property. It helps ensure industry standards and regulations compliance, mitigates cybersecurity risks, and enhances overall project security. By understanding the security measures, you can make informed decisions and choose a partner prioritizing data protection and confidentiality.
For example, if you target the European market, make sure the company you’re outsourcing the mobile app development to is GDPR-compliant. If you plan to build an ecommerce application, you should partner with software companies that are compliant with PCI DSS and SOC 2 requirements.
Common concerns regarding mobile app development outsourcing (and how to avoid them)
The companies hesitating to outsource mobile app development have some concerns regarding the process. Here are a few most common ones and what you can do to prevent these scenarios.
Miscommunication
Miscommunication is one of the fears businesses face when considering outsourcing. It can occur due to cultural or language barriers, leading to misunderstandings and delays.
N-iX tip: To mitigate this risk, hire developers with high English proficiency. Also, set up clear communication channels and schedule frequent updates throughout the project.
Time difference
Time difference between the locations of in-house and outsourcing teams can pose coordination and project management challenges.
N-iX tip: To address this issue, establish overlapping working hours or implement tools for asynchronous communication. Also, consider hiring nearshore, as it will help you align the schedules more efficiently.
Breach of confidential data
It can have severe consequences for your business, such as fines and reputation damage. The businesses worry that the outsourcing teams can’t provide the required level of security.
N-iX tip: Choose an outsourcing partner with robust security measures, such as encryption protocols and strict access controls, to safeguard sensitive information. Also, make sure you inquire about the data transfer and storage.
Lack of post-development support
Lack of post-development support is another common worry, as ongoing maintenance and updates are essential for the long-term success of your mobile app. If you choose developers that cover only the development process, you’ll have to hire a new maintenance team soon, which means spending extra time and costs again.
N-iX tip: Prioritize outsourcing partners that offer comprehensive support services, including maintenance, troubleshooting, and updates. This will allow your app to continue functioning and being relevant after its launch.
Partner with N-iX to outsource mobile app development risk-free
Mobile app development outsourcing with N-iX helps businesses delegate development processes and focus on business strategy and growth. With 21 years of experience and over 160 projects delivered annually, we've proven our ability to develop quality solutions across diverse industries.
Our team of 2,200 skilled engineers ensures efficient project execution. To strengthen data security and protection, N-iX complies with international standards like PCI DSS, SOC 2, FSQS, CyberGRX, ISO 9001:2008, ISO 27001, ISO/IEC 27701:2019, and GDPR.
We’ve established long-lasting partnerships with global enterprises and Fortune 500 companies, demonstrating our capability to build complex mobile apps to solve technological challenges at scale. N-iX builds robust mobile apps for businesses from finance, manufacturing, logistics, retail, telecom, automotive, and other industries.
Our full-cycle mobile app development services cover everything from conceptualization to post-launch support, ensuring a seamless experience for our clients and their customers. Contact N-iX to discuss how our experience and skills in mobile app development can be of service!
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