Software engineering consulting: benefits, use cases, and vendor selection tips

Nowadays, companies have to master the use of technology to stay ahead of the competition, improve productivity, and meet customer demand. From building customer-facing applications to creating internal systems that automate business processes, custom software development has a significant impact on a company's success. However, the process can be challenging, especially for companies without an internal development team or limited technical expertise—that's when consulting comes to the rescue.

Software engineering consulting can provide companies with the business and technical knowledge required, valuable insights, and expertise they may lack. Technology consulting services help companies identify their software development needs, develop effective strategies, and implement best practices to ensure successful project outcomes. 

Let us take a closer look at software engineering consulting, identify the roles and explore the value of professional consulting services for your business.

What are the core responsibilities of software engineering consultants?

Software consulting companies have various approaches to providing their services. Nevertheless, their main objective is to provide technical recommendations to their clients and navigate their cloud journey. Renowned consulting and software development companies typically have a technology office or a similar unit that provides these services and oversees future development activities. At N-iX, our consulting services include:

1. Requirement elicitation: Our consulting team works closely with clients to understand their needs and goals. This information is then used to find the optimal solution to help bring the client's business to the next level in their digital transformation journey.
2. Strategy & roadmapping: Once the requirements have been gathered, our consultants create an action plan to develop a solution and achieve the expected results. After the team will come up with one or several possible solutions that would suit the client's business, however, the final decision is in the client's hands.
3. Solution assessment: To ensure the feasibility and marketability of the solution, it is important to assess the practicality of the ideas within the client's time and budget constraints.
4. Prototyping and R&D: Whether the client needs a PoC, an advanced prototype, or complex R&D—our engineers can create a prototype to verify all the requirements and/or validate their idea.
5. Coordination of development: Our consulting team will help clients adopt the best software product development practices to benefit their business in the long run.

Why should you partner with an external technology consulting company?

And while the overall benefits of partnering with an external vendor may seem obvious, we want to focus on some specific aspects. While working with a software consultant, the client can:

• Access high-skilled experts: Software development consultants have extensive knowledge and experience in software development and can provide valuable insights into the industry’s best practices, help with compliances, and more. These experts can also help you identify the latest technologies and trends, as well as the best strategies for software development, which can help your business stay ahead of the competition and develop more successful products.
• Improve the development process: Technology advisors can help companies streamline their development processes, reduce inefficiencies, and improve productivity. They can guide project management, the development process itself, and quality assurance processes. With that expertise in hand, you can achieve faster product releases, higher quality products, and reduced costs.
• Reduce risks and improve product quality: A trusted consulting partner can help businesses identify and mitigate risks, improve product quality, and reduce the likelihood of project failure. Technology advisors can conduct risk assessments, develop risk mitigation strategies, and provide guidance on quality assurance processes to ensure that products are delivered to the highest standards.
• Boost innovation and competitive advantage: A good vendor can help your business stay ahead by developing innovative solutions and leveraging emerging technologies. They will also design and implement innovation and product differentiation strategies, which can help companies stand out in crowded markets and increase their market share.
• Address resource constraints: Companies may not have the necessary resources, including time, knowledge, and personnel, to develop software products efficiently. In such a case, the advisory partner will have to come up with a strategy to maximize the use of the available resources. Also, consultants can help businesses develop a plan to acquire additional resources. This plan will help you secure additional funding or identify possible sources of capital. 
• Design a clear development strategy: Companies may not have a clear vision or a roadmap for the development process, which can result in confusion, delays, and cost overruns. Tech advisors can help businesses design a clear development strategy by providing insights into the current state of the organization and how various technology solutions can help.

Overall, software engineering consulting is a valuable opportunity that can provide companies with expert guidance, support, and resources to develop top-tier software products. 

Read more: Top 12 tech consulting firms for your digital transformation journey 

N-iX case studies: How technology consulting helps our clients

With over two decades of experience, we have worked with numerous industry leaders and Fortune 500 companies. Several successful companies have used software engineering consulting services at N-iX to achieve their goals—let us share these two client success stories: 

• Technology consulting and development partnership with Lebara

In 2014, Lebara, a global telecom company with 5M customers, searched for a team to bring together a variety of skills. In order to ensure scalability, agility, and a faster time-to-market, the company needed to upgrade their existing IT infrastructure and engage in a comprehensive digital transformation. After evaluating the available options, Lebara decided to choose N-iX as their partner for technology consulting, development, and support services.

Lebara requested an audit from the N-iX Solution Group to assess the performance, processes, architecture, and transparency of its five teams. This two-week audit helped to identify any gaps or bottlenecks and formulate recommendations to reduce costs and improve efficiency. These recommendations were divided into four categories: quick actions, architecture-driven actions, leadership actions, and cross-team recommendations. As a result, our partner received an independent, comprehensive report that included all the identified issues and allowed them to create a strategic roadmap for the IT department.

• Assisting European automotive leader with digital transformation

The client is a leading automotive technology company with over 70 years of experience in the development and optimization of powertrain systems for passenger cars, commercial vehicles, construction, locomotive, aviation, marine, and more. The company needed to build a SaaS platform that would standardize and streamline the development of products by different departments while helping to reduce costs. To do this, they first had to validate the product idea, measure its ROI, and mitigate potential risks. 

To do this, N-iX experts carried out a Business Strategy Discovery, which included a comparative analysis of two scenarios: 

• A case where a department develops a solution as a SaaS platform; 
• A case where it develops a solution on its own. 

Additionally, N-iX specialists conducted interviews with the client’s teams to understand the client’s business needs and the functionality of each solution better. Moreover, they conducted a number of workshops to formulate the product vision and develop the value proposition canvas. With the software engineering consultancy services provided by N-iX, the client adopted the evidence-based decision-making approach to navigate the changing market and mitigate risks.

Choosing the right software engineering consultancy partner

When selecting engineering consultants, it is important to consider several factors, including:

1. Expertise and experience: When selecting a software engineering consultant, it is important to consider what they know, what they have worked with, and what were the results of their previous projects. Look for consultants with a proven track record of success in software development with experience working on projects similar to yours. It's important to check their references. You can review the client’s feedback on their services, check their case studies, and see their rating on several ranking websites. This information will help you shortlist the potential vendors for your consulting needs.
2. Flexibility and adaptability: Software development projects can be complex and unpredictable, and it's essential to work with a consultant who can adapt to changing requirements and unforeseen challenges. Select a software engineering consultancy vendor who is willing to listen to your input and ideas and incorporate them into the project plan as necessary. They also should be able to account for uncertainties and plan ahead considering potential changes. 
3. Portfolio of similar projects: It's important to explore the solutions or services that potential vendors have carried out. It is a good sign if they have consulting projects, Products Discoveries, business and technical consulting success stories. While contacting a selected vendor (or pre-selected vendors) make sure to ask about specific services you are interested in.
4. Domain expertise: Check whether the potential vendors have experience working within your industry. This might be critical when it comes to things like compliances, proper data management, security, and other things that can vary from one business vertical to another. 
5. Knowledge sharings and transfers: Ask if a potential vendor offers training, workshops, and knowledge transfers once the project is over. This will give you a better understanding of their operations and the way they treat their customers. A trusted vendor would never keep this critical information from you or won’t refuse to share it with your stakeholders.
6. Communication skills: Effective communication is essential for successful collaboration between the consultant and your team. They should be able to clearly communicate project updates, expectations, and any issues that may arise. Good communication ensures that everyone is on the same page, which can help prevent misunderstandings and reduce project delays.

Selecting the right software engineering consulting partner is essential to the success of your project. By considering the consultant's expertise, communication skills, flexibility, and cooperation models, you can find the right partner for your needs and ensure a successful collaboration.

Why choose N-iX as your software engineering consulting partner?

• With over 21+ years of experience in the industry, N-iX is a reliable global vendor known for its expertise in tech consulting, software development, and strategy execution.
• N-iX offers a wide range of tech consulting services, including Cloud, Data & Analytics, Data Science and Machine Learning, Embedded Software and IoT, and Robotic Process Automation.
• N-iX has an impressive portfolio of tech consulting projects, having worked with Lebara, AVL, OVO Energy, as well as various Fortune 500 companies.
• The company has earned a reputation as a trusted service provider, evident through numerous accolades and industry ratings, such as IAOP, GSA, CRN Solution Provider 500, Clutch, and more.
• N-iX follows international industry standards, such as ISO 27001, ISO 9001, PCI/DSS, and GDPR, to ensure the highest level of quality and security for their clients.