How to ĐĄhoose a Software Development Company For Outsourcing?
Software development rushes towards outsourcing. Now, there are more than 27,000+ agencies on Clutch â one of the biggest IT outsourcing platforms. And the number is only growing.
But with the range this wide, choosing a software development company becomes a real challenge. Especially when youâre putting lots of money, time and effort into the project and want a qualified team to take care of it.
Thatâs why weâve made a guide explaining how to choose a software vendor. Good enough to fulfill your tech and non-tech requirements.
Stage One: Basic Research
Letâs imagine youâre picking an IT firm among a few candidates. One appears to have great expertise, another worked on projects in a similar domain. And there's the one your friend recommends.
The best option here is not picking blindly. Instead, spend a few hours on proper and careful research â from a companyâs website to reviews on outsourcing platforms like Clutch or GoodFirms.
Weâve divided the process into three stages:
- Basic research.
- Tech research.
- Face-to-face meeting.
Letâs review them one by one, starting with the basic information.
Portfolio
When choosing a software development company, the very first thing to do is dig into their previous projects. Thatâs how you check their knowledge of specific technologies, experience with various domains, countries, and so on.
Besides, there's always a good chance of finding a case similar to your project. For instance, if the company developed an on-demand app like UberEats, they do know how to deal with Core Location framework or synchronization via API.

Portfolio example by Cleveroad
Client Reviews
Companies love putting reviews from satisfied customers on the main page. Which is quite a good idea â thatâs how newcomers can quickly check what people say about their services.
But how to choose a software development company that has real reviews written by their clients?
You may reach out to some of these people and ask them to share their experience of cooperation with the firm. Most wouldn't mind sharing, but there also is another, simpler way.
Check outsourcing platforms like Clutch, GoodFirms or Upwork for reviews from verified customers. Today, every respectable IT company has a profile on at least one of these platforms.
Never dealt with an outsourcing company? Check our comparison of 'In-House vs. Outsourced Development' and learn why the latter works.
There youâll find a ton of useful information like mentions of the issues clients faced while working with the team. All reviews get approval from the platformâs administration, so thereâs no chance the firmâs employees wrote them.

Choosing a software development company? Check Clutch for first-hand reviews!
ĐĄommunity Engagement
Involvement in both local and global IT community says a lot about the company.
Here are the signs you're dealing with a serious player:
- Companyâs employees speak at large-scale IT conferences
- Firm organizes workshops and meet-ups, online webinars, shares open-source tools
- Writes e-books, guides, blog publications
- Has certifications and awards

Awards and clients' feedback on the services
Blog and Social Media
A regularly updated blog or publications on social media prove the firm has something to share with a broader audience. For you, itâs a good way to check how in-depth is their knowledge in different fields.
But itâs not necessary to check their every blog post thoroughly, just look through the titles and topics. And pay attention to the publication date â new content should appear regularly.
As for social networks, the most popular platform for B2B companies is LinkedIn. If you're choosing a software development company, youâd want to gather as much info as you can. And their LinkedIn page helps you find the firm's description, location, number of employees, and lots of other details.

IT vendor should have a blog that's frequently updated
Development Methodology
Agile software development is todayâs gold standard. It's based on adaptive planning, early delivery, project updates, and communication tools.
This means you'll be aware of what's happening at any stage of project development.
But even if the company works in agile, ask whatâs your role in it. Every company understands agile methods a bit differently, so clarify everything beforehand.
Building an e-commerce solution? We have a list of15 best software development companies for you, check it out!
Thatâs it. This basic information is quite enough to figure out how experienced the company is, what domains they've worked at, what are the results, and what their clients think.
Stage Two: Tech Research
Lots of companies know how to make a great first impression. But how to choose a software vendor with solid tech skills?
If youâre tech-savvy or have a reliable consultant nearby (or a developer you can use as on), that wonât take much time. Here comes a small checklist weâve prepared.
Technologies
First, pay attention to technologies the company works with and consult whether they can be tailored to the needs of your project.
Different projects require different solutions, and sometimes the best-fitting company may not have experience areas the project explores (e.g., blockchain, AR/VR, AI).
Finally, the team must keep up with the latest technologies. Programming languages, frameworks, and tools change all the time, and itâs crucial to keep the eyes open.

How to choose a proper software vendor? Tech stack will speak for them.
GitHub
Github is a collaborative code hosting platform and a company's portfolio of code. Developers use it to show their coding skills, create code repositories, and manage their work.
On Github, you'll see whether the team delivers reusable, laconic and easy-readable code, how often it's updated, who contributed, and so on.

How a company's GitHub page looks like
Project Management Tools
Project management tools help teams to complete client's requirements, manage time and scope constraints. A reliable vendor contributes to transparency and may provide access to some of their project management tools.
The most popular are:
- Jira, bug, and issue tracking software that fills the gap between project managers and developers.
- *Key features:** issues types and attributes, screens, workflows, fields.
- Slack, an internal messaging tool that helps to monitor progress updates, code updates, system alerts, and so on.
- *Key features:** task list management, audio and video calls, integration with other tools (Trello, Jira, Google Drive, etc).
- Github, a code management platform where all code is maintained and documented.
- *Key features:** code review, documentation, integrations, pull requests, issues tracking.
- CircleCI, a continuous integration and delivery platform.
- *Key features**: monitoring, APIs, troubleshooting, workflows, resource class.
- Confluence, a content collaboration tool that helps teams share knowledge efficiently.
- *Key features:** rich text editor, feedback loop, organized workspaces, page and file versioning, templates

Project management tools most IT companies use
Stage Three: The Meeting
Letâs start with a small task for you. Before arranging a meeting with the selected vendor, collect as much information about your project as you can.
The must-haves are:
- Project idea in details
- Problems the product solves
- Questions and suggestions
- Any concepts, templates, wireframes made
Make sure to send the file with these details before the actual meeting, so that the company has enough time for checking.
Done? Time for meeting the team face-to-face!
Europe is the most cost-effective outsourcing destination. Check our 'European IT Services Market: Cost by Region' to find out why.
Still, a video call may be quite enough to understand:
- Companyâs business logic
- Security procedures
- Communication ways and tools
Now, about each in detail.
Business Logic
If youâve sent the full description of your project to the company, listen to what they say about it. And ask about their business logic. If the developers checked the data you sent, they would make their answer fit your project.
Discuss possible risks, ways to omit them, and hear what solutions theyâll offer. If there are no issues/questions at all, maybe they didn't find time to check your materials.
Security Matters
There's never too much security, especially when working with sensitive details like users' payment or personal data. A trustworthy IT vendor has an established security policy and full control over the process.
Besides, there's a globally recognized information security standard â ISO/IEC 27001 developed by International Organization for Standardization. It defines how to organize information security and helps companies evaluate security risks.
So in case youâre choosing a software development company and making a bet on security, consider only those IT companies that are compliant with ISO standards.
Communication Channels
When youâre dealing with an offshore team, communication is everything. So I suggest a few points to pay attention to.
Everyday communication
Ask how you will overview the workflow: what's the schedule of calls, what tracking tools they use, and who will you be meeting with â a Project Manager or a Team Leader?
Problem-solving approach
How to choose a software development company with good problem-solving skills? Think of a random issue (e.g., the application wonât run on a certain OS) and ask how the team is going to tackle it down. A solid plan of action and eagerness to solve the issue are the keystones of a good development team.
Work ethic
Make sure the people you're going to work with share your values and work ethic. The best way is asking a question about any tech aspect of your product and see how they're responding. If they are calm, polite, and make sure you get straight to the point â itâs a good match.
Additional Services
Software development doesnât end up with writing code. Imagine you're building a web app from scratch: you'll need more than front and back-end development.
First, if there is no ready-made design, you'll need UI/UX design services. Second, the app has to be tested for bugs and performance issues at each development stage which is a job of QA engineers.
Find out whether the software development company provides additional services like designing, testing, or mobile app development. After all, having one teamwork on the entire project saves you time, and time is money.
Why Outsource to Cleveroad
Cleveroad provides high-end software development services for reasonable prices and focuses on long-term cooperation.
Why choose us as your software development company? We have 5+ years of experience in delivering projects of different complexity in domains like Entertainment, Finance, Sports, Healthcare, Education, and others.
Take a look at our work samples on our portfolio. Or check Clutch, GoodFirms, and Upwork pages to find out what our customers think.
Need a qualified tech partner?
We'll help with tech consultation and project estimation, at no charge.
The process of seraning for a software development company has three stages:
Basic research. Take a look at the company's portfolio to find project similar to yours. You may also check what their clients say on platforms like Clutch or GoodFirms. Also, pay attention to their social media pages: what posts they make, how often they post something, how relevant is their content.
Tech research. Pay attention to the technologiesâprogramming languages, frameworks, librariesâthey work with, their project management tools, and GitHub commits.
Face-to-face meeting. A great way to learn more about their companyâs business logic, security procedures, and everyday communication channels.
Pay attention to what their clients say on platforms like Clutch and GoodFirms. Reviews on company's websites can be fake. While on Clutch/GoodFirms you see only verified reviews checked by the platforms' administration.
Check the vendor's involvement in local and global IT community:
- Companyâs employees speak at large-scale IT conferences
- Firm organizes workshops and meet-ups, online webinars, shares open-source tools
- Writes ebooks, guides, blog publications
- Has certifications and awards
Make a thorough research and, if you have the chance, talk to the company's previous clients. Or at least check what their clients say.
Always sign a contract and, if your project requires it, ask for NDA.
Pay attention to their work ethic. The best way is asking a question about any tech aspect of your product and see how they're responding. If they are calm, polite, and make sure you get straight to the point â itâs a good match.
Cleveroad has 6+ years of experience in delivering projects of different complexity in domains like Entertainment, Finance, Sports, Healthcare, Education, and others.
Take a look at our work samples in our portfolio. Or check Clutch, GoodFirms, and Upwork pages to find out what our customers think.
Comments
Software development requires a lot of attention and costs in managing operations and resources. Thus for many companies, covering Web development in-house isnât a viable option. This is where Software Outsourcing companies come in. The demand for outsourcing services in software development has been constantly increasing over the years.
Thanks for sharing amazing information. I appreciate it, keep it up.
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