10 reasons why you can’t afford to hire bad developers

What comes to your mind when you’re thinking of the first criterion for hiring a new software outsourcing provider? An interesting portfolio of projects, industry-specific experience, similar corporate culture? Even if you are one of those decision makers who genuinely prioritize one of those, you may still end up having to pick the cheapest alternative.  This is not a problem. The problem is that the cheapest alternative is rarely what it claims it is. Learn from others’ mistakes rather than your own and find out why you simply can’t afford to hire bad software developers.

The notion that bad developers, outsourced or not, can cause more damage than benefit to any organization, is hardly a new one. Various reports talk about major security breaches caused by poor  software development outsourcing services[1]. But the majority of negative implications are far more subtle and, for many organizations that have never worked with top notch outsourcing providers, difficult to notice.

Regardless of what kind of project you are working on, not prioritizing the quality of your software development provider may prove disastrous.

1. You will lose money

Offshore development shops that attract clients with particularly low rates are a typical target of those unsatisfied with the quality of software development outsourcing. They often switch developers assigned to a project midway through it. If you add to it the fact that they rarely speak English, their knowledge of business background behind the developed software is virtually nonexistent. The result is a buggy code that is completely not in line with all the non-literal market-related requirements and usually have to be completely scraped. And for you it means that you will have to pay again for the same thing. Not to mention all the non-obvious costs related to time, material, delayed release etc.

2. You will waste time

And despite all of that, it is time, not money, that will be the resource you will lose most if you don’t prioritize quality in software outsourcing. First, the project will linger on for months due to poor communication and bugs. Once it is delivered, you may make a decision to redo it. And if you don’t, you may lose even more time due to scalability issues that result from using outdated and subpar solutions during development.

3. You will fail to establish a long-term cooperation

It is typical for outsourcing providers and their clients to try to establish long-term cooperation. For the provider, the benefit is a constant flow of new interesting projects. The client doesn’t need to search for a new provider again, which takes (and at least should!) a lot of time. But you are not likely to be interested in such a cooperation with a provider that doesn’t meet your needs.

4. Your time-to-market will suffer

The more time it takes to deliver software that meets the requirements, the longer it takes for the product to debut on the market. Today, as countless startups as well as large organizations try to outdo each other in terms of innovative new technologies, this time-to-market is essential in getting a competitive edge.

5. And even if it won’t, quality will most likely be an issue

Why is scalability considered to be one of the key qualities of highly desirable software[2]? That’s because companies expect their software products to grow in the future as demand and volume increase and new feature ideas come up. If you don’t build your software with scalability in mind, it means, in a way, that you are not completely convinced that it’s going to be successful. And to build a scalable software product, you need top-of-the-line software development services from the get-go. There’s no other way around it.

6. Your company won’t progress as a whole

The opportunity to establish a long-term cooperation with an outsourcing provider isn’t just a time- and money-saver. For many clients, it is a way to gradually improve their organizations. The client benefits from all of the experience of the provider, often introducing new practices within its own organization. It is very typical with cooperation models such as managed services or time and material.

7. Your communication during the project will suck

Poor communication is one of the most common issues raised by clients that worked with cheap software development outsourcing providers. And the longer and more complex your project is, the more apparent it will become. Some of the most common problems include poor English, cultural differences and lack of Agile practices. Top notch outsourcing providers take communication extremely seriously and constantly improve their practices in this area. For Software Mind, a big part of its approach is described in the Software Outsourcing Toolbox.

8. You may face security issues

According to Gartner, the number of connected devices will have reached 21 billion by the year 2020 – more than three times than it is now[3]. It is only one of many indications of how serious the issue of security is and will be. The growing importance of cloud services, lack of standardization of wireless protocols and more – to avoid countless problems in terms of security, find out how your potential outsourcing provider protects data and approaches this issue in general.

9. You and other project stakeholders may lose motivation

If you think that all of the problems will not seriously test the patience of all people involved in the project, think again. Not just business partners, higher-up decision makers, but even ambitious and talented software developers from your in-house team may quit should they realize, that creating a software product they imagined won’t be possible in cooperation with their organization’s outsourcing provider of choice.

10. Your clients will not be satisfied

Most importantly, though, it is the end user that will decide the future of your software product. And it would be a shame if it was delivery that doomed an otherwise great concept. How much is their satisfaction worth to your organization?

Hopefully, you know why, when it comes to software development outsourcing, going for the cheapest alternative, without any regard for development quality, is not going to pay off in the long run. But at the same time, choosing quality doesn’t necessarily means that you need to pick the most expensive option. Your goal should be to find the one that gives you the best value for each dollar you invest. Learn why we believe that it is Krakow, Poland, that has what it takes. Or simply contact Software Mind now and tell us all about your next fascinating project.