Every day, thousands of businesses like yours make the same critical mistakes when outsourcing their software or web development.

Mistake #1: Assuming that the outsource company you are working with can read your mind.

Most outsource vendors expect complete requirements before they start the work, and will charge you for every additional change, regardless of the size. You’ll need a plan for getting a good understanding of your requirements, and communicating them effectively. Otherwise you could waste thousands of dollars trying to get what you originally wanted.

Ideally, you should find a vendor that will deliver incrementally instead of making you wait until the entire project is completed. You can start validating your original ideas much earlier, and have time to change your mind about the details before you’ve already exhausted your budget.

Mistake #2: Failing to prioritize the work so that the most important things get done first.

You’ll need to decide which features of your site are the most important, and make sure that you vendor works on those areas first. If you need to cancel the project, or put it into production sooner that you expected, having your most important items already completed can be a real bonus.

If you allow the vendor to work on the entire project without a specified plan or order, you may have nothing to show for the time and money spent if an early termination is necessary.

Mistake #3: Trying to communicate important details in documents alone.

Communicating with a remote vendor can be a challenging undertaking. While requirements documents, specifications, and static mockups can be useful, they are often not enough to capture the nuances of your vision for your website or application.

Using drawings, interactive prototypes, and frequent communication can help bridge the gap, as can online planning and tracking tools.

Conclusion

Outsourcing your Web or application development can be a risky undertaking. By prioritizing the work, making sure it’s delivered in chunks instead of all at once, and improving communication with your vendor, you can reduce your risk, and improve your chances for success.

Dave Churchville is a 15 year veteran of the software development industry as a developer, project manager, and entrepreneur. He is the founder of ExtremePlanner Software, creator of ExtremePlanner, agile project management software (http://www.extremeplanner.com), and EasyPrototype, a tool for non-programmers to quickly and easily create interactive website and application prototypes (http://www.easyprototype.com).

Dave Churchville