HOW TO EVALUATEAN OFFSHORESOFTWAREDEVELOPMENTVENDOR?
“Bot hMi c r os of tand Or ac l ehavet hei rl ar ges tof f s hor es of t war e devel opmentc ent er si n I ndi a. ”
“ Al otofpeopl ef oc usonI ndi af orl owerc os t ss of t wa r edev el opment . Wha ti sr ema r k a bl ei nI ndi ai s t hec a l i beroft hec omput erengi neer s . Thec os ts a v i ngswer ea na ddi t i ona lbenef i tont opoft ha t " Lar r yEl l i s on, FounderandCEO, Or ac l e. Mor et ha n50% oft heF or t une1000ha sembr a c edt heOut s our c eds of t wa r edev el opmentmodel wi t h75%oft hos ewhoout s our c eus i ngpr ogr a mmer si nI ndi a . Met aGr oup
TECHNOLOGY
LEADERSHIP
INNOVATION
I ndi ai st hel eadi ngc ount r yf orout s our c i ngahos tofI Ts er vi c esi nc l udi ngappl i c at i ons des i gn, devel opment , mai nt enanc eandnet wor ks er vi c es . I nt hei nc r eas i ngl yc ompet i t i ve“ Fl atWor l d”Out s our c i ngs omeofyouri mpor t antbus i nes s f unct i onss houl dr es ul ti npr oduc i ngmor ewor ki nl es st i meandf orl es smoney . Choos i ng t he bes tvendorc an be a c hal l engi ng pr opos i t i on.The vendoreval uat i on pr oc es si st he f i r s tand per hapst he mos ti mpor t anti ni t i at i ve i nt hi sdi r ect i on.Thi s pr oc es si si mpor t antf ort hes uc c es soft hepr oj ectasmuc hast omi ni mi z et her i s kand c onc er nsi nvol vedi nout s our c i ng. Youc aneval uat et hes hor t l i s t edvendor si nas i mpl eands t r uct ur edmannert ounder s t andt hebus i nes spr oc es s esandqual i t yofs er vi c eofeac hvendorandt odi s c er nt hedi f f er enc esamongt hem.
Youc anc ons i dert hef ol l owi ngeval uat i onc r i t er i a: Pol i t i c al andEc onomi cSt abi l i t yoft heVendor ’ sc ount r y E v a l ua t et hev endor ’ sc ount r yf orpol i t i c a l a ndec onomi cs t a bi l i t y . Thi si sc r uc i a l f ort hef i na nc i a l f ea s i bi l i t ya nds uc c es s f ul c ompl et i on oft hepr oj ec t . Vendor ’ sWi l l i ngnes st oAdapt E v er yor ga ni z a t i ona ndi t sdev el opmentt ea mss houl da dher et opr edef i nedbus i nes spr oc es s esa ndwoul dha v eev ol v edi t sowns et ofbes tpr a c t i c es . E v er yv endors houl df ol l owadi s c r et es of t wa r edev el opmentpr oc es st ha ti sopt i ma la ndt ha tens ur esa99. 99per c entqua l i t ya s s ur a nc ef ort heendpr oduc t . Howev er , i nac ol l a bor a t i v eenv i r onment , howef f ec t i v el ya ndqui c k l yt hev endorc a na s s i mi l a t ey ourmet hodsi si mpor t a nt . Thi sdi r ec t l yi nf l uenc est heex t entt owhi c hy ouc a nr et a i nt hei nt egr i t yofy ourex i s t i ngpr oc es st odel i v ery ourpr oduc t . Thewi l l i ngnes st o under s t a ndy ourpr oc es s esa ndi nc or por a t et hem i nt ot hev endor ’ swor k f l owwi l l det er mi nei fy ouc a nwor ki nha r mony . Y ourev a l ua t i onc hec k l i s twoul di nc l udedet er mi na t i oni fa ndwi t hwha tea s et hev endorc a nunder s t a nda ndgr a s pt hef ol l owi ng: •Mybus i nes spr oc es s es •Wor kf l owofmybus i nes s •Met hodst hatIdepl oyt or unmybus i nes s VendorRes our c es Reques tf ori nf or ma t i ononper s onnel s k i l l s et sa ndex per i enc e , bot ht ec hni c a l a ndma na ger i a l , a bi l i t yt oi mpa r tt r a i ni ng, i fr equi r ed; ex i s t i ngt ec hnol ogyi nf r a s t r uc t ur ea nda bi l i t yt oupgr a dea ndenha nc e; qua l i t yc ont r olpr oc es s es , pr i v a c ypr ot ec t i on, c r i s i sma na gements t r a t egya ndr edunda nc ypl a ns . Ana l y z ea ndev a l ua t et hev a l i di t yof c l a i msma debyt hev endor . Thes ef a c t or sa r ec r uc i a l f ors uc c es s f ul c ompl et i onofpr oj ec t . Ref er enc ePr oj ec t s Reques tf orpr ev i ousc l i ent sr ef er enc es . Y ouc a ndi s c us st hev endor ’ sper f or ma nc ewi t ht hec l i ent s . Thi sex er c i s ewi l l gi v ey oua nobj ec t i v er ev i ewoft hev endor .
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TLISof t war ePr i vat eLi mi t ed.
HOW TO EVALUATEAN OFFSHORESOFTWAREDEVELOPMENTVENDOR?
Communi cat i on T ECHNOLOGY
Ther ol eandi mpor t anceofcommuni cat i oncannotbeunder mi ned. Fi r s t , ens ur et hatt her ei snol i ngualbar r i er . Thenas cer t ai nt hel anguagepr of i ci encyandf l uencyoft heper s onnel . Bar r i er sofany f or mt hatmayhampert hes moot hf l owofi nf or mat i onatanys t agecanbedi s as t r oust ot hewhol e out s our ci ngpr oces s , whi chmayi nt ur nl eadt ounneces s ar ynegot i at i onsandmodi f i cat i ons . Communi cat i onmayi ncl ude
QUAL I TY COS TEFFECTI VE F LEXI BI LI TY
•Bas i cc ommuni cat i ons ki l l s •Poi nt sofc ont actf orc ommuni cat i onandupdat es •Abi l i t yt ogr as pt hepr oj ects c ope •Cr eat i ngaSt at ementofWor kt hatwi l lbevi abl ef ort hel i f e oft hepr oj ectandongoi ngc ommuni cat i on Qual i t y-t hepr oofi si nt hepuddi ng I dent i f yar ealpr oj ects ucht hatt heent i r epr oces sandper f or mancecr i t er i oncanbeeval uat edby t het i met hevendordel i ver st hepi l ot . Bymaki ngt hi sexer ci s eanact ualpr oj ect ,al lt eamswi l lbe wor ki ngt ot hebes toft hei rabi l i t y . Youwi l lbef or cedt obeact i vel yi nvol vedandt hevendorwi l lr el y ont het r uedel i ver abl es , ver s uswhatt hes al es / mar ket i ngt eam haspr opos ed. Onc et hepr oj ecti sc ompl et edyous houl dbeabl et oans wert hef ol l owi ngques t i ons : •Di dt hevendor ’ spr oductors er vi c emeetyourr equi r ement s ?Towhatext ent ? •Whatchal l engesdi dyouenc ount er ? •Howdi dyouover c omet hechal l enges ? •Di dt hevendoradher et ot heal l ot t edt i meandbudget ? Thevendoreval uat i onpr oces scancul mi nat ei nt hes el ect i onoft hevendorbas edont heabove ment i onedcr i t er i on, andt hecr eat i onofacont r actt hatcl ear l ydef i nest her ol esandr es pons i bi l i t i es , t i mel i nes , f i nanci aldet ai l s , paymentmodes , qual i t ys t andar dsandot herdet ai l sneces s ar yf orbet t er of f s hor evendormanagement .Cl ear l ydef i nedSLA( Ser vi ceLevelAgr eement )andat er mi nat i on cl aus ear eal s oani nt egr alpar toft hecont r act .
TECHNOLOGY
CANADA Sal es&Devel opmentCent r e c anada@t l i s of t war e. c om
LEADERSHIP
UK Sal es&Cus t omerCar e uk@t l i s of t war e. c om
INNOVATION
I NDI A Devel opment&BPOCent r e i ndi a@t l i s of t war e. c om
Copyr i ght2006
USA Sal es&Cus t omerCar e us a@t l i s of t war e. c om
TLISof t war ePr i vat eLi mi t ed.