Making a decision to develop custom software for your company is a big step toward growth. By optimizing the workflow and helping employees work faster, business owners are bringing their companies to a new level.
However, the quality of the software you decide to develop depends on how well you choose a software developer. Besides checking reviews and looking for recommendations, you need to know what to ask the developers during an interview. Only clear person-to-person communication can help you identify the right company for your needs.
Below are the top five questions to ask your potential software developer before hiring.
1. Have you ever developed a software similar to mine?
This is a highly important question since it lets you understand how experienced a developer is. All reviews and references fade in front of the experience. If the developer has been creating stellar software for donut shops, it may not be able to do an excellent job with grocery stores and vice versa.
Ideally, the company should have worked with businesses similar to yours to understand what your needs are and how they may change in the future.
While newbies can offer lower prices, their lack of experience can reflect on the quality and duration of the development process.
2. How many developers will be working on my project?
Depending on the size of your project, you want to have more than one person working on it. Small companies may not have the right number of specialists to work on several projects at once.
This question should help you discover the size of the company, agree on the number of developers, and find out whether the company is free enough for your project.
You can also ask how much time it would take the company to free up more specialists if you suddenly decide to scale up the project.
3. How do you communicate with your clients?
Communication with the client is the most important part of the development process. While you should be readily available to answer the developers’ questions so should they.
The company should be straightforward about communication channels. Ideally, one specialist should be available to communicate with you at any time.
Clear communication is the reason why you should consider choosing a local company. Online communication has reached great heights in the 21st century. However, without person-to-person communication, finishing the project may be complicated.
4. How much access will I have to the project?
No matter what technology the company is using to develop your project, you should have access to the files it’s working on. The amount of access shows how transparent and honest the company is about its work.
Even if the approach they are using is Waterfall rather than Agile, you should still get updates on the work and have access to the available files.
The development process goes much easier when it’s transparent. It calls for fewer questions from the client, allowing the developer to do their jobs.
5. Do you offer a satisfaction guarantee?
Ask how willing the company is to provide 100% satisfaction to the client. After the project is over, you are likely to need the developer to make some changes and offer diligent support.
Ask how the satisfaction guarantee process works and what steps you need to take in case you aren’t satisfied.
Such a question shouldn’t come as a surprise to the developers. They should answer it readily. If not, it should raise a red flag.
Don’t hesitate to ask your potential software developer as many questions as you can come up with. The better job you do selecting the right company today, the better product you will get in the future.
Simon Frey is a software and web applications developer with experience in PHP, Laravel, MySQL, .NET. He has been developing software for the past 11 years and enjoys working on new projects. Simon is available for hire and can be contacted through his website: www.simon-frey.eu