Technological advancements have become a current trend in various industries. Different companies will at some point want to install software applications to use in their operations. But do you get software development services from a company or should you hire an employee? The answer to this question might depend on the factors you consider. However, this article will make help you with the way to take if you are torn between the two.
Hiring a Software Developer.
Most people will view employing an individual as less costly because of the high software development quotations offered by software companies. The fact is that employing someone is always costlier in the long run. Hiring a company employee is associated with various risks. Considering this, having a company employee handle software development projects can end up being up to four times expensive than going for software development services.
Hiring a software developer means you have to pay them a monthly or annual salary. Annually, this can range from $40,000 to $140,000. To be certain of the developer’s services, you’ll most probably go for an experienced software engineer who might even charge higher. The salary depends on the market and personal expertise and experience. Employing a single entry-level software developer will see you spending less. However, it’s disadvantageous to your company because they’ll have to work under supervision and with the consultation of an expert. The project might fail to achieve the intended output.
Experienced software developers won’t charge anything below $80,000 per year. Those that charge on an hourly basis will go for at least $50. Hiring such a developer for a six months contract will see you paying them about $40,000. Full-time employees are entitled to personal benefits such as retirement benefits and insurance covers. The extra expenses mean you will spend further after employing a developer to work in your company.
For any company, hiring someone comes with multiple challenges and takes time to recruit. The company manager is required to be experienced in judging various company employees’ qualifications. If you are the manager, you also need to compare the recruit’s salary requirement and the value he/she will add to the company. The entire process cannot be conducted hurriedly despite the urgency of the developer. The hiring team must test all the applicants in all aspects of software development and programming.
Even after hiring, a company will move on to set the developer’s management process which might also take some time. Since we are working towards success, the company management will create a life cycle for the software development project. The specifications of the project tasks must be highlighted clearly. Doing so ensures that the software is created to the company requirements and specifications. Your project will also be completed on time when each phase is professionally scheduled.
Though managers are required to undertake these responsibilities for a successful project, they don’t have to be professional programmers. All they should have is an understanding of documentation requirements, the software development life cycle and programming timelines. This knowledge is important for the effective supervision of the entire programming or software development project.
The worst happens when you spend enormous time in the recruitment process and fail to offer requisite resources to the developer. This might see them quitting the company before completing the assigned tasks. When this happens, the company will lose the money paid to the person for the time he worked for them. Another hiring process will begin and waste much more time before getting a successful developer. Unfortunately, the new employee cannot pick from where the first one left the project. He has to study the “half-baked” program to understand its developer’s code which isn’t guaranteed. If the employee finds it difficult to understand the code, he/she will have to begin a fresh project. All these processes are time and money consuming and hence uneconomical.
Software Development Services.
On the other hand, a software development services company assumes all these processes and the risks involved on behalf of your company. A development company has already hired experienced developers. They also have management teams to oversee the conduct of the developers along with your software development project. All the company’s developers are qualified and experienced. Losing one won’t affect the development of your business software.
If you have a serious technology problem in your company, it’s always good to hire a reputable software development company. However the much you pay, you’re guaranteed of getting practical solutions to the underlying issues. A software company only employs professional developers who have a solid understanding of various business needs. When someone who understands your industry or business processes works on your project, you will get an application that represents your company interests.
Sometimes, you may need to explain your business processes to the software company but experienced companies already have experience in your industry requirements. Such experience means that you won’t spend much time explaining your business processes. The company will experts will advise you accordingly based on their past experiences. They might even include some functions that you aren’t aware of their importance in the program you wish to have. Software development companies always keep abreast of software development trends. That’s why they offer their customers advanced software that cannot fail or underperform.
Final Thoughts.
Looking at these options it’s likely for someone to go for employing a developer. This option seems friendlier but the hiring process comes with many risks. It also consumes much time that could be used to develop the software if one hired the services of a software development company.
Initially, hiring a software development company that is experienced in your company’s industry costs more than hiring a software developer. As time goes, companies that work with software development companies will save a lot of money. When you hire company services, you are not responsible for the management of the software development team. Even when they demand higher payments, your initial contract with the software service company won’t change. Therefore, it is good to be keen before you decide to recruit a tech guru to handle your technological problems. Sometimes, it’s just good to get a reliable software development company to deliver your project.