“Anybody can make a software!” This is what we commonly hear these days. So when you need help who will you turn to for transforming your ideas into high quality websites/web applications?
This article focusses on the key features that a software company should have and what you as customers should expect from them.
Some key features that you should look for before assigning a project to an IT company are as under:
- Expertise in both front end and backend development: There is a separation between web designing and web development but a good developer has to be good at both front and backend programming. A good developer has to be familiar with entire software development cycle right from the very beginning.
- Make sure they have expertise in multiple backend technologies: There are various good backend technologies that are frequently used like PHP, ASP .Net, Ruby On Rails, with many architectures like MVC, N-tier. Each technology has its own pros and cons and no technology is perfect in itself. An ideal IT company should not restrict itself to one technology. It should be flexible while choosing a technology and adopt one that best suits client requirements.
- Follow best practices: Just knowing the latest technologies does not make you a good developer. Technologies come and go at a fast pace but what stays is the way a developer follows the coding standards and practices. If a developer has good grasp over how things are done, he can get used to the changing technologies much easily.
- Think about the bigger picture: Sometimes customers may come to you with some unrealistic expectations or sometimes your client may have a good idea but may not have proper direction. It is the responsibility of the software developer to understand the client requirements and suggest them certain ways in which their ideas can be casted into a web solution. A developer is not a true developer if he blindly follows what the client says.
- Performs research and development: Whenever a client comes with a requirement, it is the responsibility of the IT Company to engage in research activities. They should refer to competitor sites and see what trends are being followed by everyone in the market. They should try and incorporate the latest practices and designs in their work.
- Has a team of rigorous testers: Nobody wants a product that has errors in them. A team of rigorous testers is necessary because they are professionals who can detect all defects and flaws and make their product as efficient as possible.
- Flexible: An IT Company should be flexible to any changes that come in the middle of the development process. Clients may have forgotten some point at the time of requirement gathering phase and may come up with a few additions after the development has begun. Good developers will not complain about it but he will behave professionally and handle client requests. These days they develop products and report weekly progress to the clients. After each sprint the client may approve it or may add some changes. They should be flexible to make changes.
These are some points that I feel make a good software company. If you have any other opinion you may let us know in the comment section. Please do let us know how you liked this article.