Benefits and Drawbacks of Working With App Development Companies
by Michaela Markley | Last Updated: Jun 11, 2020
There are many ways to build an app. From freelance developers, internal development teams, app development companies, all the way to no-code SaaS platforms that allow you to build the app yourself. Building and designing apps don’t have to be stressful and luckily there are many experienced app development companies that can help you build a quality and secure app. However, there are both pros and cons to using an app development company. Let’s dive into the advantages and potential disadvantages of using an app development company. Pro: Budget-friendly Instead of In-House DevelopersDepending on your company size and talent pool, opting to outsource to an app development company could be a cost-saving versus hiring for internal development. When you outsource your work you will be billed for the work done, either hourly or a fixed cost. Whereas if you are hiring a new team to develop your app, you will be increasing your operational costs through interviewing, training, salaries, and purchasing the correct equipment. If you work at a larger company with the talent pool to bring together - it could be cheaper but you need to figure out what your company is capable of doing internally. Pro: 24/7 SupportFrom an agency perspective, they should (if they are quality) always be available. If something goes wrong or a challenge within the app becomes present you will have a team working on it almost immediately. If you use a freelance developer or have an internal team to work on your app development, there are usually specific hours they will be working or may have other work to finish up before coming to the rescue. Pro: App Development ExpertiseOutsourcing your development work offers the ability to work with experts in the space rather than working with generalists that may know a thing or two about app development. The app development company should have a phenomenal strategy for coming together to understand the requirements, goals, and primary features of your app and then use their experts to digest and develop your app. They will have a solid idea of the best way to approach your app and be able to get right to work. Con: Out of Scope WorkWhen working with an app development company, whether it’s mobile app development in the USA or in India, there is going to be a scope of work. Once you’ve decided on the requirements for your app it may become quite costly to make changes. Some app development companies may base costs on the number of sprints, allowing for more flexibility for changes vs. a fixed scope. But most app development companies will have a specified number of times you can change the requirements and then the changes will become costly due to being out of scope. Con: Cannot Control Every DetailAlong with not being able to change some of the main requirements or original game plans for the app, even minor changes may become difficult or part of the unknown. With an internal team working on the development of an app you will have a lot more flexibility to change minor details as questions arise. However, with outsourcing your app development you may not even be notified about these small details or have oversight of them. Con: Data SecurityYou are opening the door to a third party to have access to possibly some very important and secure data. When working with any third party make sure you understand the security parameters they have set in place for your data, how the app is hosted, and other security measures regarding employees’ access to their computers where your data may live. You will be able to find quality and reliable app development companies but make sure to ask the right questions to make sure your team stays compliant to your companies security requirements as well. Overall it is important to understand what your business is capable of financially. If the budget only allows for outsourcing, then the decision is made. But if you are able to choose, take time to understand the time to market and expertise that will come along with outsourcing vs. building an internal team. At the end of the day, it is the talent and expertise that matters when it comes to building a high-quality app.
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