What a Good Software Development Company Does and a Bad One Doesn’t

If you’ve ever been trying to find a software development company, you must have faced an unwelcome discovery — not all the professionals are as good as they seem to be. At the end of the day, you have wasted time, money, and a code that smells. How to recognize the dark horses of programming before any agreements are signed?

At Fively we know the situation from a slightly different perspective. We hire programmers for our team and communicate with clients trying to understand their needs to offer our services. At the same time, we’ve got to know many professionals from our field and devised our own formula of a good software development company and how it differs from a bad one. This is the information we’d like to share with you.

What is the Quickest Way to Check on a Programmer?

The most effective but challenging way to find out what kind of a programmer you found is to check his or her source code. If you have an understanding of the subject or an opportunity to use the help of an independent consultant, you’ll be able to recognize a mess, the spaghetti code with copy-pasted lines, and the corresponding level of a specialist. You got clear evidence of a bad practice and no more talks are needed.

However, it may take a lot of time before you get to coding. Besides, you may not be an expert in coding. Fortunately, there are other signs that you can use before concluding any agreements with a company. Let’s look at them.

A Good Company is not Afraid to Demonstrate the Results

When a company demonstrates its results, it also demonstrates transparency and readiness for feedback. By the results, we mean case studies and a portfolio. A lot of clients still come by word of mouth but this system leaves no real evidence of work done and can’t replace all other channels.

What else can a software development company portfolio tell about its owners? As a rule, companies share the projects they’re proud of. Thus, you can assess the challenge, the scope of work, the terms, and the budgets. It would be great if the presented projects have something in common with your enterprise.

Without any doubt, a portfolio is aimed to show a company in the best possible light and there may be some hidden reefs. Nonetheless, the absence of a portfolio raises more questions.

A Good Company Doesn’t Ignore Reviews and Ratings

When you’re looking for information about a potential partner, you won’t neglect any open sources, especially reputable ones. Good companies know about it and are eager to publish information on various platforms where professional directories like Clutch are by no means the least.

The probability that a company listed among the top software development companies in the US would be good, i.e. high-qualified and experienced is higher than without a place in such ratings. The same rule works with reviews from satisfied customers. If a company cares about attracting and retaining new clients, it will do its best to comply with high standards.

As in the case with portfolios, reviews and ratings may not demonstrate a complete overview of the current situation. In order to exclude the risks, choose the proven resources, and look for the essence in reviews. The company under your attention may not occupy the top 3 places of a rating or get some minor remarks from clients, that only proves that the company is real, but it must be present online.

A Good Company Doesn’t Use the “Yes Man” Approach

Initial communication can be a clue to the further contractor’s behavior and potential quality of work. Apart from the good command of English, general adequacy and politeness, we’d recommend you to pay attention to the level of acceptance of all your demands and proposals.

The truth is that the customer isn’t always right. If a company’s representative answers yes to whatever you say, there’s a high risk of doing any harm. It doesn’t mean that a party who is contradictory to most of the things you state will become the best partner. At least, a company should ask questions, specify things, and give reasons in case of disagreement.

The best software development companies are those who have their heads in the game. It means that you may not find the approval of all your ideas but you’ll always find support and a willingness to offer an alternative solution.

Bottomline

You can’t be too careful when it comes to recognizing the difference between a good software development company and a bad one. You may use the tips below — a portfolio, an online reputation, a communication approach — but sometimes it’s not enough. When all the formal criteria speak in favor of a certain company though you feel no confidence, trust your intuition. The market is huge and it would be better to find someone who won’t generate any concern.

Do you have any positive or negative experiences in choosing a tech partner? Share your story with us.