Why Should You Choose Offshore Mobile App Development Over In House Development?

Mobile app development is the most heated trend for businesses attempting to steal customer’s attention from competitors. While the decision to get a mobile app developed is clear, whether to go for in-house development or outsource the whole process is still debatable for many corporations and enterprises.  

Many businesses want to opt for in house development because they are convinced it is quicker, cheaper, cost-effective and reliable.  

But before justifying your decision based on belief, you must consider other options as well. Moving into the production of your business-specific smartphone app you must know the details, benefits and development process necessities for both in house development and offshore development.  

So what are the differences between in-house development and mobile app development services from a trustworthy offshore partner? Let’s discuss the distinctions, merits and demerits of both approaches in detail.  

The idea of in-house development  

In-house development is exactly as it appears. For businesses that do not have an IT department, it is the process of putting together a team of software engineers, programmers, UI/UX designers, quality assurance manager and maybe a business analyst. This hired team works in-house, so you are responsible for providing the required infrastructure including office space, systems, salaries and other benefits as a regular employee is entitled to.  

If you’re already a tech/IT business, it’s about whether to choose from the existing staff or hire new talent to develop the app along with providing the software devices and solutions required.  

Steps involved in the process of in-house development

1. Hiring the dream team  

It’s not just about hiring programmers. For starters, you need developers with expertise in different platforms (iOS, Android, Windows, etc). To make the app look good you’ll need UI/UX experts along with testers, product manager, team leader for quality assurance and management.  

2. Project Planning & Management  

Even if you have no countable experience in mobile application development, you still know the importance of planning and managing a team to get the project completed on time which is a huge task in itself. Without a project manager to keep an eye on deadlines, task management, and the development process the whole project might fall apart. A project manager is essential and hiring one is gonna cost you.  

3. Office infrastructure 

After hiring the team you need to make sure there’s sufficient space, desks, conference room and software and hardware facilities like servers, systems, backups and others. The initial cost of setting up an office can be significant.  

What is offshore mobile application development? 

Offshore smartphone app development is an approach where a business hires an existing team of software developers on a contract basis. There are a lot of advantages to this process. The offshore mobile app development companies provide the best quality mobile app software and design. For small and medium business (specifically the non-IT ones) hiring an offshore development team at a reduced price and lesser time commitment is a much practical and financially efficient choice.  

Process of offshore mobile app development  

Offshore mobile app development is much less time-consuming than hiring an in-house team. Here all you need to do is hire the right outsourcing software Development Company and they will take care of everything.  

1. Have a clear vision for your app  

Even though a good offshore company will help you with the pre-development research and market analysis, as the app owner you must have a clear view of what you want out of the app, how it should look like and what is the purpose of developing the app so that you won’t end up with an app that is nothing like you’ve expected. This will create a much smoother communication environment and establish a clear timeline for the project completion.   

2. Seeking the right firm  

Finding the potential companies you would want to outsource mobile app development to. You may want to know their recent projects, programmers team, tech skills, and more. But it will still take less time to interview developers for individual positions.  

Also Read: A Complete Offshore Software Development Company Hiring Guide

Additionally, with offshore mobile development firms, you get access to skilled experts around the world and not just demographic experts.  

If you are looking for a company that develops android apps exclusively, you will have many options to choose from and will know everything you need to get your app developed successfully.  

3. Get a cost estimate  

There are a huge number of companies available as per your spending power. Contrary to custom app development, off the shelf products, are cheaper, have general features with no innovation.  

Another cost disparity is choosing between freelance offshore software developers and software companies. This does not have much impact as the software firms will provide quality service without costing a whole lot more than independent developers.  

4. Development modules and strategies  

You must clearly put the important aspects of the process in place starting with cost, delivery, schedules, development approach, and estimated number of hours. You must also decide which platform the app is developed for. While outsourcing clear communication about anticipating cost, time and the process is crucial so that you and the outsourcing company are always on the same page.  

5. Reports & Upgrades 

In outsourcing mobile app development, you give a lot of control to other company. So to be always in the know about what is going on. Rather than asking and checking yourself, decide a frequency for reports submission before starting the project.  

Advantages of outsourcing app development  

• Lower price is the prime benefit of mobile app development over hiring expenses of an entire team along with monthly salaries, compensations, bonuses, office space and technical equipment.  
• It is easier to hire an offshore mobile app development company rather than hiring for different experts. Reliable information and genuine reviews are available on various sites like good firms about offshore companies around the world to help you pick the right fit for your project.  
• You get more time to handle your business rather than handling a whole new team for just one app.  
• Outsourcing companies have the right manpower and expertise. When outsourcing you don’t have to worry about whether everyone on the app development team has work in what they are good at or not.  
• For an in-house team, you only get the chance to hire local talent, but while outsourcing you have the access to the world’s top ios mobile development company or android development company, which is far more recommended.  
• The development of outsourced smartphone apps will take less time as there are no requirements for assembling a team and other preparations are removed.  
• There is a higher probability of better features in the app and results with less time taking procedure when employing an offshore mobile development company. As they have the required set of code already available. 

Also Read: The Rising Trend of Mobile App Development in the Education Industry

Disadvantages of outsourcing app development  

• There is no way to be in contact with your mobile application development team all the time as they are not working in the office with you.  
• Loss of intellectual property is a major concern while outsourcing. But this can be easily handled with an NDA.  
• When you hire a development company from another country, there is always the issue of language and communication barriers. Although setting up communication goals and reporting frequency can ease out confusion majorly.  

Advantages of in-house development  

• If you feel like having direct access to the team will give a better understanding of the process, in-house development offers it all. Communication is much more flexible and convenient.  
• Constant exposure to the business gives employees a better perspective of how it operates and thus helps in the app development process.  
• While working with an in-house team any changes and improvements are speedy which can be the case with offshore development. As there is a whole protocol of connection, communication and approval.  
• In-house employees feel a personal connection to the business and thus it might be an extra factor that will add to their better performance.  

Disadvantages of in-house development  

• As we have discussed, in-house development is quite expensive. You have employees’ salaries, yearly bonuses, insurances, increments. Then there are the expenses for office space, systems and setups.  
• For in-house mobile app development, you have to invest weeks, probably months hiring the right employees and putting together a team.  
• In the case of outsourcing, you get the talent base from around the world. In-house development allows SMBs only to hire from local towns or cities unless someone is willing to relocate.  
• For flawless app development on a certain platform, you need expert engineers who understand the technology well. And don’t forget that even if you have expert coders working for you, they might not be as good as world-class mobile app development teams.  
• In house app development can be risky. What if you don’t hire people with sufficient expertise? What if a new and advanced feature is required during the development? What if the range of app development grows or there’s another layer of complexity added? You would have to hire new people which is not very cost-efficient.  
• With in-house development, there is always the chance of a staff member leaving amidst the development lifecycle. You will soon have to start hiring to get the pace going again.  

Also Read: Top 10 Mobile App Development Mistakes To Avoid For Market Success

Offshore mobile app development is the better solution  

Outsourcing mobile app development is the easier pick. It has so many merits over in-house development. As we have seen through the blog, offshore development is less time consuming, quicker time to market, and reliable software quality.  

Along with having more control over the expenses you also get access to the world’s top developers. In outsourcing, you get a clear estimate of how much app development is going to cost you. While during in-house development you have a budget but expenses can spike high anytime.  

For small and medium businesses, managing an in-house team is quite expensive. Here outsourcing can save a lot of unnecessary expenses for them, such as hiring costs, office rents, hardware management and others.  

When to choose in-house development over outsourcing? 

If you’re an established tech company with software developers of varying expertise, in-house development is more cost-effective. You can still outsource certain projects to get extra assistance where there is a strict deadline or to expand your operations overseas with a reliable custom software development company. 

To Conclude  

Businesses constantly try to innovate and match the modern landscape to get to the top and acquire premium clients. Many factors affect the decision to outsource or go for in-house development. We have mentioned certain scenarios to help you make the right choice.  

In the meanwhile, if you want to partner with a reliable offshore mobile app development team with top-notch services, check out our website. Our team will be happy to assist you to achieve your most ambitious goals.