Almost every business organization, be it a startup or a fortune 500 company needs software developers service either for developing internal-use software or increase their customer base. Also, there exist some companies that already have an in-house development team but are planning to expand their services. So there arises a problem in choosing whether to increase the number of in-house developers or hire an external software house.
Advantages of the in-house development team
Many business owners who want to maintain the privacy of their company’s sensitive information prefer the in-house development team. These entrepreneurs devoting their expertise, loyalty, and availability to the company wants to play safe when it comes to the security and privacy of data of their company. In-house development thus brings a lot of benefits to the business.
- Shorter delivery time
- Proper understanding of the business
- No extra charges
The in-house development team understands the needs and requirements of the company better than an outsourced company. Their any time availability in the company helps in the development of the product in a shorter period of time.
In-house developers understand the company, its processes, and its people. This understanding helps them in identifying the business requirements for the development of new software. This knowledge also helps them in improving the software according to the needs of the business.
Additional costs may incur while outsourcing the work to external software houses. Since in-house developers are members of the same company, they do not require any extra payments to start working on the new software requirements. It is really beneficial in case of quick minor requirements.
These advantages might convince one to hire more developers for the in-house development team but it is necessary to look at the disadvantages as well.
Disadvantages of in-house development
- Lack of developers
- Hidden costs
Due to the high demand of skilled software developers in the industry, the company needs several resources to attract a software developer. Many developers nowadays seek work-life balance and the company’s purpose rather than high remuneration. So, there is a scarcity of developers in the industry recently.
The company needs to pay the in-house developers whether they work on projects or not. Also, payments for taxes, retirement funds, insurance, rent, and software are more when high-earning developers work in the development team.
Advantages of software houses
- Time-saving
- Reduced costs
- Quality products
The software house starts working on the project immediately whereas the recruitment and hiring of new developers require more time.
The company only needs to pay for the development hours to the software house and nothing more. But in the case of in-house developers, the recruitment, insurance, and funds increase the cost.
Software houses have the ability to function as one so they can create quality products. This is not always the case if freelancer developers, designers, and QA testers are new to working with each other.
Disadvantages of hiring software houses
- Cultural fit
- Difficulty in finding the right software house
- Security and confidentiality
Outsourcing the development work to the place where the culture is different can create troubles. The developed software might not fulfill all the requirements of the company.
It is crucial to pick the right software house as choosing the wrong one means loss of money and time. Finding the right software house is a difficult task since the information regarding their developers’ team, previous work, skills, and processes has to be found out.
The confidentiality of the project and its related data is at risk in case the software house breaches the contract. So, it is necessary to find a reputed software house while outsourcing the project.
Conclusion
It is difficult to choose between hiring an external software house and expanding in-house software development. These pros and cons of both aspects can help in deciding the right one.
