Are you an entrepreneur with an idea for a web or mobile application or a manager responsible for delivering an application but you don’t have in-house resources to deliver the project? Wondering how you are going to get your app developed? This is a common challenge that we see in organisations. There is an idea and a desire to develop digital systems but a lack of in-house skills to achieve this drive.

For this challenge, the main three options are:

• Hiring permanent staff members to your team to perform the work
• Hiring contractors or freelancers to work temporarily on your project
• Outsourcing the project to a software development company or digital transformation company

All of these options come with advantages and drawbacks. We will go into detail about these options so you can make the best decision for your project.

Hire Permanent Staff to Develop Your App

Hiring new people to your team with the skills you need to create your app may seem to be the obvious solution. You can spend time finding someone(s) that will fill the skills gap and deliver the project in-house.

Advantages

Firstly, this solution is the least expensive in terms of daily rate as you will only be paying the salary of your new team member. But do also keep in mind any potential training costs if your hire doesn’t already have all the skills you require.

As they are now part of your team, you have direct control over the developer. This means that you can set and change priorities easily and control their workload, so they are working as efficiently as possible on the project. You can also have easy oversight and feedback from the developer through direct lines of communication.

But these advantages are counter balanced by the disadvantages the solution presents.

Disadvantages

The hiring process is time consuming. You will have to define exactly the skills you are looking for and the aptitude you require. This can be difficult and relies on the hiring decision maker being able to recognise a good developer for the role. On top of this, you have to attract applications to the role from the appropriate candidates.

A crucial step to the recruitment process is identifying the skills you require. These may be varied and require multiple skillsets such as developer, UX and testing.

Depending on the project and desired delivery times, there may be a need to hire several developers. This makes the process more complex, and the other disadvantages of this approach are compounded by the need for multiple new hires.

For the particular project you are hiring for and all ongoing work for your new team member, they will require resources and tools to complete their job. You will have taken on a permanent team member, and so you have to find future work for them to do.

And to top it off, there is also the disadvantage of there being no guarantee of delivery of your project.

Develop Your App by Hiring a Freelancer or Contractor

Another option is to hire a freelancer or contractor on a short fixed-term contract. Similar to hiring a permanent team member, your freelancer will work within your business to work on your project, but you won’t undertake the same responsibility for them.

Advantages

The main advantage of this approach is that you are hiring the skillset you need for the amount of time that you need it. You are not committed to a long-term contract, and you don’t have the responsibilities that come with being their employer. But this advantage does come at a cost.

Disadvantages

Freelancers are more costly that permanent employees per day. You will also need to buy all the resources and tools that they require for the job.

You are also likely to be undertaking a 6+ month commitment with the freelancer, with no guarantee of delivery.

Finally, depending on the project and the freelancers available to you, you may have to hire multiple freelancers to cover all the skills required for your project.

Outsource Your App Development Project to a Software Development Company

The final option is to outsource your project to a software development company. By outsourcing your project, you pass your project on to experts and have it delivered at an estimated budget.

Advantages

Software development companies are a one stop shop for all the skills required for your app development project. You can be confident in their ability to assign tasks amongst their team to best make your project a reality. The company will also generally have all their own tools and resources to undertake the project.

You are only committed to undertaking that project – so ongoing costs can reduce once it has been delivered. And, because you are not taking on any staff of your own, you have no hiring or management responsibilities.

Disadvantages

The main disadvantage of this solution is cost. It is likely more costly than a freelancer or permanent staff member when compared to their daily rate. But these costs are only for the length of the project and bring with them the skills of an entire company dedicated to software development.

So, how to you get your app developed? There are multiple options open to you, and your choice depends on the particulars of your project. If you choose to go down the software development company route, then we’d love to hear from you. With our newly launched Discovery Phase packages, we can work with you to develop your project and take it from idea to reality.