Mobile App Development Outsourcing

Inefficient mobile app development outsourcing—you might be missing something

Common pitfalls of Mobile App Development Outsourcing

When it comes to outsource mobile application development, it can feel like a no-brainer. You get access to talented developers from around the world, often at a fraction of the cost of building an in-house team. It sounds like a perfect solution, right? Well, yes… and no. The truth is, if not done right, mobile app development outsourcing can leave you with more problems than solutions. And that’s where things start to get tricky.

Outsourcing app development can help your business scale quickly, save money, and deliver high-quality results. But—here’s the catch—you could also be missing something important along the way. Many companies fall into common traps when they outsource mobile application development, and those mistakes often lead to delays, budget overruns, or, even worse, an app that doesn’t meet expectations.

Let’s face it—handing over your project to a team outside of your organization can feel like you’re taking a leap into the unknown. There’s the potential for communication breakdowns, misunderstandings about your vision, and time zone issues. Suddenly, what seemed like a great deal at first can spiral into an inefficient, stressful process. 

Hidden costs of outsourcing mobile app development—what can impact your outsourcing costs

When you go down the road of app development outsourcing, it’s easy to focus on the immediate savings. Maybe the initial quote looks enticing compared to hiring an in-house team. But if the project isn’t managed efficiently, those savings can quickly disappear. Revisions, miscommunication, and delays can pile up, inflating the app development outsourcing cost beyond what you initially budgeted for. 

One of the biggest hidden costs is related to rework. Let’s say the development team didn’t fully understand your vision, or there were gaps in communication. By the time you realize the app isn’t meeting your expectations, you’re already deep into development. Going back to fix things can be costly, and it’s often not included in the original quote. Then there’s the potential for scope creep, where additional features or tweaks keep getting added, pushing your cost of outsourcing mobile app development even higher.

Another sneaky cost? Time. Delays in development mean delays in getting your app to market, which ultimately impacts your business’s ability to generate revenue from it. So, while you might be focused on the financial side of outsourcing, don’t forget to consider how these inefficiencies affect your timeline too. Every extra week spent in development is a week lost in potential user engagement or sales.

If you’re curious about what to expect when starting the mobile app development process, check out our latest blog posts related to mobile app design and outsourcing software development. 

Avoid costly mistakes in mobile app development outsourcing

Outsourcing app development partnerships poorly managed: what you’re not considering

Mobile app development outsourcing can lead to failures, particularly when partnerships aren’t managed well. Allow us to look into some situations that show how things can go south when you outsource app development without sufficient preparation.

Choosing the right software development partner is crucial at this stage and likely the most important decision you need to make carefully, as this is the team you’ll be partnering with throughout the entire process—unless you decide to build an internal team.

Communication and Project Management Issues

Once you’ve chosen to outsource mobile application development to a team situated halfway across the globe, the excitement might be at high peaks. The quoted price catches your eye, and the developers’ portfolio impresses. As the project gets underway, communication begins to slip. Time zone differences cause delays in responses, and important decisions get made without your input. 

With deadlines slipping and no one taking charge of the project, you’re facing a launch date that’s coming up quickly. The initial excitement shifts to anxiety as you see that the first prototype is nowhere near what you imagined. When there’s a lack of coordination, it delays your timeline and drives up costs, resulting in a frustrating rework process that cuts into your budget.

Best practices in mobile app development outsourcing

Understanding the entire process of outsourcing mobile app development needs time and attention. After listing the mistakes above, let’s focus on practical recommendations for your software project. We put together a list of the key cost factors in your outsourced app development:

1. Dev Team Location

Your development team’s location determines one of the most important cost elements in the development of a mobile application. For businesses trying to strike a mix between cost and quality, Romania has become a top outsourcing location. They provide highly skilled developers, competitive pricing, and a great cultural fit for affordable, high-quality app development.

2. Team Skills

There are 2 things you should keep in mind when looking upon the team skills: junior developers do simple jobs, while senior developers work on complicated features and architecture.

A balanced mix of the 2 is definitely the way to go if you want both a cost-efficient and profitable app. 

3. Infrastructure Costs

Backend infrastructure, including cloud storage, data processing, security, and backups, is needed to construct mobile apps. Cloud systems like AWS, Google Cloud, and Microsoft Azure host these services, which go by $30–150 per virtual server each month. 

4. App Build Stages

• Discover, Research, Plan

Start with mobile app discovery, as it’s crucial to project success. Planning ahead helps prevent costly development mistakes, such as choosing the wrong technology stack.

This phase takes 1-2 weeks and costs between $5,000 and $15,000,000. Skipping it may seem like a good way to save money, but (believe us) fixing major difficulties later might cost even more.

• Design Stage

An intuitive and attractive user interface (UI) and user experience (UX) are the goals of design. App design is crucial for user retention and happiness. Depending on the app’s complexity, this phase might take 150-300 hours, and the costs can go between $5,000 and $15,000.

Designers build wireframes, user flows, and prototypes to make the app easy to use. Read more about the best tips & tricks in mobile app design. 

• The development stage 

This is the hardest part, when developers code the software. A MVP (Minimum Viable Product) is generally the initial stage since it lets you launch a simple app and get user input before full-scale development.

The general cost of an MVP can start from $5,000 to $15,000, depending on the complexity of the app.

• Testing and deploying

Your app must undergo thorough testing before its market launch to identify faults and ensure seamless performance. To avoid app crashes, professional testers recreate use cases and stress-test them.

Complex app testing might cost $5,000–$25,000 and require about 400 hours.

5. Support and maintenance

After deployment, you’ll need constant upgrades and maintenance for your app, especially because Apple and Google OS changes might damage functioning. Regular updates keep the app working and compatible with app store rules. Maintenance generally costs $5,000–$10,000 per year.

How to outsource mobile app development: How to manage the entire process

Shortly, there are 3 big steps to find out how to do it right:

Step 1: Define your needs.

First, decide who you want and what you want to build. 

• Are you developing a new app and need mobile app developers to build an MVP quickly?
• Are you looking for iOS developers who can improve or add features to an existing app?
• What kind of app do you wish to build?

Make a list of criteria, such as what kind of developers you need, how many, what you already have, etc. It will help you understand your project and choose the right team for your needs.

Step 2: Find an app development team.

Go through: 

• Top-tier development talent and networks of experts: Whether you choose to hire entire teams or individual experts, marketplaces like Clutch, Upwork or Toptal might be great resources. 

• Blogs: It is well known that outsourcing organizations blog about their experience, skills, and development suggestions. Reading a company’s blog can help you learn about its qualities, background, and services. 

On our blog, BEECODED specialists discuss SaaS Development, Mobile App Development, product development, UX/UI design, and more. See if other posts on our site are helpful.

Step 3: Check their skills

• Case studies – Team experience and skills are shown in case studies. Outsourcing businesses demonstrate their expertise, display their tech stack from past projects, and explain why they choose a certain technical strategy in these documents. 

Sneak glance into DTangle, MiM, Garett Motion, Footbal Coin, and more case studies.

Finding a competent mobile app development outsourcing agency is crucial to your success. Do not miss it. 

• Reviews: Hearing what others say about your outsourcing partner is the best method to evaluate them. Searching for an outsourced partner often involves reading client evaluations. Company reviews can be found on their websites or on platforms like Clutch. 

A quick glance at the differences between outsourcing and building a software product in-house is listed below:

Mobile application development outsourcing vs. in-house

Benefits and risks of outsourcing app development

 Key pros and cons of outsourcing app development:

Hiring an offshore mobile app development agency

Before hiring a mobile development agency for your project, be sure to go through this checklist:

→ Clearly outline your business goals and be prepared to share them with others. Start by pinpointing the problem you want to address with your first MVP. Then, break it down into smaller, measurable steps and set some rough deadlines for each step.

→ Look at the skills needed for the project. When you outsource mobile development, start by figuring out the technology stack, expertise, and skills required for your project. Whether you want to outsource mobile application development or focus on more specific services like outsource iOS app development or outsource Android development, it’s important to know exactly what roles you need. For instance, do you only need developers, or do you also require project managers, quality assurance testers, or business analysts? If you’re thinking about specific frameworks, such as outsourcing React Native app development services, make sure to include that in your plan.

→ Make a budget plan. Budgeting can be a challenge, so it’s important to plan every detail carefully. When considering mobile app development outsourcing, think about how much initial capital you have and the areas where you can cut costs while keeping only the essentials. Be sure to account for the cost of outsourcing mobile app development and gather quotes from several mobile app outsourcing agencies to get an idea of the price range. 

→ Gather details on offshore locations. There are many offshore countries to consider for mobile development offshore, each offering different benefits and challenges. Whether you’re looking at a mobile app development offshore or app development agency, it’s important to weigh options carefully. Make a list of countries nearest to you in both time zone and culture, and consider which ones offer the best balance of price and quality for offshore development. This can help you find the right mobile app outsourcing company for your project.

Conclusion: How to get quality results on time and within budget while outsourcing app development

Outsourcing mobile app development can be highly effective when you select the right partner, define clear goals, and maintain open communication. Success hinges on ensuring your partner understands your vision and has the technical skills to bring it to life. By setting clear expectations, monitoring project management, and accounting for potential hidden costs, you can stay on track and within budget. Thoughtful planning and consistent collaboration will lead to a high-quality app delivered efficiently and effectively.

FAQs

1. When is outsourcing not a good idea? 

Outsourcing may not be a beneficial idea when you need tight control over the project, require specialized knowledge that isn’t readily available externally, or have concerns about data security and confidentiality.

2. Is it cheaper to insource or to outsource? 

It depends on the project and resources. Outsourcing can be cheaper for short-term projects or tasks requiring specific expertise, whereas insourcing may be more cost-effective for ongoing work or leveraging existing staff.

3. What is better than outsourcing?

In some cases, forming partnerships with freelancers or local experts or investing in training your existing team can yield better results than outsourcing, especially for core business functions.

4. Is outsourcing a beneficial strategy?

Outsourcing can be a beneficial strategy if it allows you to focus on your core competencies, access specialized skills, or reduce costs, but it requires careful management to ensure quality and communication.

5. How much does it cost to develop an AI-based mobile app? 

The cost can vary widely based on complexity, features, and the development team’s location, typically ranging from $20,000 to over $100,000.