In our previous articles, you can find an extended knowledge of the benefits and drawbacks of outsourcing, ways to avoid common outsourcing problems, how to find a nearshoring software development partner, and many more. Today we will focus on one specific part of product development to be outsourced – the front-end. What to focus on in the forthcoming year 2022, considering this particular segment? How to make sure you’ll choose the best possible option? Find the answers to these and other questions in the article below.
What will you learn from the Guide to outsourcing front-end development?
- What is specific about outsourcing Front-end development?
- What skills should an ideal candidate have?
- Integration of Front-end and Back-end teams.
- Why outsourcing Front-end beats In-house?
- The best cooperation model for Front-end development.
- What to pay attention to when deciding on outsourcing Front-end development?
What is specific about outsourcing Front-end development?
In software outsourcing services in general the most important thing is to trust your provider. Considering outsourcing of front-end development, you may struggle with some doubts regarding the frameworks used by your partner. The question is whether the vision of safe and reliable frameworks of both of you is common or not. On the other hand, if the vendor chosen by you achieves success using different frameworks, has their own processes, and is really an expert in what they do, it can be more beneficial for you to let them take total control. That’s why the choice of a trusted IT partner and conducting precise research is a crucial step at the very beginning. That issue should be discussed with the companies you consider at the initial phase of the process.
What skills should an ideal candidate have?
Depending on the project you’re going to develop with the support of the front-end developer, the required skills and technologies will be established individually. However, there are an overall set of required technologies and frameworks that developers on different levels should know. They vary in the scope of their knowledge, individual ability to solve complex problems, and soft skills, which are also important when it comes to creating a team that will be working together. When it comes to the senior front-end developers, they should have not only strong knowledge of the lower level programmers but also LAMP and/or MEAN tech stacks. Besides that, they also should have a broad understanding of SDLC, have strong problem-solving skills, and know the business logic that stays behind the technical decisions.
Integration of Front-end and Back-end teams
Lack of cooperation and proper communication within the team of front-end and back-end developers may often lead to issues with taking responsibility in general. An experienced IT provider will take care of that issue by discussing it at the preliminary stage. Thanks to that, further work and the output will be consistent and integrated, due to the fact that each member of the team is provided with the same information about server codes, data management, security, etc.
Why outsourcing Front-end beats In-house?
First of all, outsourcing of front-end development is more efficient in terms of financial aspects. Due to the various amount and intensity of workload on the front-end during the project, it’s not always necessary to keep all developers in-house. During the development phase, there is often a need to increase or decrease the scope of the team, which could also be problematic for companies that have their development team in-house, because it’s not cost-effective for them anymore. Moreover, the front-end tasks can be easily and quickly outsourced, because of the character of the front-end tasks that are well suited to be delegated.
The best cooperation model for Front-end development.
There are 3 standard models of cooperation with front-end developers:
- In-house front-end team – this model fits best when you decide to build your own internal development team because you’re a startup and you want to have full control over the development process, build commitment and loyalty. On the other hand, you are limited by the specialists just in the near area, losing the chance to discover some great potentials and talents.
- Project-based outsourcing – this solution enables you to delegate the development of an entire project to another company. This option has its flaws, as for example higher costs due to the fee of project management included in your expenditures. What could also be demanding in that situation is the remote mode of work. However, nowadays most companies have switched to work remotely anyway, so these times it doesn’t make much difference anymore. Nevertheless, when you decide on this particular model, your focus can be shifted towards your other current business problems or goals, thus all financial, mental, and human resources can work on your company’s growth and expansion.
- Dedicated team – the last, but not the least. A dedicated team is a group of people assigned to your tasks only. Such cooperation can be beneficial because you can hire them as a part of your personnel and integrate them with your internal employees. What is also important, you don’t have to waste your time on the recruiting or onboarding processes, because your partner already takes care of it. Meanwhile, you may focus on more important and urgent tasks in your business.
What to pay attention to when deciding on outsourcing Front-end development
Finally, when you already know some basics, we may now expand the topic of front-end development outsourcing, how to do it and what to pay attention to during that process.
1. Explore the talent pool precisely
Thanks to the comfort that outsourcing provides, you can look for your development dream team anywhere in the world. The mixture of desired skills you need for your project can be explored even offshore or in the second hemisphere. Just keep common sense and an open mind.
2. Don’t fall into the trap of the lowest prices – it usually doesn’t go hand in hand with the quality
The most common reason for deciding to outsource is of course the cost reduction. Companies sometimes search for the possibly cheapest option to save as much money as they can. Unfortunately, the cheapest almost never equals the best. After such cooperation, the entrepreneurs end up with some horrible experiences, constant problems with quality and communication, frauds and scams, delays in projects. Thus they immediately form a bad opinion about the whole outsourcing and are afraid to try again. But the truth is, you can’t expect the lowest price, highest quality, and quickest processes at once. At least one of the factors should be sacrificed in that case. Don’t hold back on spending a little more, but have a job well done. It’s just worth it.
3. Conduct comprehensive research of your potential IT services provider
It’s the most important thing that you should do. In order to have your assumptions and expectations fulfilled, at first you have to find a reliable, experienced partner that will be compatible with your company, business, team, and values. Choosing the right partner may require more time than you would like to, but in the long term, it’s the most affordable strategy.
4. The most important aspects you should take into account when choosing the vendor
Speaking of looking for the appropriate vendor, which aspects should you actually consider? First of all, take a look at the reviews and recommendations (a trustworthy portal where you can do it is for example Clutch). Secondly, pay attention to the company’s values – if they are consistent with yours, experience, how long do they operate on the market. Check their portfolio carefully. Make a few initial appointments with a representative of the company and explore their expertise, engagement, and capabilities. Be also aware of your expectations and ideas about the results of the project from the very beginning. It helps not only to avoid further miscommunication and misunderstandings but also avoid picking up the company that couldn’t meet your goals.
5. Popular Front-end development outsourcing destinations
One of the most popular directions of outsourcing is still Asian countries: India, China, Vietnam, etc. Definitely, they owe their popularity to competitive prices, but they also cannot be denied many talented programmers. In Eastern Europe, on the other hand, Poland and Ukraine certainly have a large pool of front-end talents. It has 50,000 developers. One of their advantages over the Asian developers is communication – most European programmers have high-level English skills. Another outsourcing direction is South America. If you’re looking for cost reduction and efficiency when outsourcing, you should consider that region. This is because companies use the power and potential of free trade that operates in South America.
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As you can see, choosing the right provider for front-end development outsourcing services is not a simple task, but a complex process. You should be aware of your expectations and requirements at first and also be oriented about what kind of skills the developers you’re looking for must have, depending on the specifics of your project. Conduct the research wisely to make sure you will choose a trusted, compatible and reliable vendor. Good luck!