Hiring software developers: Worth the cost? Mantra Information Services May 2009 Newsletter

Email not displaying correctly?  Click here to view it in your browser. Troubled Times: Is the return on investment of hiring software developers worth the cost? Hiring and retaining software developers is a huge burden on many businesses in terms of both cost and effort. Even when job markets are depressed, qualified software developers are hard to find and command top salaries. Many companies choose to outsource some or all of their planning, development and maintenance work to help mitigate the cost and effort of hiring, retaining and running an in-house development staff.    Many outsourcing firms will promise an incredibly high (and incredibly unrealistic) return on investment when trying to garner your business.  They usually fail to take into account the additional management time, overhead, and quality expenses that are incurred from outsourcing work.  A realistic cost savings from outsourcing software development work to the right partner can fall in the 25% to 35% range.  Hiring the wrong firm can actually incur more costs than direct hires would incur after factoring in rework, quality issues, and missed deadlines. The biggest advantages of hiring an experienced team to develop software are a guarantee of meeting software design objectives and a decrease in the risks associated with software implementations. One primary drawback is that knowledge gained will remain with the consultants you hire, so it's important to find a partner with a high degree of professionalism and experience in knowledge transfer. The right partner will be happy to document their work to your standards, and transfer all knowledge they have of your products to anyone you choose. You can contact Mantra Information Services for more information on outsourcing any aspects of your software development needs. Software Maintenance: More than just fixing bugs! When many people think about keeping a software package running, they consider retaining a development team to fix defects or 'bugs' if any should arise. This is known as corrective maintenance. Corrective maintenance is extremely important, but smart IT managers know that it is actually only one of the four types of maintenance that need to be considered when supporting an application. The other three are: Adaptive maintenance : Changes made to software to keep products usable in a changing environment. Perfective maintenance : Changes made to software to improve performance or maintainability. Preventive maintenance : Changes made to find and correct problems or potential problems before they are found by users. Even if the application you're using keeps working flawlessly, what will happen if the database that it connects to doesn't?  Will the performance of your application slow as your database grows or as you add more users?  Are there any problems that might happen in the near future that could be prevented?  What will happen if the technologies that your software runs on become obsolete or outdated?  All of these areas of software maintenance need to be considered to mitigate risks and keep things running smoothly. If you have any questions regarding what it takes to support a software application, regardless of who it was designed by or how it is being used, contact Mantra Information Services for more info. Our newsletter: Mantra Information Services is pleased to provide you with this monthly newsletter. Each month, we look at different topics relating to the software development and IT industries. Who we are: Mantra Information Services is a full-service software development and IT consulting company headquartered in Morristown, New Jersey. We specialize in creation, customization, maintenance, and migration of web and mobile applications. Our services:  Custom Software Development Design, creation, and customization of new software applications  Software Maintenance Maintenance and enhancement of existing software applications  Software Migration Migrating existing systems to newer technology platforms  Custom Website Development Design and development of new and custom websites  Software Project Management Keeping software projects on track, in scope, and on budget  Technology Consulting Determining the technology and resources that are right for your business  Project Inception Consulting Determining technologies, estimates, team structure, and road maps for your software projects If you no longer wish to recieve the Mantra Information Services monthly newsletter, you can Unsubscribe from this list. We will remove your email address from any future mailings. Visit us on the web at: http://www.mantrais.com Copyright 2009 Mantra Information Services. All rights reserved. Forward this newsletter to a friend!