Building a Systems Development Team - Outsourcing

Can’t we just hire somebody to do this for us? The answer is more complex than a simple "Yes" or "No."

Steve Jost Profile Picture
Share
Contributors Chris Hodge Profile PictureChris Hodge David Brown Profile PictureDavid Brown
  1. Outsourcing the development work will still require a significant amount of resources from your internal team. The team will have to describe the process they are trying to automate with enough detail for a third party to efficiently and expertly step in. Your team will also be involved in support activities, including testing and training.
  2. Larger contractors are now starting to make acquisitions of technology companies rather than outsourcing to a third party. This allows them to more tightly control the results of the system development process (which they view as a competitive advantage).
  3. If you want to test the waters in outsourcing some development tasks or functions, start slowly (and small), with well-defined requirements and carefully managing expectations. You can spend a ton of money in “change orders” if you are not careful!

This is Part 11 of an 18-Part Series


Topics Covered in the Series Include:

  • Clarification
  • Software
  • Best Fit
  • Risk
  • Applications

All relationships start with a simple conversation. Let’s schedule some time to talk about your specific challenges and opportunities.


Building a Systems Development Team - Outsourcing
Construction technology innovation is accelerating and the contractors that learn how to effectively integrate technology into every aspect of their business will dominate tomorrow. ...

Building a Systems Development Team - Outsourcing
Construction technology innovation is accelerating and the contractors that learn how to effectively integrate technology into every aspect of their business will dominate tomorrow. ...

Seven Basic Project Team Objectives
Every construction project team has seven basic objectives. Expand on these to build great evaluation, development, and troubleshooting tools for your business.
Vision + Execution
The first limitation most people and companies put on themselves is the size of their vision. While vision alone will not guarantee your achievement, a limited vision will nearly always guarantee limited achievement.
Process Improvement and Cycle Times
When contractors grow inefficient processes usually get substantially more inefficient dramatically changing the Return on Investment (ROI) model. Saving a few minutes over 1,000 cycles per month means $60K+ potential savings over a couple years.