Finding a perfect outsourcing partner could be a very tricky question for any company. In today’s world the emphasis on quality products and the ever-changing demands of customers has compelled every company of any size to outsource their projects. 

The benefits of low costs, faster delivery and additional great expertise sounds very tempting for companies and we all want to benefit from the relationship with a perfect outsourcing partner.

Having worked in the outsourcing games services segment for over a decade, we understand that not all business relationships are created equal. 

The risks in outsourcing are higher for a small or mid-sized company and they have to be more critical in managing these relationships. 

Based on what we have observed, here are some of the useful tips for your company while you search for the next outsourcing partner.

A - Setting up clear standards and defining the targets, deliverables and timelines. The most critical element is communication, as it holds the key in building a long-term successful relationship. You have to ensure that both the teams have great clarity on project’s objectives, process, deadlines, budgeting and more. 

All the questions should be answered prior to the launch of the project, as leaving these questions unanswered could lead up to potential disappointments.

At GodSpeed, we believe in effective communication and follow the process for understanding your project prior to hitting the floor. We raise questions not just in the beginning, but throughout the project cycle.

B - You should always seek a partner who understands your business. It is not just about the technology you are using for the project. The domain knowledge can help in removing many hurdles, both for you and your partner. 

C - Meet the Team. It is always advised to plan a business visit to your partner’s facility. You should meet and know the team that is going to perform the job for you. This experience gives you an advantage of knowing the expertise of the team in delivering your expected results and in turn helps the service provider’s team to actually become a part of your team. 

A personal connection always boosts up the relationships. At GodSpeed we welcome our partners to visit us and talk to the team on floor. 

And where travel is not possible, the team gets on a daily/weekly call with the clients to share about the progress and to answer any queries they have.

D - Ask for professional references and validate them. It is always good to understand the past projects of your prospective partner. If your prospective partner can share few industry references about the people/companies that they are working with or have worked in the past.

Then this serves as a very helpful factor in building trusts on your new partners expertise. You can talk to their customers who are using the same services and get the real scoop on the quality of their work. 

E - Questions about the Company – Just as your service provider should know about your business, so do you. There are things that you would want to understand prior to getting into any kind of engagement with your service provider. 

The details about the Hierarchy, Employee Turnover and Capabilities for ramping up and down of the team are very important for any project to be success. 

Your service provider should be able to provide you stats about the employee turnover. This is important, as it translates into missed deadlines and low-quality output.

F - Breaking up the project milestones into smaller deliveries is another important aspect in creating accountability. Creating mini-deadlines within the project and following up for weekly and daily updates is integral for the process. 

This in a way keeps whole team updated about the schedule and ensures that everyone is on the same page. 

We at GodSpeed Games provide our partners with Daily, Weekly and Monthly progress reports that detail the entire coverage and deliverable. Team is always available over chat channels and conference calls for every kind of project communication.

G - When outsourcing, consider the complexities of doing business with team in different time zone and of different culture. If you need the team to be available in the same hours as of yours, then this should be communicated to your partner in advance. 

Seeking resources that speak your language is also helpful in communication. At GodSpeed we have the team available across different timelines. 

Depending on the requirements of particular clients, we have a team available for them. In someway the difference in time zone is helpful too. 

H - In today’s competitive world, finding a partner who has multiple service offerings is very important. For example: Having Customer Support and Quality Assurance professionals at the same studio, helps in giving timely service to the customers. 

If with a new release there are certain issues faced by players, then CS can directly get in touch with the QA to replicate the game mechanics issues and can give clear feedback to developers for fixing the issues in short span of time. We refer to this as ‘Live Support’ and it is critical in the success of Online Games. 

At GodSpeed Games, we have professionals from Support and Quality front who understand player’s issues and can provide accounts related solutions instantly. Plus, also co-ordinate with players to narrow down any specific issue they are facing, so that developers can be communicated with required data. 

I - Lastly, we all want to benefit from cost effective services. However, this should never be the only focus from projects front. While choosing the services partner, consider other factors too like: Time-to-market, Support services and Past Deliveries in similar services.

If you are ready to explore the benefits that a high-quality outsourcing relationship can bring to your business, then get in touch with us today.