5 Mistakes to Avoid When Outsourcing Mobile App Development

Whether you plan to outsource app development out of the country or just out of your state, here are five mistakes that you can avoid to make your outsourced project a success.

Outsourcing mobile app development can help you save on money, while giving your company an increase in flexibility. However, outsourcing does have its pitfalls, especially if it is your first time at outsourcing app development.

Here are the five most common mistakes that outsourcers make when working with an external service provider. Read on to find out what to look out for when you outsource mobile app development.

Mistake one: Not accounting for the difference in time zones

Even though we live in a global marketplace, there are still hurdles to overcome. If your mobile development team is not online when you are doing business, you may have to find yourself waiting an entire day, before your issues are resolved. If you have a question that needs an answer, you may not get answer until the next day. Such holdups can push back your deadline. To make this work, you can either hire a team who works the same hours that you do or try adjusting your schedule to reduce the delay in time.

Mistake two:  Inadequate functional tests in the environment of the end user

To ensure that your mobile app performs well, you have to include testing procedures that mimic the scenarios encountered by real end-users. This may be a problem, if your outsourced team has to hard-code several use cases. For instance, an app that uses GPS data has to be tested in the locations that it is designed for. Do not make your users pay for bugs that should have been evident during testing. Instead, ask the service provider to use emulators or VPNs to negate the problem of working with an overseas team. Continue reading

Why use An Online Accounting System?

An online accounting system is a great way to manage your business by providing you with the right tools to evaluate your business and take informed business decisions.

Today online accounting software systems are evolving rapidly and have given business owners the opportunity to choose how and when they can handle their finances. Whether at the office or on-the-go, a business owner can easily carry out administrative functions, like tracking expenses, sending an invoice or viewing bank balances by using an online accounting software.

If your business has still not shifted towards an online accounting system, here are three advantages that your enterprise can leverage by adopting an online accounting system.

1. An increase in efficiency

In an online accounting system, transactions need to be entered only once. The software will then automatically update the ledger. You can then easily generate reports or financial statements. You can make adjustments to your reports in real-time.

2. Better analysis

With an online accounting system, you have a wide range of standard reports that you can use to review and evaluate your financial operations. For instance, you can easily review income and expense accounts on a monthly basis. You can also make comparisons between the current year and previous year’s percentage and figures. There are several online accounting systems that also provide options to write reports or sort out data. Using an online accounting software can be useful especially while reviewing your company’s performance or taking important decisions. Continue reading

The Benefits Verses The Risks of Outsourcing IT Systems & Services

Are you thinking about outsourcing an IT service or system? If yes, do evaluate the various benefits and risks that go hand in hand with IT outsourcing.

Today most large, mid-size and small organizations decide to outsource IT services or systems to stay competitive. However, the option of outsourcing comes with some proven benefits and not so obvious risks as well. If your enterprise is keen on outsourcing IT, it would be probably be a good idea to carefully analyse the risks and benefits, plan out possible measures to attenuate the risks and prepare your in-house resources for the change that outsourcing brings.

Here are some benefits and risks that your enterprise needs to be aware before you outsource IT services:

The Benefits

1.Minimize current cost

Reduced cost is the most compelling reason why most companies choose to outsource IT. With outsourcing, the capital outlay can be successfully controlled. If you opt for in-house IT services, your enterprise will be incurring fixed cost. However, by outsourcing, either onshore or offshore, the same fixed costs are converted into variable ones. This will free up your capital for use in other areas of your business. Not only will this make your business more appealing to investors, it will also give you the freedom to invest your capital into areas that will bring in direct revenues.

2. Control expenses

If your business chooses to perform every operation internally, then the expenses associated with each activity has to be passed on to the customers. On the other hand, outsourcing IT services to a service provider that specializes in business networks and support will alleviate some of your expense, while giving your enterprise a competitive edge when it comes to the pricing of your services and goods.

3. Increased focus on core operations

Through outsourcing IT services, your managers can completely focus on the core objectives and goals of your business. If IT services are performed in-house, some of your managers may have to split their time between activities that engage prospective customers and concerns around operations, leaving less time for core business objectives. Outsourcing erases this necessity and enables managers to shift all their time and energy into core business competencies.

4. Compete with large businesses

Large businesses have the required resources to maintain cutting-edge services and systems by themselves. The same cannot be said of small to mid-size businesses. Small and medium sized business very often do not have the required resources or budget to implement IT systems and services on their own. Outsourcing IT services bridges this gap and creates a more equitable playing field between large and small enterprises. Continue reading