The Best Software Development Companies in Switzerland

The 8 Steps That Will Help You Choose the Best Outsourcing Partner from Switzerland

1. Define Your Goals

Before you start searching for a software outsourcing partner, you need to clearly define your project goals. Generally, it is a good idea to create an internal team from all relevant sectors to help you fully understand what you need. You can also come up with an ideal draft timeline for your project, e.g., when testing will start, when the MVP will be out, etc.

If you have an in-house developer, it is highly advisable to consult them regarding the aims of your project. They can give you first-hand knowledge about what reasonable expectations are and what problems could arise. And when we say clearly define your project goals, we don’t mean something as simple as – create a payment platform.

Ultimately, it will be up to the software development company you hire to take care of the details and advise you on the best course of action, but you shouldn’t leave it up to them. In this instance, a clearly defined project could include all the functionalities the platform should have, the minimal number of supported users, the types of payment processing it is compatible with, etc.

With that, you can move on to searching for a software development company that can do the project for you.

2. Look at Ratings, Reviews, and Other Types of Social Proof

The first step is somewhat tedious but necessary – you should create a master list of development companies from Switzerland that you sort by reputation. That means looking at their website and social media to find some social proof, like ratings and comments from their clients.

Naturally, most companies curate their public image, so what they display may not be the full truth. Thus, it’s important to look at independent platforms and check for ratings and reviews there. If the impression you get from independent platforms and what a company puts out aligns and is overall positive, that company should go on the list.

That being said, you can skip this step when you are searching for software development companies in Switzerland – we’ve done it for you. The companies on our list have excellent reputations for providing high-quality work, so you can simply put them on your list and go to step 3.

3. Delve Deeper Into Companies’ Portfolios and Case Studies

Once you have some 15 – 20 potential software companies from Switzerland that you could potentially partner with, it’s time to see if they would be a good fit for your specific project. And the easiest way to find that out is by looking at a company’s portfolio or case studies. These documents give you insight into the exact projects a company has completed.

Demonstrable experience is the best indicator that they can finish future projects in a similar manner. So, if you find that a company has worked on projects comparable to yours – both in scope and subject matter – that company should go to the top of the list. However, not every company will have a portfolio or case studies that demonstrate that they can successfully complete your project.

There could be a plethora of reasons – maybe the company itself is new, but has experienced staff; maybe they signed NDAs that prohibit them from publicly displaying such documents; they could have the expertise necessary for your project but didn’t get an opportunity yet; it may even be something as simple as that they haven’t updated their portfolio.

Whatever the reasons behind a thin portfolio is, it should not be the only criteria by which you dismiss a company. This is why step no. 3 should be taken into consideration with step no. 4.

4. Examine Their Areas of Expertise and Availability

Most software development companies in Switzerland focus on a few specific subfields of IT. The larger ones may go up to a dozen related ones. However, no software company, even the best one, can carry out any and all projects related to IT. That is why you should check out the specific areas of expertise a company has.

Typically, you can gauge this from their portfolios or case studies, as we’ve mentioned above, or from their websites – it should be clearly displayed. You can also try to find out a bit more about a company’s senior staff and what they specialize in. LinkedIn is an excellent tool you can use and should not be discounted.

As far as the 15 best companies from Switzerland are concerned, we’ve taken care of this part too – each company has its specializations listed.  

Yet, selecting a software company for outsourcing is not just about the skills, it’s about access to those skills. After all, as they say in the NFL, the best ability is availability. Thus, depending on the scope of your project, you need to find out whether the exact staff you need can work on it. And you can only find this out by contacting individual companies.

5. Evaluate Their Project Management Approach

When you start directly communicating with companies, there’s another thing you should find out – what project management approach they utilize. This step is extremely important because when you are outsourcing development (unless you are only hiring a single developer to augment your staff), you are hiring an entire project team.

And a project team requires support staff – from managers to HR – not just developers. After all, the purpose of software outsourcing is to minimize the resources you invest while getting the product you need. That naturally means that the team you hire needs to be able to run itself with minimal input (or oversight) from you.

Typically, the Agile approach is best for software development. It has proven to deliver the best end product in a timely manner. Thus, find out if the company you are interested in hiring utilizes this project management framework.

Other styles may work for short-term projects, but you are taking a big risk if you are hiring a company that takes the waterfall or similar approach to project management. However, the Agile approach also necessitates making changes in accordance with clients’ input, which means that you will have to invest a bit of your time. Which leads us to the next point.

6. Think About the Potential Channels of Communication

Agile truly is based on regularly communicating with clients, that’s not just an ideological point. And when you are outsourcing software development to Switzerland, it can present a bit of a challenge due to the time zones. Switzerland’s time zone is GMT+1, which is:

• -6 Eastern Standard Time
• -7 Central Standard Time
• -8 Mountain Standard Time
• -9 Pacific Standard Time

Consequently, you’ll need to establish which channels of communication you’ll use and how you will give feedback. This may seem like a small point, but ineffective communication between clients and outsourcing companies has led to many unnecessary delays in practice. On a positive note, an experienced Agile company should quickly provide you with solutions.

7. Ask About Post-Development Support Policies

Software requires maintenance and other types of post-development support. This could be something minimal that your in-house staff could take care of. It can also be something you hire another software company to do.

But, usually, the best option is for the same company that developed the software to maintain it. That may not be a service the company provides. This should not be a deal breaker, but you should still be familiar with their policies because other solutions will affect your long-term budget.

8. Consider a Pilot Project

Finally, even if you find a company from Switzerland you are 99% certain can get the job done in the manner you want, it’s never a bad choice to test them out. So, if you have the option, hire them for a small, pilot project and see how they prove themselves.

Can’t Find a Swiss Software Development Company You Like?

Don’t fret. The best software development companies in Switzerland are some of the best in the world, yes, but they’re not the only ones. Below, you’ll find similar lists of the best companies from other popular offshore and nearshore outsourcing destinations. So take your time and find a company you’d like to partner with.