For many business leaders, outsourcing an aspect of your business is a nerve-wracking experience, especially when it’s something as impactful as software development and project management. Finding a partner with the right skill set that’s also trustworthy and affordable is a daunting task, so how do you ensure that you’ve found the right partner?
For one of 3Ci’s more recent clients, it took years of trial and error before finally connecting with us through a professional network. As their 4th software engineering firm to work on this product, the stakes to get it right were high. The client’s trust was damaged, not only in outside vendors but in the product itself. It was up to 3Ci to help
the client rebuild that trust in the process.
The journey thus far has been incredibly successful, but towards the beginning, we couldn’t help but wonder…
What Did We Get Ourselves Into?
Our first challenge was understanding the current condition of the product. It had passed through so many vendors that the program was convoluted, and poor communication resulted in the product owner knowing next to nothing
about how it was developed or worked. The client had a very difficult relationship with the provider before 3Ci, which made the knowledge transfer challenging and tense. Still, the 3Ci team handled it gracefully and completed the transfer in about two months.
The product was a bit dated and inflexible, making it difficult to use both internally and externally. It was slowing down business and hindering the growth of the company. The ability to respond to market needs quickly is
essential in today’s economic climate. If legacy code, outdated frameworks, and insecure libraries hinder software platforms that enable a business, it’s impossible to become a truly agile-driven enterprise.
To give you a better idea of what exactly this client was looking for, here are a few of their non-negotiables:
- PCI compliant
- Enhanced privacy and security
- Configuration solutions
- Front-end synchronization
- Clean architecture
- Improved agility
Where others saw obstacles, 3Ci saw an opportunity to level up, so our experts dove right in, eager to find a solution.
Finding and Implementing a Solution
After brokering an all-inclusive model, our experts took over the product in January 2022 and built a strong software development team to manage the knowledge transfer and start rebuilding.
Because agility and flexibility were top priorities for the client, we set an agile production delivery schedule with Scrum ceremonies. These Agile practices foster close collaboration between all parties, motivating the Scrum Team to deliver quality and valuable software within much shorter timeframes.
We also took additional steps, like bringing a Quality Assurance tech to diagnose bugs and implement best practices. Our QA reduced bugs to a minimum and kept product development running smoothly.
3Ci has successfully rebuilt the client’s trust in technology outsourcing and is poised to continue growing and supporting the client and their product.
Where We’re Headed
The project’s scope continues to grow/expand, and additional resources are being added to the team. The team is actively streamlining the tech stack to make room for growth and supporting the product owner in advocating for additional resources to get the program to a scalable state.
Our developers keep the company informed and engaged with regular, weekly communication, allowing our relationship to evolve continuously. 3Ci’s customer service-driven approach is proving to be extraordinarily successful and sets us apart from other vendors in the field.
Outsourcing tech talent is becoming an essential ingredient for success. Cost savings are a key motivator; nearly half of HR executives surveyed agree that reducing expenses is the most significant benefit. Flexibility and scalability are also key benefits, with 42% of CTOs reporting a heightened ability to quickly resize teams and ramp up operations as the most significant benefit. These benefits were followed closely by time savings and increased productivity.
As demonstrated in this client’s journey and our partnership thus far, it’s essential for companies to begin shifting away from inflexible, legacy systems and towards an Agile, streamlined, and scalable product. The switch isn’t easy, but with an experienced, adaptable, and personable partner like 3Ci, you can build a team of qualified experts to get the job done right the first time.