Delegating App Development to OutSystems Partner – Trading-off Speed and Customization

In a recent survey, around 83% of tech leaders believe that transforming customer experience is obtainable through the development of bespoke digital applications. To be specific, they expect customer journeys to be fragmented into minute parts and analyzed for optimization potential. Owing to this, the global revenue of the application CX personalization and optimization initiative is estimated to touch 11.6 billion USD in 2026.

However, customization comes to a standstill with off-the-shelf app development platforms as they are meant to be time-intensive solutions with the need to build or develop functionalities from scratch. Though several business problems and end-user pain points might be resolved using off-the-shelf platforms, some industries require formulating exclusively customized web or mobile applications. For such domains, low-code platforms like OutSystems help trade-off customization and speed of app development.

Why OutSystems the Industry-Standard Choice

Enterprise CIOs/CTOs are being tasked with empowering their organizations to innovate and stay competitive, the demands that have proliferated as a result of the digital transformation. However, maintaining legacy systems and enterprise-provided infrastructure is consuming over half of the resources that tech leaders are responsible for, thereby hindering innovation. Another important responsibility of business leaders is to not utilize outdated technology stacks for application development, as it impacts business performance and results in technology debt.

In sum, with the ever-evolving pressures of digital transformation, tech leaders struggle to stay versatile in the face of change. To overcome this scenario, the OutSystems platform combines the speed of low-code development with a fail-safe foundation to redefine the application development process and organizational agility. From user experience to AI, OutSystems rapid application development platform is the first of its kind designed to tackle the complexities of app creation.

With OutSystems operation, business leaders can:

• Develop fit-for-purpose (circumstantial) customer experiences that function across a range of devices and operating systems
• Provide an enterprise-wide ecosystem of applications that meets a broad range of organizational and technical requirements
• Strengthen IT teams to lead digital product development initiatives with ease and speed

Common Engagement Models of OutSystems Development

Choosing OutSystems for the app development team is great! But there is a complex choice to make: Should tech leaders choose an in-house team or recognized OutSystems partners?

At an abstract level, both models may get the app development project completed. However, there are pros and cons to both strategies. Hiring OutSystems partners for development projects can be highly advantageous in certain circumstances while training an in-house team on OutSystems and undertaking development initiatives have their fair share of advantages and challenges.

Struggles Encountered by In-house Teams with OutSystems Development

• Limited Personalization – In a Forbes survey, it has been found that 25% of enterprises’ in-house development teams have no background experience in low-code platforms. One of the predominant challenges faced by in-house developers with the OutSystems platform is performing app customization. The in-house developers have less knowledge of the pre-built templates, and components offered by OutSystems, thereby limiting the extent to which solutions can be modified to meet unique business requirements. Balancing speed and customization is important.
• Legacy Integration – In OutSystems, the REST and SOAP services integrations are available intuitively. To integrate legacy systems and other third-party applications, in-house developers need to write extensive methods and data structures in the Integration Builder. Likewise, developers need to maintain the configurations of integration by generating custom code, considerably increasing time, effort, and errors.
• Security Standards – Security is a major concern with OutSystems custom development using in-house teams. In-house developers need to ensure that the applications built using OutSystems are protected against vulnerabilities and adhere to industry regulations and standards. Incompetence to address security effectively can result in data breaches and legal problems.
• Inadequate Scaling – For enterprises focussing on long-term growth, in-house developers need to perform careful architecture and resource planning. Inadequate knowledge in planning and resource allocation impacts scalability. Applications built on OutSystems platforms should be able to manage varying loads and business needs.

OutSystems Partners – Redeemers of Enterprises

OutSystems-recognized partner companies hire and maintain dedicated developers, who rigorously explore the possibilities to deliver personalized solutions and meet productivity goals while minimizing cost and development time. These developers execute dedicated planning for the organization’s project, assess current infrastructure, and development scope, and start prototyping custom applications. Moreover, to increase the performance of OutSystems applications, developers offer uncompromised support and maintenance services.

Through regular code reviews and security assessments, developers ensure that enterprise apps adhere to best practices and mitigate potential risks. When designing applications, dedicated developers plan for scalability from the onset. Make sure that the architecture supports easy scaling, and regularly assess performance to overcome bottlenecks.

How to Decide: In-House Teams vs. OutSystems Partner

Delivery Speed

When an organization needs to launch mobile or web applications quickly, it may find employing the required talent via the typical insourcing techniques. But, it’s a greater challenge! There may be a lack of skilled candidates on the job market, or the enterprise may lack the capacity in its in-house recruitment team to hire so many experts at once.

In such scenarios, it is effective to team up with an experienced OutSystems partner. This way, organizations can quickly grab talents with deep expertise in OutSystems, enabling project delivery to proceed without any obstructions. By opting for this model, enterprises can also avoid the exhaustive and burdensome hiring, vetting, and performance improvement process.

Select In-house Team When	Select OutSystems Partner When
You have an appropriate pipeline of developers, or adequate internal resources, who can support speed of delivery.	You need to involve multiple app designers, developers, and QC experts for handling complex projects in the long run.

Phase of Company

For small and emerging firms, it may be challenging to find the ideally skilled talent needed to build complex applications using OutSystems without providing high remuneration. Some startups provide bonds and equity options as compensation, but this might not boost employee retention.

As an alternative, companies may hire dedicated developers from OutSystems partner companies through flexible engagement models. This way, organizations can seek assistance throughout development projects at affordable rates.

Select In-house Team When	Select OutSystems Partner When
You are able to provide a package that will draw the suitable level of talent to your organization and you have the resources to assist and sustain them.	Your company is in a development phase, but you have to employ staff instantly to get your low-code application built.

QC Requirements

Each enterprise may take diverse views on how they wish to ensure quality in their application. Some may think that their requirements are better met when they employ QC specialists internally and then heavily administer them to ensure a greater level of quality. Others may think that they would rather sub-contract the responsibility of Quality Control and use the work statement/contract to ensure they acquire noble outcomes. However, enterprises opting for in-house OutSystems development should carefully consider it as getting QC testing with non-experienced resources could result in massive regulatory fines and impact brand reputation.

Select In-house Team When	Select OutSystems Partner When
You have total control over the level of quality in your application and have the capability to hire and manage QC resources to meet the requirements.	You would rather define the quintessential QC measures and then hold a third party responsible for them.

OutSystems Development Partner – How to Vet the Right One With 4 Criteria

As cited above, finding a trustworthy outsourcing partner plays a crucial role because it directly impacts the development process. Once they decide to outsource OutSystems development projects, it means that organizations have accepted the possible pitfalls when selecting the wrong partner.

So, how to reduce or even eradicate such risks and establish a successful partnership with OutSystems services provider? Consider the five factors below before determining to contract any OutSystems development services.

1. Reputation

It is no happenstance that renowned outsourcing partners are preferred over other firms without this factor. Reputation is merely that cannot be formed in a day, but it is the comprehensive branding practice of an OutSystems development company over a long time with established track records. Considering an OutSystems partner’s reputation will help organizations leverage the expertise of highly specialized resources and improve the chances of app project success.

2. Same-Domain Experience

An OutSystems partner company works with a lot of projects for different industries. However, the one with hands-on experience in a similar niche as your enterprise is a huge plus. Why? Essentially, they have a robust knowledge and easily modify applications to your business’s specific requirements and objectives. In addition, they are more likely to follow minimal onboarding times and quicker delivery times.

3. Portfolio

To showcase a group of previous projects along with the expertise, capabilities, and skills, OutSystems development services often select a portfolio as a platform. A genuine portfolio would encompass data such as services provided, business case studies, industry experience, technology expertise, and others. Evaluating the preferred OutSystems partner’s portfolio on the website will help you better determine project effectiveness, thereby forming a premise for a lasting partnership.

4. Pricing Model

Each business activity revolves around the allocated budget of the enterprise. That is why you need to judiciously consider which OutSystems partner company to associate with because each vendor provides exclusive service packages with varying prices. Remember, price and quality are interconnected. Selecting a partner with minimal prices may result in reduced output quality, whereas hiring a partner with higher prices may result in better outcomes. Moreover, knowing the pricing model helps you eliminate the risks of hidden costs.

Closing Thoughts

Letting a reliable firm organize app projects can help in rapid development. Building enterprise apps and striking the balance between personalization and speed is possible with the expertise of OutSystems partners. They plan for scalability, prioritize security measures, and promote constant skill development and innovation within organizations.