Why Startups Should Outsource Software Maintenance and Support
It is imperative for modern startups to keep their software updated with evolving technological advancements. Software is a modern reality and it requires steadfast maintenance. The more customers use software, the need for additional integrations or improvements increases. Similarly, performance should be regularly optimized since more input data is stored and managed over time. This is where Software maintenance and support come in!
Why Outsource Software Maintenance
In general, Software maintenance is an approach of modifying, optimizing, and updating a software module or a system to fix bugs, enhance performance, or adapt to a changing ecosystem.
At present, software maintenance has become an overlooked phase of the Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC). Delivering 24/7 software support may not be possible for all small and medium Businesses (SMBs). Besides, in-house developers in startups don’t have adequate time for maintenance tasks, since they’ll be working on new projects.
However, non-maintenance may cost startups a fortune. When the software system of a startup’s business or an eCommerce store breaks down, several facets would be compromised. This eventually creates a wrong impression in the market and impacts brand presence. Hence, it’s worth outsourcing the software maintenance process when in-house resources are limited. By outsourcing software maintenance and support services to an offshore partner, startups can access a team of seasoned experts to manage any possible errors or resolve software issues on the spot.
Key Software Maintenance Offerings Provided by an Outsource Services Provider
There are four standard types of software maintenance processes performed by an offshore services provider for various reasons:
- Adaptive Maintenance – Adaptive maintenance is the process of the system conversion to keep the software compatible with varying business objectives and tech evolution. Outsourced services providers use migration frameworks for the conversion and expansion of a software system.
- Corrective Maintenance – It is the process of identifying bugs or errors in existing software and resolving them to make it work more precisely. Corrective software maintenance is done periodically in the form of minor updates to eliminate issues in the software and ensure smooth working.
- Perfective Maintenance – Software’s usability and receptiveness can be enhanced through perfective maintenance. Perfective Maintenance is a process of altering current software functionality by enhancing, removing, or integrating new features or functions. For instance, offshore experts can perform perfective maintenance to remove unwanted UI and coding elements in software and replace them with new modules. This process makes the software adaptive to handle changing business circumstances.
- Preventive Maintenance – Preventive maintenance helps in safeguarding the software from any future vulnerabilities. This type of maintenance also makes it easier to scale or maintain the software system’s code.
Benefits of Outsourcing Software Maintenance for Startups
1.Get Expert Assistance
One of the crucial advantages of outsourcing software maintenance is that startups can get highly skilled professionals for managing all the technical support requirements. This can come as an even more substantial benefit for startups, which do not belong to a technical environment. The offshore experts can understand the particulars of software and offer 24/7 technical support to startups.
2.Access Advanced Technologies
It is well-known that software support outsourcing service providers use more advanced tools and technologies than those of the agencies, which do not provide technical support as their core service. Therefore, by outsourcing software support services, startups can get the proper implementation of support protocols, quick response rates, fast resolution of issues, and seamless user experience.
3.Reduce Operational Cost
As per a recent study, when enterprises outsource their software support projects, they tend to save nearly about 82 percent of the overall operational expense compared to employing in-house technical support executives.
Hiring technical executives and forming an excellent in-house support team for software maintenance may require startups to invest more resources. In addition, training the hired workers and implementing the required tools for them to work with can be an additional expense. In contrast, outsourcing software support would not require startups to buy tools or arrange extra space, thereby reducing overall operational costs. This way, startups would require only paying for a software support package, which meets their business requirements.
4.Increase Revenue
With dedicated professionals handling software infrastructure, startups can boost the possibility of gaining a higher return on investment (ROI). Through outsourcing, startups can free up their internal IT teams from continuous software maintenance and allow them to focus on core business operations. This enables startups to restructure their existing processes and accomplish new business objectives. Offshore support experts or teams can organize the entire software maintenance ecosystem and can help startups drive more revenue.
5.Improve Software Efficiency
Implementing migration and software updates remains a challenging task for many startups. For instance, performing extensive software modification or migration to Cloud using internal IT staff can result in data breaches and complications. On the other hand, having access to experts, who are skilled in implementing upgrades or migrations enables startups to overcome potential pitfalls and boost operational efficiency.
Summing Up
To make their software more efficient, startups must opt for outsourcing software maintenance and support operations. The concept of outsourcing is gaining traction, owing to the advantages it offers to startups. When outsourcing, startups need to analyze their long and short-term objectives and build a wireframe for ensuring that both parties have clear and balanced expectations from one another. By outsourcing software maintenance, startups can focus on offering the best services and products to their customers and gain a competitive edge.
