Every single project that your company might embark upon has a starting point. While you might think that this moment comes when the idea sparks in your head. Nonetheless, the very moment when you can consider your project started is when you’ve checked its concept and you know it is going to work. In other words, every project can be considered officially launched only when you have made it through the Research & Development stage. While you might have a lot of questions to ask, the first one on the list is, probably, whether you should opt for R&D outsourcing services. Yet, no worries, and let’s take our time. Today, we will tell you everything about R&D outsourcing, the right steps to take in it, and the reasons to choose it.
What is R&D?
Regardless of how awkward it might sound but many people still find it difficult to understand what R&D are. Without further ado, let’s draw a bold line under this question and explain the answer in simple terms. Research & Development is a stage at any project whilst a company is trying to get some new knowledge about their project or product, thus looking for ways to make it more lucrative. In general, R&D boils down to boosting your “product’s” features and your company’s internal processes.
Copious businesses ask themselves whether they should conduct the R&D themselves or whether they should outsource it. Well, the biggest fear is that somebody else is going to lay hands on their “ideas and concepts”. Nonetheless, there is a thing in the 21st century called an NDA, which prevents anyone eager to steal from you from doing so whatsoever. So, let’s talk about the reasons that justify the propriety of R&D outsourcing services for your company.
R&D vs. Outsourcing: Who Wins?
As a matter of fact, the people talked about the benefits of outsourcing their businesses’ R&D long before the public knew what R&D actually meant. A 2007 survey conducted by the R&D Magazine highlights three pivotal benefits for the business owners to enjoy from outsourcing their R&D:
- The Outsource R&D Vendors Have More Expertise. You can draw a parallel here between outsourcing your R&D and coming to a dentist when you have a toothache. The point is that you go straight to the dentist’s office, right? You don’t do check ups with a general physician because you know that the dentist will have a solution that fits your problems precisely. The same rule applies perfectly well to R&D outsourcing, as the outsourced tech vendors commonly have R&D at their fingertips.
- No Shortage of Manpower. If you think that conducting an efficient R&D requires an employee or two, you are deeply mistaken. In order to conduct a fruitful research and development session, you need a team of professionals covering commercial, legal, and tech aspects of your service/product. That is, you need a team capable of delivering a comprehensive SWOT analysis of your business.
- It Is Cost-Efficient. Regardless of how awkward you might find it, hiring a full-scale outsourcing R&D + .Net team might be cheaper than dealing with a bunch of in-house employees. Imagine that you have a .Net driven project you need an MVP for, right? An outsource tech vendor will conduct the R&D and develop your MVP within approximately 3 months. Thus, while your product’s cost is being docked down, its time to market gets faster, you get a result you’ve been looking for within a preliminary set deadline.
While the only drawback for you to consider when pondering over the propriety of R&D outsourcing services is the threat of data theft, we’ve already come to terms with the fact that you can prevent it with the help of an NDA or insurance policies.
How to Outsource Your R&D Correctly
There are only five steps between your business and efficient R&D session conducted for you by a trusted outsource tech vendor. In this section, we’ll tell you how to choose the right one.
- Get Proprietary. If you have any chance of saving your technology as propriety – do it! Thus, you will get you business protected, while laying the basis for having a wider scope of outsource tech vendors to choose from. When you know that nobody is going to steal from you, you have nothing to be afraid of.
- Choose the Right Time. If you can see that the market is growing fast or even moderately, don’t waste your time thinking. Act now! Outsource your R&D as soon as possible because an outsourced vendor will deal with the task faster and better. What is more, even if the market is slow-paced, you can always expect it to gain speed quite abruptly. So, the timing’s right every time you want your R&D result to be impressive.
- Check the Vendor’s Portfolio. Even though it might seem to be an obvious step to make, it will help you verify the vendor’s expertise. If you’re outsourcing a .Net project, you need somebody who knows everything about it. Quite likely, you’ll want your R&D partner to become your outsourcing software development services provider, so picking the right vendor at first sight will ensure the smooth continuity of the product/service supply chain.
- Do Not Opt for Joint R&D. Joint R&D is when an external contractor provides the research and development results to every company financing it. That is, you can finance the session with another company, and you’ll get the results at the same time. Afterwards, the matter of taking the product to market boils down to how fast you can develop and roll it out!
- Don’t Fall for External R&D. Many people confuse external and outsourced R&D, as external research and development leaves the developing party with the rights of retaining and using the technology developed. So, always ask for the right of exclusive ownership of your patented technology and you’ll be off to a flying start with your project.
Conclusion
Outsourcing your R&D is, without a shred of doubt, is a proper decision to make when you’re seeking swiftness and efficiency. The over-saturated with competitors markets of today leave businesses no other choice but to move fast along the supply chain pipelines. Finding out why your product is better that the competitor’s or discovering the previously unfathomed improvement and development opportunities is something every business dearly wishes for in 2021. Finally, with the outsourced R&D being more cost-efficient, it seems like the choice is obvious. Fancy getting a team of dedicated professionals researching and developing your project? We are here for you! Drop us a line!