How Accelerance Certifies Top Software Outsourcing Companies Around the World

Increasingly, software outsourcing is an attractive development strategy for systems development, legacy maintenance or innovation. Yet, most tech leaders aren’t experts or even experienced when it comes to choosing the right outsourcing partner. More than ever before, you have choices across the globe. You may not know where to begin - faced with thousands of confusing options, risky unknowns, and technical qualifications that cannot be validated.

Unmatched Knowledge of the Best Software Development Outsourcing Companies in the World

Accelerance is the leading authority on software development outsourcing. We know your choices for qualified nearshore or offshore software provider can be daunting. That’s why we’ve built an entire suite of consulting services around mitigating risk with software development outsourcing.

At the heart of our success is the Accelerance Certification process for identifying the best software development companies in the world. Our due diligence is unlike anything else in the industry. Accelerance is more comprehensive, more precise, and more intimate than any other software vendor vetting process.

• We know from decades of experience what attributes make a good software outsourcing company

• From that experience, we developed the industry’s first, definitive due-diligence process to identify the best software outsourcing companies. Our proprietary process scores candidate software vendors based on 500+ criteria that create real-life success

• We’re the only company that travels to conduct on-site visits to verify our due diligence findings

97% of Offshore or Nearshore Global Software Companies Could be Wrong For You

An Accelerance Certified Partner is an elite company. We’ve evaluated over 8,000 companies globally and only 3% are even considered for certification. Put another way, 97% of the world’s software development companies don’t meet our standards as a proven software outsourcing provider - and shouldn’t meet yours.

An Accelerance Certified Partner is typically characterized by:

• Company size of 50 employees or more

• Multiple technical certifications

• Well established (typically over 5 years in business)

• Evidence of internal U.S. connections. (e.g., often company leaders have been educated in or worked in the U.S.)

• Proven, verifiable experience with U.S. or Western customers

• Cultural alignment with U.S. and Western customers (English speaking skills, time zone flexibility, cultural fit)

The Accelerance Certification Process

With any online search for software development companies, you’ll find lists and directories of software outsourcing companies and freelancers. These sources offer minimal to no verification that provider reviews and company claims are accurate. Unlike those services, Accelerance understands what’s at stake with your software development. We’re committed to reducing your risk in software outsourcing in every phase from planning to partner selection to ongoing optimization. Our six-step process for vetting software outsourcing companies is unmatched in the industry.

Step 1 - SEARCH

Accelerance Partner Certification begins with searching the world or a specific region for qualified software companies. We’re looking for highly capable companies in regions that offer the best cost savings and benefits to Accelerance clients. In addition, because of our reputation across the globe, software development companies reach out to us every day – eager to pursue Accelerance Certification. We review each company for fit in the Accelerance Global Network.

Step 2 – VALIDATE

Next in the review process is to thoroughly examine the online presence of every software provider we discover in our global search. This tells us much about a company’s capabilities and ability to provide software outsourcing services to the US and Western European market.

• Is their website well designed and professional? Does the website represent a company clearly poised for English-speaking users? Is there evidence of sophisticated, modern coding techniques

• What does the company’s Facebook page tell us about the culture of the company

• Similarly, does the company leverage LinkedIn in professional, sophisticated ways

At this point in the review process, 97% of the world’s software development companies don’t meet Accelerance standards for outsourcing readiness and are dismissed as candidates for certification. These are the companies your company should avoid.

Step 3 - CONNECT

For the 3% of software outsourcing vendors that qualify, our next step is to introduce Accelerance in a video call with company leaders. From there, we determine mutual interest in a partnership and whether the software vendor indeed has true potential as an Accelerance Certified Partner. If so, we kick off our deep due diligence process with a series of eight comprehensive surveys. Gathering the information we require takes about three months.

The hundreds of questions in Accelerance Certification surveys are comprehensive and cover important topics, including:

• How many employees? What is their tenure? What is their role?

• How long has the company been in business?

• Who are their current customers – and what types of services are they providing?

• What are their technical competencies – and how can they demonstrate their expertise?

• What certifications does their team have?

• What industry or vertical expertise do they have?

• Do they have a preferred project/service structure (time and materials, milestone-based, fixed price, etc.)?

• What is their pricing structure?

• Do they have a mature HR process for recruiting, vetting, hiring, and retaining their talent?

• How viable is the area they are in? Is the local infrastructure and population conducive to a growing company who wishes to partner with US companies in an outsourcing relationship?

Step 4 - VERIFY

Over the next several months, Accelerance thoroughly reviews the survey answers provided. Simply being technically capable isn’t good enough. In addition, we’re looking for a healthy organization with systems in place to be a high-performance software outsourcing provider. Accelerance Certified Partners must have the proper culture and business model suitable for serving companies in the US and other Western markets.

From the survey responses score the potential partner from UNQUALIFIED to HIGHLY QUALIFIED. Only QUALIFIED or HIGHLY QUALIFIED companies are considered further for Accelerance Certification.

For software companies that progress to the next step in verification, we check business references. Accelerance insists on references that highlight proven expertise and demonstrated ability to work with U.S. and Western clients.

Everything to this point in the Accelerance due diligence process is above and beyond what any other advisory services, lists, and directories provide. And now, we go a step further by actually visiting the vendor.

Step 5 – CERTIFY

Why visit the outsourcing company? In our decades of experience with global software outsourcing, we’ve found no substitute for actually visiting the provider’s physical operations. Accelerance is the only software outsourcing consulting firm that travels to meet and verify the capabilities of offshore and nearshore software companies. During on-site visits we:

• Validate all the findings from months of research investigation. For instance, we verify claims of facility security, office hours and developer force, recruiting practices and more.

• Conduct video interviews with key company leaders. We ask the questions you’ll want answers to and build a video library that easily introduces clients to partners.

• Establish solid working relationships. We spend time with team members during and after hours in order to create long-lasting relationships for outsourcing success.

• Travel as you would. Accelerance Partners are usually in unique and interesting parts of the world. Our team explores the local culture as you would. This way, we’re able to fully advise our clients.

Finally, the fully vetted global software company is welcomed to the exclusive Accelerance Global Network.

Step 6 – MAINTAIN

Finally, as Accelerance Certified Partners evolve (i.e., new offices, increasing or decreasing staff, etc.) our team continues to vet and verify changes in capabilities and proven success.

Working with an Accelerance Certified Partner

Accelerance is a consulting firm that helps companies and technology leaders create and execute better software development strategies using global software outsourcing solutions. We provide professional guidance for planning, sourcing and managing global teams so you can gain all the benefits of offshore or nearshore software development without the risks and challenges.