Selecting the right SharePoint Development Company
If SharePoint is a key part of your company’s IT Strategy, then finding the right SharePoint Development company is essential. A bad choice can leave you with a project that’s overrunning, costing you more than you expected, and failing to deliver to your expectations.
On the surface, SharePoint can be quite easy to work with – if you have the correct environment, a senior member of your IT team should be able to deploy SharePoint. The new App model for extensions means that functionality can be added in a straightforward way. That having been said, very few businesses find that they can use SharePoint straight out of the box. In most cases, some custom development is required.
Getting the Most out of SharePoint
If you want SharePoint to do exactly what you want, you need to find a development partner who not only understands the platform itself, but also understands your goals from a commercial perspective.
Whether your need is a simple intranet, or a complex business management system that uses SharePoint to move data between multiple applications, there is a clear need that you need to meet.
When you speak to your development company, it’s important to discuss what the goal of the project is, and what the perceived benefits are. If a company is simply focused on the project without understanding what your ultimate goal is, then the chances of them helping you to achieve it are very slim.
Choosing the right SharePoint Development Company
The key things that you need to look for in a SharePoint development company are as follows:
Experience with your particular version of SharePoint. SP2016 and Online are the current versions, but not everyone has upgraded. Some developers might not have worked with older versions for some time, or have familiarity with the specific extensions that you’re using. Some complex deployments may require multiple teams to handle the process of adding functionality if the full skillset isn’t available in once place.
A good Development company will have access to skillsets beyond the ones in their direct team and handle communication.
Experience with the type of application that you have. Some companies are specialists in intranets – rather than being specialists in SharePoint. They may have lots of experience with your version of SharePoint, but if they don’t have experience working with the type of application that you have, then you may be storing up problems.
The right qualifications. Microsoft offer professional certification that qualifies specialists in different areas. Talk to prospective companies about what qualifications they have within their team and what knowledge you have access to.
The ability to support you. If you have a business-critical application, it makes sense to work with a company who are going to be around for a long time. A contractor may be able to deliver a project more cheaply, but if the code is eccentric or unusual, then it may cause issues if you need a different person to help in the future if something goes wrong later. Choosing a company that has an in-house support function means that they will have access to the original development plans and be able to identify and resolve any issues more quickly.
If you’re currently planning a project around SharePoint, speak to a member of our team – we’ll be happy to provide you with advice and information about how we can help you achieve your gaols and support you in the long run. Call us today on 03335 779 009 .
