11 Bids from 5 Countries, And the Award Goes To......TechAhead
Online, January 4, 2012 (Newswire.com) - As a global software solutions outsourcing firm, no one understands the importance of technology and communication better than we do. While bidding for a project, there is so much more to the process than sending a company profile or placing the competitive bid. In a recent project that involved developing an iPhone app for a Japanese client, we were among 11 other bidders from Europe and Asia. Subsequently, we made it to the shortlist of three, and finally, we were declared the winner. So how did we manage this, especially on a project where linguistic and cultural barriers were not in our favour? It was a combination of several factors.
A personalised proposal
While working on a project proposal for a client, we make it a point to tailor our initial communication to highlight the fact that we have understood their specific requirements, rather than sending out a standardised proposal template. In this instance, this helped us stand out from the crowd of 10 other bidders, and placed us among the final three contenders - the other two being another firm from India and one from Romania. Our client was looking for specific skills related to iPhone app design, and since we highlighted our expertise in this area in our initial proposal, focusing on our team of skilled iPhone developers, it helped us get shortlisted.
A realistic bid
While many contractors place a bid based on previous costs for similar projects, we believe that every client's requirement is different and follow a transparent approach to estimating project costs. Firstly, we understand the client's specific needs. Then, we break it down into an estimate of how many mobile developers would be required for the project and the number of hours that would be needed to complete the entire project. Finally, we submit our cost proposal separately, based on a realistic estimation of costs.
A relevant portfolio
While anyone can talk about projects that they have completed, we believe that showing samples of our work helps in improving perceptions about our credibility. The proposal that we sent to the client included links to work samples specific to iPhone app development. It also included video testimonials from other clients, for whom we had done mobile app development, about their experience in working with TechAhead.
Quick response times
With offshore software development, the time zones in which the client and the contractor work are different. In such a scenario, quick responses play a crucial part in creating an impression of reliability. Another advantage with the time difference is that work is done by our offshore team while the client is asleep, and it is ready for his review by the time he gets to work the next morning.
Comprehensive solutions
At TechAhead, we believe in providing solutions that work. We follow the Agile development process, which ensures the solutions are tested by the client at each stage so that it is ready for the market by the end of the development phase. The app is tested in real time at each stage so that bugs can be fixed as and when they are detected.
It was a combination of these five factors, which helped the client take a decision in our favour. In fact, these factors are inbuilt so deeply into our work culture that we follow these guidelines for every bid that we place to clients from across the globe. We believe this systematic approach has helped us break barriers related to time zones, languages and cultures. The proof is in the results, and our portfolio of over 100 clients from 40 countries, for whom we have undertaken various software and mobile app development outsourcing projects, including iPhone application development, is a reflection of our capabilities.