Why Outsourcing Your EdTech Software Development Is a Good Idea

And what questions to ask a potential software provider? Continue reading to find out.
Establishing a successful EdTech business cannot be done without a solid technical background. This is why company founders should consider outsourcing their product development to experienced and reliable software providers.

In the following article, we share why EAF decided to outsource the web development and how it can aid the overall growth of your company.

EdTech Boom & How to Gain an Advantage

EdTech startups have been revolutionizing education for quite some time now, and the COVID-19 crisis has been a major catalyst for the EdTech innovation during the past year. The disruption of traditional schooling led to more educators looking for ways to keep their students engaged and connected.

Solutions such as online courses, learning management systems, and other tools that make remote schooling more effective and accessible, became high in-demand.
According to a recent report from Research and Markets, the e-learning market is anticipated to generate revenue of $65.41 billion by 2023. In fact, the Edtech boom will only continue to develop as companies with innovations like VR and AI, really gain a presence in the market.

Therefore, nowadays even the safest market and the best idea might not be enough to reach success in the EdTech space. There needs to be  a solid technical background!

Key Benefits of Outsourcing the Web Development

Developing an impactful educational solution usually takes a lot of time and effort. Dealing with this process in-house is not always an option, especially in the beginning phases of your startup. Attracting and hiring affordable tech talent is a challenge as well, which is why outsourcing your web development is the best solution in the long run.

Also, consider these:

Getting started quickly
When demonstrating and proving your idea to investors and potential clients,  a working demo or MVP product speaks more than words. With an outsourced team, you can make this happen in a flash!

Outsourcing gives you flexibility and can  save you money
Naturally when you are just starting out with your EdTech company, being cost-effective is key.  There can be financial surprises along the way, and the funding is not always secure. An outsourcing partner will work on your web development according to your schedule and budget.

Also, you don’t have to worry about extra expenses, such as employee salaries, taxes, admin costs or insurances, and it might be possible for you to hire skilled and experienced specialists at more affordable rates. 

You will save a lot of time
One of the biggest advantages is the time that you will save. An outsourcing company will not only take care of the development tasks, but also the project management, HR and the training needs of the team.  Because of this, you can focus more on your next innovation, developing the startup further and promoting the product itself.

Already have your own EdTech app? Learn how you can improve it here.

You can gain valuable insights for your business thanks to outsourcing
When working with an experienced software developer (ideally one which has worked for EdTech businesses before), you can get valuable tips. These include recommendations on how to build and improve your product. In-house developers, on the other hand, might come from outside the industry.

Additionally, after you find a fitting software development partner, your exchange and collaboration can last for years. Besides gaining helpful insights about your company and product, you can learn a lot about operating an EdTech business,  project management, working with external parties etc.

Testing makes sure the end product’s quality is top-notch
Technical mistakes in the code, also known as bugs, are an inevitable part of software development. However, thanks to testing, they can be detected and fixed before the product gets to your end clients. Professional software development companies have a team available and a process of quality assurance (QA) in place.

What Questions Should You Ask

More often the question is not whether to outsource the software development but how to find a reliable outsourcing partner. How can you know who is a good match for your business? What questions to ask before committing to most probably a long-term project?

You can find the answers to these questions in this handy checklist.

Education Alliance Finland’s Outsourcing Success Story

During the initial phase of establishing our company, it became quite clear that we needed to automate our solution and make the evaluation process faster through the use of software.

A decision needed to be made: whether to start recruiting our own software developers or to externalize the work. Ultimately, we put our trust in Espeo Software - a full-lifecycle software development and consulting firm with offices in Poland and Finland.

If you wish to read the full story of our outsourcing project, head to Espeo Software’s website for more details.

This Article was written in collaboration with Espeo Software.