5 excellent service providers for software development

Five software development service providers that really help companies move forward

Many companies are facing major challenges: digital products are becoming increasingly complex, systems need to be modernised, data needs to be used sensibly and processes need to be automated. At the same time, there is a lack of internal capacity to reliably handle such projects. Although there is often a good level of technical expertise, there is a lack of architectural knowledge, implementation experience and the ability to manage projects stably over a longer period of time. The result is delayed releases, technical legacy issues and solutions that only partially meet actual needs.

To prevent digital projects from failing due to resource bottlenecks or unclear project structures, numerous organisations turn to external service providers for software development. The selection is vast, as is the range of quality. Decision-makers are therefore less concerned with whether external support makes sense, but rather with how to find the right partner and how to recognise whether a service provider meets their requirements.

This is exactly where a systematic approach helps. Criteria such as methodological competence, technological experience, communication behaviour, testing strategy, risk management and transparency in the approach are decisive. They determine whether a project runs smoothly or gets bogged down in day-to-day business. Evaluating these factors at an early stage reduces surprises later on and creates a reliable basis for cooperation.

To provide a sound basis for decision-making, we offer a detailed checklist for selecting a software partner. It helps companies find a software development service provider who understands the local situation, has expertise and practical experience in the industry, takes a structured and pragmatic approach, communicates openly and is a good fit for the client.

→ Here you will find the checklist for selecting a software partner (only in German).

Below, I would like to introduce you to five service providers with different areas of expertise and strengths who, in my experience and based on feedback from customers, users and other market participants, regularly develop good software on commission:

• codecentric AG from Solingen
• Mayflower GmbH from Munich
• tangible engineering GmbH from Stuttgart
• 4Soft GmbH from Munich
• t2informatik GmbH from Berlin

Let’s take a closer look at each of these software development service providers.

codecentric AG – Shaping the digital future together

codecentric AG was founded in Solingen in 2004, has 13 locations in Germany and more than 550 employees. Impressive figures!

The company sees itself as a trusted IT consulting partner offering innovative IT consulting and tailor-made software solutions. Passion and commitment are the basis for sustainable and future-oriented solutions that address digital challenges regardless of the industry.

The focus is on data effectiveness, digital products and solutions, digital sovereignty, IT security, artificial intelligence and software modernisation.

codecentric works in partnership and with a focus on genuine communication. The focus is on honest questions, open discussion and consistent reflection on whether each task really contributes to the overall goal. The company combines technical expertise with a methodical and agile approach: from the outset, requirements are critically questioned, solutions are developed iteratively, feedback is obtained early on, and suitable technologies are carefully selected.

In addition to its numerous references, the knowledge hub on codecentric’s website is also worth mentioning. The blog offers many technical articles on software development, and there is also knowledge to read in magazine form and to listen to as a podcast. The company has a 5.0 star rating from 10 reviews on Google, a score of 4.6 on kununu, and an impressive 11,167 followers on LinkedIn.

→ Here you can find more information about codecentric.

Mayflower GmbH – Intelligent, data-driven solutions for business-critical processes

Mayflower GmbH was founded in Munich in 2002 and now has around 100 employees at three locations. It supports companies in developing digital products and setting up stable system landscapes. The teams are interdisciplinary and combine consulting, architecture, development and operations, enabling projects to be supported throughout their entire life cycle.

Mayflower currently has a particularly strong position in the field of AI and data. This includes data-driven applications, the development of modern data architectures, machine learning-based solutions and the integration of AI functionalities into existing systems. This focus complements the company’s traditional areas of expertise, such as software modernisation, cloud-native development and the structured further development of existing applications.

The company works closely and transparently with customer teams. Requirements are reviewed at an early stage, technical options are discussed openly, and solutions are implemented step by step. This creates a common understanding of what is necessary and technically feasible, and how systems can be operated in the long term.

Mayflower’s informative website features well-known references and a blog that addresses technology and agility. The company has a score of 4.3 on kununu and 1,565 people follow the company on LinkedIn.

→ Here you can find more information about Mayflower.

tangible engineering GmbH – Model-driven development and prototyping

tangible engineering GmbH was founded in Stuttgart in 2001 and is a special case in my list of recommendations: in addition to developing software and providing consulting services for cloud architectures, the company also supports additive manufacturing with its resin 3D printer.

tangible engineering is a pioneer of model-driven development on the Microsoft platform and enables customers to take full advantage of model-driven software development. This includes lower development and maintenance costs, a visible improvement in quality and a significantly shorter time-to-market. To achieve this, tangible engineering develops its own prototyping and production tools for hardware and software and relies on proven services that support a team-oriented, model-driven development process.

The company does not pursue an approach based on fully automatic code generation. Instead, it focuses on combining human expertise with automated tools. For hardware projects, tangible engineering makes extensive use of CAD design and 3D printing to shorten development times and ensure the quality and accuracy of fit of products early in the life cycle.

The company keeps a low profile on social media, which can be quite pleasant in times of a flood of information and posts.

→ Here you can find more information about tangible engineering.

4Soft GmbH – Business-critical applications with domain knowledge

4Soft GmbH was founded in Munich in 1999 and now has around fifty employees working at its Munich and Ludwigsburg locations. The company develops customised, often business-critical applications for industry and public organisations.

The focus is on digital specialist applications, cplace-based enterprise solutions and projects in areas such as on-board network development, project and portfolio management, and procurement. The combination of technical expertise and domain knowledge, for example in aviation, automotive or administration, shapes the company’s profile.

4Soft accompanies the entire life cycle of an IT project: from analysis and architecture to implementation, operation and further development. This includes custom software development, IT consulting, specialised tools such as cost calculators or viewers, and a wide range of services in the cplace environment.

The projects are in the hands of interdisciplinary, agile teams that work closely with customers to determine how solutions are created and further developed. The focus is on early visible results, clear communication and a pragmatic approach. In the cplace ecosystem, the company is considered a partner from the very beginning and accompanies projects through to productive implementation.

4Soft also keeps a low profile on social media. The company has a 4.5-star rating on kununu, and 1,098 people on LinkedIn are interested in updates from Munich.

→ Here you can find more information about 4Soft.

t2informatik GmbH – Software development for dynamic companies

t2informatik GmbH was founded in Berlin in 2012 and now has thirty employees working for companies of various sizes and in various industries. These range from corporations in regulated environments such as medical technology and automotive, to young organisations with strategic consulting needs, to companies that want to modernise or further develop existing applications.

The technical focus is on modern software development with .NET and web technologies, as well as the structured modernisation of existing systems. The aim is to create durable, comprehensible and easily maintainable solutions that fit into various technical and organisational frameworks. A central principle of the work is clarity: clear goals, understandable requirements and a transparent approach. The teams remain stable throughout the entire project and cover all necessary roles: from analysis and architectural design to implementation, UX and quality assurance.

On Google, t2informatik has a rating of 5.0 stars from 40 reviews, a score of 4.7 on kununu, and 962 people on LinkedIn are interested in news from the Berlin office.

In addition to their expertise, customers also appreciate the content on the company’s website: for eight years, there have been two new blog posts from experts every week, the ‘Knowledge Compact’ section explains methods and contexts from the world of software and product development, and the download centre provides useful tools to take away.

→ Here you can find more information about t2informatik.

Conclusion: Which software development service provider is the best fit?

The five companies demonstrate how broad the field of software services is. They have different areas of focus: from data-driven software development and model-driven approaches to enterprise systems and the modernisation of existing applications. From personal experience, I know that many of the service providers also professionally handle topics that are less prominently featured on the companies’ websites. Against this background, the question is not which service provider is the best, but which company best suits your initial situation and your specific requirements.

What would I do in your place? First, I would look at the checklist for selecting a software partner (which is still only available in German) and clarify which criteria really matter for your own situation. Then I would call one or two companies and have an initial conversation. Technical expertise is important, no question, but it is rarely the only deciding factor. A lot depends on how well people work together. Whether you get along, whether discussions are conducted openly and how ambiguities and minor stumbling blocks are dealt with without immediately causing friction.

I also believe that in some cases, the size of a company is less relevant than is generally assumed. It is more important that the people you start with are also the ones who will carry the project forward later on. If you have a well-coordinated team that understands each other and can quickly get back on the same page when needed, reliability is created. And that’s exactly what most medium-sized companies are looking for: competence, empathy and reliability. Are you too?

Notes:

[1] Speaking of clarity. The article was written by Michael Schenkel, who works for t2informatik. It is highly likely that he is not entirely objective, but he certainly recommends each of the providers mentioned because their employees do an excellent job.

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Michael Schenkel has published more articles on the t2informatik Blog, including: