How to Manage an Offshore Development Team

Victor Osetskyi
Aug 29, 2017 · 8 min read

Manage an Offshore Development Team may seem to be an easy task. In fact, software product engineering in a distributed environment requires a wise use of teams as well as hardware, software and relevant assets in order to enhance speed to market under budget constraints.

Existek is a custom software development company helping our customers to solve their business challenges with best in its class software. Contact us to get an instant and free expert consultation about your custom software development project.

In this context, there is a tendency to propose a reduction in management overheads. This goes for distributed and offshore development models and forming extended teams that report to managers working at remote locations. This may work for very small-extended teams of a couple of engineers working overseas on production support or routine maintenance tasks. Does it work for larger offshore teams as well? Many times, practitioners tend to embrace agile principles and recommend a self-directed team of offshore engineers that can be managed onsite by the outsourcing contractor.

Of course, the way to manage an offshore development team “on a paper” by dividing roles is just a half of the process. At the same time, the actual guidance of development team and the process by management tools is the inherent part of this mechanism.

We believe that right combination of the smart project management software and Agile approach can be the ultimate solution for the offshore development project success.

Project Management Tools

Speaking absolutely of how to manage the offshore development team isn’t enough if the managing instruments aren’t mentioned, due to everything must be considered in a complex. In the international project management setting, an online project management tool is fundamental. In the case of software development, such tool should have definite sections for reporting bugs, tasks, and questions. Starting to manage the offshore development team, forming a routine around this online tool is essential. This starts with writing clear guidelines on how to use this system. Because if five people using the same thing but doing that in their own way — that’s where communication issues appear. The management should not only predefine such tool but also watch whether team members use the system in a planned manner. And the primary rule here should be: ALL communication happens in the online tool. Management should outlaw emails and should ask everyone to upload a summary of any call (e.g. team Skype call) to this online system. Such systematization of team’s workflow will turn into automated with some time. Paying attention to this at the beginning stage is crucial, as for the best outcome in the future.

JIRA, Trello etc. are your ultimate helpers in the offshore team management. These tools are designed with distributed development teams in mind. To be more specific, you can ignore some features for task management and tracking or performance measurement if you’re all in the same office. But if your offshore contractors are located overseas it is necessary to perform all the communication and task flow activities in project management tool. The very first but not the obvious thing is that it will take some time even for your team to get used to 100% communication in the software ecosystem. Another quite tricky aspect to consider when you manage an offshore development team. It’s a common situation when in-house developers and managers are the ones who should learn how to get the maximum out of, let’s say, JIRA. The reason is they no longer can just go to the next room and describe their needs to the rest of the team how they used to. At the same time, offshore developers and project managers are very proficient with such techniques. You’ll be able to learn a lot of how to manage an offshore development team if you’ll be asking team members and, what is even more important, listen to them.

Management of the Offshore Agile Team

Why do you need another manager at the offshore location when the main purpose of its existence is cutting down the costs. Is every extra member of the offshore development center a step back in terms of budget saving? Can’t you just manage them offsite? Not exactly. Extension of the offshore development team with onsite managers like PMs or Scrum Masters can make a difference between a development hell and an outsourcing project that serves its main purpose — delivering a high-quality code on a tight budget.

Let us explain this from the expectations we have of self-directed teams. In such team, everyone is responsible for asking questions, answering questions, owning up to situations and resolving problems. However, it is very infrequent to see self-directed teams that go on a mission without a manager or a coach. The manager of a self-directed team is in charge of the context or contextual situations. This aspect involves real-time observations, interactions, and evaluations of situations for timely corrective responses. This role includes consolidation of observations and events in order to understand if there are any issues that may impact the project goals. It does not stop here. This is a critical aspect that binds the team together and brings conflict resolution when required. Also, this role implicates the performance measurement to distribute the workload and tasks according to the developer’s skills and abilities.

With these thoughts, can you think of offshore agile teams that function without onsite project management at least at the outsourcing provider’s side (or a Scrum Master if you practice Scrum)? This is why we strongly recommend such role to manage an offshore development team.

Software Development is a people intensive cooperative game. Every orchestra requires a real-time conductor. Every football game needs a coach as well as a manager. Every space mission has a leader. This is relevant to manage the offshore team as well.

Software Architecture has two primary things — structure and behavior. Software Architects define the structure of any architecture depending on its expected behavior. That is, the behavior drives the structure, and the structure needs to deliver behavioral expectations. The same things hold good for distributed software teams. When you are structuring any team, try to identify the qualities and results that you expect from the team. That will help you define the structure.

Manage an Offshore Development Team With Scrum

Let’s now proceed to the way to manage an offshore development team by the roles. Scrum is the commonly accepted Agile technique for offshore team management. Why is this approach so highly demanded and why its appropriate use is so important for the offshore development project success? Here is a look at the three standard Scrum roles Team Member, Scrum Master and Product Owner and how they manage an offshore development team. Also, you may read about roles in Scrum team in this article “Scrum Roles Demystified” by Scrum Alliance.

The Product owner holds all the necessary information and key details on the project and provides a Scrum Master with this data who shares it with a team. Scrum Master responsibilities are not limited to sharing information about the product vision. He contributes the development process by working alongside with the offshore team and encourages team members to look for the solutions. The hiring and educating are part of Scrum Master’s responsibilities too. He should lead the development process instead of simply control it. This approach will make the offshore development team almost a self-contained unit.

Another managing stakeholder is the Project Manager. Typically, he is accompanying Scrum Master in some areas though performing his unique functions. The Project Manager is a loaded role and includes both “asking a questions” and “giving answers” when Scrum Master is “giving answers” only.

A common Scrum team has around 10 members in it. Each Scrum team has its Master and a Product, being a part of a team as well. The important thing, that the local presence of the Scrum Master is necessary, while Product Owner may manage the offshore team on a distance. Product Owner provides Scrum master with PRD from the client’s side and thus makes Scrum Master responsible for understanding the product requirements and interpreting these requirements to the offshore development team. This structure is strongly recommended by practitioners. The main reason is that without a co-located Scrum Master, the offshore team will not have a coach or a mentor. In fact, on a need basis, Scrum Masters mentor their teams in implementing Scrum. As the Agile practice says, leaving the team on alone, placing Scrum Master remotely — is not the best practice to manage an offshore development team and achieve the goals. The Scrum Master will not see the team in real time and understand when it’s time to intervene and support in order to remove impediments or resolve issues. His responsibilities stay the same relative to the team. But as for Project Manager and/or customer, the Scrum Master, in this case, is the person responsible for the communication between the dedicated team and the and the in-house team at the customer side.

To summarize, let us revisit our question. Do you need a Project Manager in an Agile Offshore Team? Well, it depends on the expected behavior of the team. For very small groups you may be able to manage an offshore development team with a remote Project Manager. However, in all other cases, you will need to structure that team in such a way that it gets adequate local leadership and managerial support to deliver the best. If you follow Scrum, you will need a local Scrum Master for every project. Else, you may need a “Project Manager”, or a similar senior role to manage an offshore development team and to deliver the expected outcome and behavior.

Conclusion

Working with offshore service provider requires an appropriate management and resourcing structure at both client and service partner level. It is not a quick solution to cutting the costs, but when managed appropriately, it can help to reduce overall delivery expenses over some period of time. The keys to manage an offshore team successfully are to provide clear communication and direction, including the team in project communications and remembering, that out of sight is not out of mind.

Eventually, the way you manage an offshore development team is basically the same as managing the local team, except for a few nuances as a distance etc. Defining the structure of distributed teams, so that engineers at any location are not treated as augmented team members reporting to a manager or a leader at a different location, is very critical to the success of distributed agile projects. Characterizing them as a part of your own existing team will help you not only to ease the management process but will ease the understanding of the dedicated team.

Do you have your own tips and tricks that helped you manage an offshore development team in the past? Share your opinions and thought in the comment section below.

Are you thinking about setting up new offshore development center? Visit our Services Page or Contact Usand we’ll provide you with the offer for the offshore development team in Ukraine and help you to manage it in the most effective way.

Download “2017 Global Custom Software Development Rates” to get a comprehensive analysis of the pricing in three most popular onshore and offshore outsourcing locations. Hourly rates cards for these territories are included.

Original Source

Existek is a custom software development company helping our customers to solve their business challenges with best in its class software. Contact us to get an instant and free expert consultation about your custom software development project.

EXISTEK

Full-cycle software development company. Latest company and industry news.

)

Victor Osetskyi

Written by

Full-cycle software development company. Latest company and industry news.

EXISTEK

EXISTEK

Full-cycle software development company. Latest company and industry news.

Welcome to a place where words matter. On Medium, smart voices and original ideas take center stage - with no ads in sight. Watch
Follow all the topics you care about, and we’ll deliver the best stories for you to your homepage and inbox. Explore
Get unlimited access to the best stories on Medium — and support writers while you’re at it. Just $5/month. Upgrade