How to outsource software development right
“You want the job done well, you do it yourself,” that’s what we used to hear. While it’s certainly true for some cases, there is one thing that doesn’t fit the picture for the most part — outsourcing.
The nuts and bolts of the concept are pretty straightforward. It’s basically an arrangement of sending certain job functions to a contractor rather than handling them in house. Among multiple industries that use offshoring, software development seems to be the champion where it truly thrives. Unfortunately, not everyone survives through such an endeavor.
As technology develops, every step we take bring us closer to the greater digitization of business. But not every company has the resources to fulfill their digital ambitions. Is offshoring the alternative then? Sure.
However, outsourcing software development can be a very challenging affair for newbies.
That’s why we’ve come with several reasons why businesses should consider outsourcing some (or all) of their software development, and how to do this right.
The outsourcing numbers are cheery
The statistics show that in every state of the USA, there are more open positions for software developers than qualified engineers to fill them. Respectively, it takes from one to six months to find a person with a required skill set.
Tech companies can be cutthroat competitive when it comes to stealing away qualified programmers. How does a young startup compete with some of these tech giants when it comes to hiring developers? One way is through outsourcing. It is leveling the playing field and giving smaller companies access to some of the most highly qualified and experienced developers in the world.
Grown-up businesses are now also increasingly warming up to the idea of outsourcing.
The proof: the Deloitte Global Outsourcing Survey reported that 66% of companies delegated some working processes to other companies that resulted in better performance in the global market.
Moreover, another 14.5% are planning to move to the outsourcing model in the next 12 months. This not only credibly demonstrate favorable conditions for such businesses, but also allows us to assume that the industry will further evolve.
Software development outsourcing: the Good
The days when outsourcing was considered purely for cost-cutting reasons are officially in books. Though, it’s still one of the major ones.
Hiring experienced remote software developers is cheaper as you save money on recruiting and training costs. Also, you don’t have to work as a babysitter thinking about a ping-pong table and PlayStation, as well as providing expensive benefits packages. The outsourcing company got you covered.
There are many other perks of offshoring. Thus, it gives the ability to scale the team up or down as needed. When a diverse team is working across different time zones and tight time frames, this leads to a double effort and a faster, fitter, better product along with a decreased time to market.
Software development outsourcing: the Evil
In spite of benefits outsourcing can offer, sometimes it may put you on the road to failed deadlines, enlarged budgets, and code rewrites. There are 3 main areas of offshoring risks.
- Business. Undefined metrics and inconsistent priorities (your solution must go in line with the overall business goal) may doom any outsourcing effort. The misunderstanding of organizational structure is another problem outside developers can face.
- Management. Any leader who is engaged in contractual relationships should pay due attention to the project, as lack of the focus, unclear milestones together with weak execution methodologies would zero out everything your team has already done.
- Technology. Finally, the wrong choice of the technology architecture, tools or framework, lack of QA, and ineffective design not properly addressing the business goal will certainly not move the company to success.
Software development outsourcing: the Holy
In order to avoid the above-mentioned dangers, follow the 4 sacred rules of software development offshoring that will help you swell the ranks of “how is that you don’t outsource” seasoned experts.
1. Get to know your partner
Before making an offshoring decision, you might visit popular review platforms such as G2Crowd, Clutch, AppFutura, etc. and check the industry recognition awards.
However, one interview is worth a thousand reviews at times. It’s within your power to minimize your risks and maximize your project potential by carefully examining your pool of offshore developers. Set up some extended meetings to check how the company works and what is their approach to software projects management. Verify that your newly chosen partner has a particular programming language, framework or any other technologies you need.
Go through their previous experience and ask for a portfolio of similar apps or websites. When in doubt, case studies can also help your business achieve its goals in the future.
2. Effective communication is key
The autonomy is good… in moderation. If you want results, streamline the communication process. Arrange video conferences, make frequent calls, write to your team — use every single channel you have.
Regular communication enables you to share crucial details, manage the development cycle and improve relations with the extended team.
Make sure to create a clear deliverables plan each day for both your in-house team and the remote one, so that any approvals or prior work required can get done by the opposite team without any delays. To help you out, there are numerous project management tools available to order the tasks assigned to software developers so everything doesn’t become a real mess.
3. Be one and whole
Remember that you are the leader who sets the tone for the team and are the “culture keeper.” Don’t treat your offshore team as faceless laborers. They are full team members and should not be opposed to onsite engineers. And it’s not just a good idea — it’s the law.
Welcome the offshore team as an integral part of your company, keep them posted about any updates, and don’t bury your passport — try to visit them whenever possible. In the long terms, your remote team will pay off with loyalty and dedication.
4. Listen and hear
Your constructive feedback helps your employees to continuously improve. Still, it’s a two-way street because actively soliciting remote team feedback is equally important.
Do you constantly ask them where they are struggling? If not, start from now on. Employees don’t share information just because they are not asked. Stay on top of how employees are feeling by regularly asking questions about goals, culture, and productivity.
By doing so, managers are aware the overall organization health which helps to drive positive changes and reduce the stress coming from simply not knowing how things are really going.
The choice you need to make
Outsourcing can help augment your current staff and empowers you to grow your engineering team while also growing your business. It’s a win-win situation for any company willing to minimize expenses without compromising the quality of its product or solution.
Don’t get discouraged and overwhelmed by the process. Just remember — ask questions, do research, and be a family — your future success depends on it.
If you enjoyed this post, click on the applause button to help other people find it.
Thanks,
