Outsourcing Software Development: the Ultimate Guide to Success – Part II

How to Get the Best Out of Offshore Software Development

         Making the right choice is the most important thing when you are considering Outsourcing software development.

The process is not just about the portfolio of the organization. Here are a few things you need to remember before you choose your Offshore software development partner.

Do Your Research

Before you choose your offshore developer, you need to have a thorough understanding of the niche and the market that you are targeting.

If you don’t know the basics, you won’t know what to look for. The right research will make the process of Outsourcing software development easier for you. You will be able to ensure that you are hiring the best experts for the task.

Once you have done the market research, you have to move on to competitor research so that you get to know the technology your competitors are using to provide services.

Once you have gathered insights about this, you will be in a better position to create the project outlook and formulate your project requirements.

Get to Know Your Offshore Team

Once you have chosen a team for Outsourcing software development, you must ensure that you know all offshore team members working on your project.

Staying connected is the best way to stay up to date and to ensure that your project is in the best hands.

Having good communication ensures that the offshore team is transparent with you. You can expect honest feedback and get to know the obstacles as they come.

If you are outsourcing a large part of your project to an offshore team, getting to know your team members will be beneficial from the beginning till the end.

Be Clear About Everything in Advance

Offshore software development is a task that can take a few months from the beginning to the end.

Since this is a project which involves working with a lot of members across different teams, there are chances of misunderstandings. You need to think of each step before you have delegated the project.

You need to plan ahead and have clear guidelines to avoid any blind spots during the development phase.

Make sure you have a strong and competent legal team covering everything including intellectual property rights, privacy issues, security, payment, and more.

You have to ensure that you choose to work with project management software that is suitable for both sides.

Clarity and honesty are the things that decide the success of a collaboration. So, be clear about your needs and communicate them before delegating the project.

For Overlap in Working Hours

Many times, companies want to work in the same zone for communication benefits. However, there are several benefits of outsourcing your project with an overlap in working hours.

Different time zones ensure round-the-clock development and support operations. Many successful companies ensure that their work is done in multiple time zones so that there is constant communication between clients and teams.

What Is the Cost of Offshore Software Development?

One of the major reasons why companies opt for outsourcing software development is cost reduction.

This is primarily because the hourly working rate of software developers differs tremendously according to their location.

There are countless factors that influence the hourly rate of developers.

Factors Which affect the hourly cost of outsourcing software development

Location

The location factor is one of the most important since the remuneration for any role in a particular location will be directly proportional to the cost of living of that location.

It is observed that the hourly rate of software programmers is lower in Asia, Africa, South America, and Europe compared to the USA and Canada.

Experience and Seniority

Experience is one of the chief influencers of remuneration. It is natural for senior developers to have a higher hourly rate compared to developers who have relatively less experience.

Senior developers have more hands-on experience with relevant technology along with other skills which are polished only with years.

Level of Complexity of the Delegated Task

It is natural to assume that the most complex a task is, the more you have to pay to get it done.

If the process of your project development has multiple stages which require working with complex technology and many commands, you should be prepared to pay a relevant amount.

A complex project requires more people to work on complex problems, so more working hours go into the process. This also justifies the higher cost.

Time Allocated

If you are running on a deadline and need to launch a project earlier than your competitors, you will have to hire a larger team or put in more work hours.

You have to also take setbacks and roadblocks into account before defining a timeline for your project.

How to Win at Outsourcing Software Development?

Once you have chosen your offshore software development client, you can go ahead with building your dream team.

You have to create new relationships and the better you are managing them, the smoother the whole journey will be.

You have to accept the fact that outsourcing software development is a process where both you and your client have to collaborate and build the right team for the task.

It is not a simple task but here are some of the things you can do to ensure that your decision of Outsourcing software development to an offshore software development company is fruitful

Clearly Share the Vision of the Company with the Team

Before you start the project with your team of offshore developers, you must honestly and clearly communicate the mission and vision of your company.

You should brief the team to make it clear what problems you are trying to solve. You have to communicate your goals and vision in the clearest manner possible.

This gives the team a purpose and makes them invested in the project. This also makes it easier for you to communicate your needs with the remote development team in the process later on.

Appreciate Cultural Differences

Whenever teams in different places are collaborating for remote development, it is common for them to experience cultural differences.

You can turn cultural differences into benefits and all cultures have great things which can benefit both parties.

The best way to do this is to accept and appreciate the cultural differences while letting the teams organically communicate with one another.

You can create a positive and productive environment by planning awareness meetings and letting the teams share things about their culture. The key is open communication and acceptance.  

Sure Clear and Regular Communication

Great communication is the key to ensuring the success of your Offshore software development process.

If you are in touch with both teams throughout the process, you will never have to struggle with missed deadlines and other challenges which occur due to miscommunication.

With clear communication and regular meetings, you can ensure that everyone is up to date and on the same page about every key aspect of the project.

You can enjoy the benefit of the latest project collaboration Slack software which ensures seamless communication between the management and team members.

Conclusion

Outsourcing software development is not just a way to decrease project costs. It is an opportunity that can take your company to new heights by scaling up.

You get to work with top developers from all around the world. Your core team gains indispensable work experience by working with offshore teams.

The benefits are endless. Now that you know all aspects of this, you can take your first step.