How to Successfully Manage an Offshore Development Team

24 Jan · 6 min read

Offshore software development is trendy these days. Offshoring comes with multiple advantages, like not having to worry about finding highly qualified staff or sustaining infrastructure costs, as well as simply paying for services that are counted. Offshore development services are often offered in regions like Asia, where labor costs are significantly lower than in the receiving nation, helping business owners who hire offshore development teams to reduce expenses.

This article serves as a guide for you and is based on our experience working on large-scale projects with numerous different businesses, where we helped companies find efficient service providers across the globe.

Benefits and Challenges of an Offshore Team

Benefits

Cost-effective- It is a cost-effective approach as both parties will gain from it. The offshore development teams will have additional opportunities for employment, and the businesses will have a more affordable way to find skilled people around the globe.

Easy to scale- The ability to pay on a project basis is one of the benefits of hiring an offshore developer or team. Whenever you intend to scale your project, the resources can only be contracted for the set time frame. Technically, your team (offshore and onshore) is working around the clock when you are in the scaling-up phase.
Easy to Start- You do not need to spend long hours looking for the right candidate, and then hiring and training them. With outsourcing, you can choose from a variety of professionals provided by your IT partner, allowing you to begin the development process as soon as the contract is signed.

More Flexible- Product development rarely follows a clear path or a plan with well-defined directions. It's a procedure that frequently entails coming up with a fresh strategy or revising the original plan. It would be quite challenging to make any changes if you were working on a project with an internal team. With offshoring professionals, it is easier to revise things again and again.

Challenges

Time zone differences- When looking for offshore development services, understand that there will be major time zone differences. What time works for you, may not necessarily work for the other individual. A significant time zone difference makes it challenging to interact with an outsourced workforce, pushes back calls and video conferences, reduces team productivity, and drags out project completion.

Data privacy- We are living in a digital world. Data is the most precious and confidential thing for every organization. Additionally, as the information is important, it should be handled very confidentially. This problem can be solved by obtaining the appropriate agreements and nondisclosures. You can also look for additional sources, such as third-party security partners, or hire a cybersecurity expert.
Delayed Delivery- Delivery delays are unavoidable unless the team, which is dispersed across several sites, is not functioning well together. However, this also applies to teams who are working in the same place. The greatest solution to this problem is to work with agile technologies. In addition, you can use project management tools like Jira or Asana. Synchronization within the team becomes very important when you’re looking forward to on-time deliveries.
Poor Communication- The language proficiency of an offshore vendor is one of the most crucial factors that can make or break the entire project. An outsourced staff with poor language abilities will ultimately cost you more because they have trouble understanding project requirements. It is recommended that you build a team or hire individuals with at least one language in common.

Tips for Managing an Offshore Development Team

Set Expectations Clearly- Setting very clear requirements and priorities are critical, as is hiring the right candidate. The most important skill is the ability to define priorities. We put a lot of emphasis on this ability when working with our development team. We make sure to maintain a set of goals and to be as explicit as possible about our expectations throughout the entire process. Setting clear expectations at the outset saves a lot of time.
Define Scope and Deadlines in Advance- It is not sufficient to just assign the project and expect it to be completed. If you want to achieve high-quality results and effective collaboration between your company and an outsourced team, it is very important to communicate. It takes a lot more participation and works to manage a remote software development team. The most important thing to do is to properly clarify your goal and give a brief overview of your requirements. Software engineers will be able to make better decisions during the work process and guarantee the expected development and quality once they are in sync with all the right information.

Proper Communication- Effective communication with your offshore workforce is essential for success. Presenting responsibilities to your employees, especially those who do not speak the same language, can be difficult at times due to a language barrier. Use Skype, Zoom, or any technologies designed specifically to facilitate clear communication among team members, or you can send emails. That is a quick and efficient technique to ask your engineers for clarification in cases where verbal communication was unclear.

The Agile Methodology- Today, the Agile methodology is widely accepted as an amazing team management approach. It provides a transparent framework that encourages iterative development as well as team engagement and adapts and adjusts appropriately based on market conditions and input at any level. Quality and efficiency are given top priority by the Agile methodology. To boost the output of your offshore team, employ this technique in conjunction with your team management system.
Choose the Right Software Development Tools- Remote software professionals' inability to comprehend the fundamental concepts and solutions of a project is a common issue faced by offshore development teams. The uneven development environment between the teams is one of the primary causes. As a result, you may encounter issues within the team, late bug discovery, and a list of fundamental integration problems. All remote developers must use the specified tools for software development, control, and improvement in order to tackle this issue. This can tremendously assist you in managing an offshore development team efficiently by ensuring that all necessary processes are carried out in accordance with the project plan.

Conclusion

An offshore team might be challenging to lead. It is undeniable that working with offshore developers may help you save time and money, increase productivity, and gain a competitive edge through the use of reliable digital solutions. Effective management of an offshore development team is not that easy.

We are aware of the significance and potential difficulty of managing remote employees. We shared our methods for leading an offshore development team. Our unique matching system at Amplifyre provides numerous businesses the opportunity to hire the right candidate. We help you get the best talent working for you. We can make your dream team come true!

Looking to hire developers on a temporary basis? Check out the Amplifyre OpenBench. Once you select the right fit, you can contact them easily.

Reach out to us TODAY!

Software DevelopmentTechnology

written by