Offshore Software Development Services: Best Practices

In today’s rapidly developing technological scence, companies are continually seeking innovative strategies to enhance their operations and drive growth. Offshore software development services have emerged as a pivotal solution. It brings numerous benefits including cost efficiency, access to a global talent pool, etc.

However, navigating through the available options and guaranteeing a productive corporation requires strategic insight and due diligence. In this article , we dive into the world of offshore software development. Moreover, the article also presents best practices to exploit offshore software development services for your company.

What is Offshore Software Development?

Offshore software development includes outsourcing software-related tasks, or portions of them, to a specialized company.

It’s a collaborative approach where a business relies on an external company to execute a project in a different country. The range of tasks an offshore software team might conduct varies widely, from making UI/UX designs to building mobile or web applications from the ground up.

Using offshore software development services offers a viable solution for many companies finding specific knowledge and high-quality software results not readily available in their local talent pool. Consequently, companies have the opportunity to tap into a broader range of professionals, improving their in-house team’s skills.

Advantages of Offshore Software Development

Numerous companies are leaning towards offshore software development for their operational needs. Given its numerous merits, this strategy has emerged as a significant business model in modern times. But what makes hiring an offshore software development team so beneficial? Let’s dive into these benefits:

Optimized Cost

The primary attraction of offshore software development for numerous companies is the substantial cost savings. Offshoring removes the need for added overhead costs. Engaging skilled developers from overseas is often more cost-effective, given the lower living costs compared to major countries like the US. Thus, IT firms can engage talented engineers through offshore teams, reducing costs without compromising the project’s quality.

Access to Specialized Skills and Advanced Technology

Hiring an offshore team is beneficial for software firms struggling to secure highly skilled developers experienced in the local region. Offshore development extends their horizon, giving access to a diverse group of experienced engineers adept at creating software that meets international standards.

The vendor provides its team with specific experts from the offshore partner, proficient in handling different project stages. Beyond modern technology, firms also benefit from refined procedures, comprehensive documentation, and strategic practices when collaborating with an offshore company.

Better time management

Occasionally, the limitations of time and resources can strain companies during project development. However, by exploiting offshoring, experienced remote teams can quicken the development timeline and adhere to set schedules. Leveraging an offshore software development firm guarantees constant effort from skilled professionals, ensuring timely delivery of quality solutions and faster market entry for the finished product.

Convenient Team Scaling

In certain stages, companies might require an influx of IT professionals to ensure software quality. However, once the project matures, maintaining the same extensive team becomes unproductive and restructuring roles gets complicated.

By associating with an offshore development center (ODC), firms can smoothly scale their teams, saving time, effort, and finances in the process. This association grants the flexibility to expand or trim the workforce based on project needs. Post-project, both the company and the offshore team can part without the requirement of full-time employee maintenance.

More Attention to Core Business Activities

Offshoring provides companies instant entry to expert individuals and experienced offshore tech teams. This enables companies to spend more time to their primary goals, engage with potential clients, and grow their operations confidently without concerns about ability limits

How To Choose an Offshore Software Development Company?

Now that we have presented some major offshoring benefits, let’s quickly go over the list of the important actions that companies should take when selecting an offshore team:

Choose the Partner with Established Security Policy

IT firms must ensure their offshore collaborators adhere to robust security protocols to safeguard their data and projects. Prior to engagement, companies should verify if the offshore provider meets these criteria:

1. Compliance with global security benchmarks like ISO 27001:2013, PCI DSS, ISO 9001:2015, HIPAA, OWASP, among others.
2. Regular in-house and external security assessments in line with strict security norms and password policies.
3. Adherence to Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA) stipulations.

Review the Client Testimonials of the Provider

When seeking top-tier software development partners, companies should prioritize customer response and reviews to gauge their connections with potential vendors. Delving into success narratives, video endorsements, and vendor references is essential. Additionally, scrutinizing the prospective company’s websites, LinkedIn profiles, and social media channels (like Twitter and Facebook) can offer valuable insights. It’s also useful to consult ranking platforms such as Clutch, GoodFirms, and Manifest for further information.

Ensure There Is No Communication Gap

Prior to working with an offshore partner, it’s crucial to verify that the vendor’s software engineers possess strong communication capacities to ensure smooth and effective development operations. Additionally, companies should identify the communication and collaboration tools to be used, establish acceptable response durations, and determine the most effective means of keeping contact.

Explore the Provider’s Expertise and Experience

The skills and experience of the offshore team must be checked in various ways before forming any partnership. Check if the company has a great team of skilled workforce and specializes in various fields to build the best possible software solution for its partner.

Assess the Cost-effectiveness of Partner

To maximize cost efficiency, companies ought to select an offshore software development partner offering a range of pricing structures and helping them in determining the one that aligns with their goals. The three dominant pricing strategies in offshoring include fixed-price, T&M (payment based on work completed), and the dedicated development team approach

Best Practices During Offshore Software Development

Managing an offshore software development team is demanding. To solve any offshoring problems successfully, companies need to follow a set of best practices discussed below:

Defining Clear Goals

Companies should create actionable goals, share the vision with the offshore development team, and document everything in detail.

Establishing Regular Communication

Continuous communication is important to maintain with the offshore development team to check the project demand and deadlines. They should be clear and concise with language and use an appropriate channel for communication.

Providing Frequent Feedback

Discuss the project’s progress and give constructive feedback based on real data collected in a reliable system.

Arranging Team Meetings for Better Syncing

Frequent meetings are beneficial for software development firms operating across various time zones. They establish daily goals and address potential challenges. Furthermore, these sessions enhance operational efficiency and guarantee alignment between local and offshore developers. These brief interactions can be facilitated through emails, phone calls, virtual conferences, or other collaborative platforms like Zoom and Skype.

Treating the Remote Team as An In-house Team

Companies must treat their offshore developers as a part of their business to succeed. Acknowledge their technical knowledge, efforts, and time, get to know them better and ask for their suggestions on creating better solutions to solidify the connection with the offshore software development team.

Conclusion

Utilizing offshore software development services offers significant benefits, enabling businesses to meet their objectives efficiently, stay within budget, and avoid extra recruitment. With a clear understanding of offshoring’s merits and best hiring practices, partnering with an offshore development firm, particularly in Europe, can be a strategic move for your enterprise.

8Seneca is an exceptional IT outsourcing firm that provides outstanding IT outsourcing services to our partners. With a team packed with IT professionals to solve complicated business issues, 8seneca guarantees to bring efficient and outstanding quality services to its clients worldwide. You can connect with us here.