No matter the domain or the scale at which any business operates, it is almost certain that they have some kind of digital infrastructure to manage. From extensive suite of enterprise applications that large corporations deploy to the humble website of any small business and everything in between, there is now a digital component attached to every organization that few of them have the technical proficiency to manage. And though such tasks can be easily outsourced to offshore developers, some points can be considered before any concrete decision.
We can partition them into four categories- each of them reflecting a crucial phase. First, how exactly do you benefit by opting for offshore developers. Second, how does their cost fare against an in-house team? Third, how do you choose the right offshore partner? And the forth, how do you shape your organization to better accommodate and leverage the benefits they bring.
While we have discussed the first three earlier in detail and we still encourage you to consult for a better understanding of what we are going to discuss now- what you as a company need to do while proceeding with offshore developers in your team:
#1. Inexpensive isn’t cheap
More often than not, offshore teams are perceived as an extension of the core team hired only to perform menial tasks. If you as an organization too happen to have such notions, you have been wasting much more valuable resources on lesser tasks. That fact is, those offshore developers are as much qualified, if not more, than your in-house team but can only deliver if you properly get your expectations across.
#2. Assign a coordinator
Offshore developers can deliver satisfactory result only if you clearly communicate to them what you expect and consistently absorb the feedback. Also, since the organizational structure and work model of each company is different, those offshore teams are bound to have difficulty adjusting in the first few weeks. To tackle both of these issues, there is a need to have a single point of communication in your organization which can help in synchronous communication. Depending on your organizational hierarchy, this can be a team lead, a manager, or even the CEO.
#3. Create a proper collaborative environment
From establishing a chain of communication to deploying collaborative tools, there is a lot that needs to be done before your offshore team can start working. The simplest way out is to give them a list of-of tools beforehand that you want them to use so that they can have it up and running from day one. From code repository and integration tools to task management and messaging platforms, there are a ton of options available for each and you must decide which one’s best suited for your team and purpose.
#4. The first month is for the groundwork
When you hire offshore developers, you must not expect the productivity to shoot up from day one. And this isn’t just because they will take to adjust but also because you too will need time to prepare the requisites and work strategy. If you want to make the most of this time, have an explicit set of tasks, requirements, and expectations prepared so that they do not feel disoriented and can get started ASAP.
#5. Draw a line between the offshore and in-house team
As mentioned before, both your in-house team and hired offshore developers arguably have the same level of competence and it only depends on how you draw out the most out of them. The best way would be to clearly outline the distinct roles of each and as far as possible keep the two things separate. For instance, if you have a project that needs much more agility, your in-house team might do a better job but for hard-core development, offshore developers are definitely better suited.
