8 Pitfalls To Avoid When Outsourcing Software Development Overseas
 |
The advantages of outsourcing software development to a foreign country are generally acknowledged. International outsourcing provides firms with a much larger talent pool from which to chose since it makes it easier to find software engineers who are educated in the newest technologies.
International outsourcing not only gives businesses with better access to highly qualified personnel with in-demand technical skills, but it also provides them with the chance to save money.
For new businesses working on tight budgets and/or with high start-up expenses, eliminating the costs and hazards involved with growing the number of full-time workers (FTEs) may be a matter of life and death.
8 Mistakes to Avoid When Outsourcing Software Development to a Foreign Country
While it is crucial to recognize the many advantages of outsourcing software development abroad, it is also important to remember that it is not always a simple and straightforward process.
Before opting to outsource, it is important to be aware of some of the possible dangers. Continue reading for more information on what you should avoid doing if you are thinking of international outsourcing.
1. Difficulties Communicating in Other Languages
Language limitations might be a big problem depending on where you choose to outsource your work to for foreign clients.
The determination and communication of technical standards may be challenging, even when both parties are speaking the same language.
If you are considering working with an overseas outsourcing business, be certain that there are no language issues that might cause difficulties.
2. Cultural Dissimilarities
As a corporation with a presence in the United States, you are acquainted with important U.S. holidays and how these events may affect a usual work schedule.
There will very certainly be totally new holidays and other cultural variations surrounding what constitutes "a typical work week" in the region where your foreign outsourcing will take place, which will have an influence on project deadlines and overall productivity.
3. There are significant time zone differences
If you are outsourcing software development work that needs cooperation with team members in the United States, time zone variations might be a significant barrier.
Numerous businesses, such as those involved in agile development using scrum, may benefit from having personnel who are in the same or a comparable time zone as one another.
Nearshore outsourcing destinations in areas like Costa Rica may be a better alternative to countries like India and China, which are located in far-away time zones that make day-to-day cooperation very challenging.
4. The Danger of Being Too Far Away
You've probably heard the expression "out of sight, out of mind."
When it comes to software development outsourcing, this adage may be especially applicable in particular cases.
There is a danger associated with having a team of software engineers based in a remote area of the world. Not only is it easy to lose sight of the fact that offshore assistance is available and to underutilize this resource, but distance may make frequent communication, especially project progress updates, more difficult.
5. Technical Infrastructure
Although your internet connectivity at your U.S. office location is likely to be relatively trouble-free, many other parts of the globe have a considerably more insecure technological infrastructure than you have.
This might involve frequent power outages and problems having constant internet connectivity, among other things.
Before you consider outsourcing software development to a foreign country, be certain that the area you choose has a reliable technological infrastructure.
6. Employee Turnover
Whether you are outsourcing software development to a U.S. business or an international organization, it is critical to inquire about the company's staff turnover rate.
Software development outsourcing is best performed by companies that have high levels of employee engagement and a low turnover of employees.
You will be more likely to finish your task on time, and the quality of your code will be higher as a result.
7. Issues Concerning Safety
Whatever location you are considering for international outsourcing, it is critical to take safety concerns into consideration before moving further.
There are a variety of reasons why this is crucial. The most evident effect of safety issues will be seen by the local personnel who will be working on your construction projects.
The ability of you or a member of your team to visit your offshore software engineers may also be limited by worries about their security.
When selecting an offshore partner, factors such as internal, regional, and international conflict, social security, and militarization are all significant considerations to keep in mind.
8. The level of code quality
In the event that your organization is contemplating outsourcing software development, you are most likely worried regarding the quality of the job you will obtain.
You don't want to attempt to save money by outsourcing only to wind up spending more money later on when your onshore team needs to spend hours fixing flawed code because you tried to save money by outsourcing.
Consult with firms that recruit top technical talent and inquire about certifications such as those given by Microsoft, among other organizations.
For many firms, outsourcing software development to a foreign country makes a lot of sense.
If you are situated in a part of the United States where there is a scarcity of technical expertise, outsourcing may provide you with access to exceptional software engineers. You may also discover that overseas outsourcing allows you to save money while also improving your efficiency.
As with any new enterprise, it is important to ask the appropriate questions before you get started in order to ensure that your experience with overseas outsourcing is as good and fruitful as it possibly can be.