Any company can outsource offshore software, but only a well-managed company can quickly and efficiently transfer IT services. For poorly organized companies, offshore IT outsourcing can only exacerbate software conversion problems. At the same time, practice proves that internal managers cannot be expected to have specialized knowledge from the very beginning, for example, in the field of transformation software, which is suitable for such a complex process as the development of offshore software. Correct placement of experienced external specialists can ensure organizational balance and consolidation of experience in your own company.
Relations between offshore customers and suppliers
An offshore is a more than one-time relationship between a client and a supplier, it is the relationship that brings the greatest benefits in the long run. The golden rule is to make as many offshore companies as possible, and not just program them, but let them also develop specifications, develop, execute tests and test data. As a result, knowledge grows on the shelf, and the more knowledge there is, the easier it is to manage it from within your organization.
Keep in mind that an offshore company somehow reflects your organization. If your organization exhibits unpredictable behavior, your offshore company will also become unpredictable. In other words; if you do not respect offshore people, you will not respect them.
Set clear goals in coastal and marine areas
The main task of coastal and offshore management is to jointly build trust relationships with clear goals. All efforts should be aimed at increasing mutual trust:
- Encourage personal contacts
- Set clear goals
- Stay predictable like your own organization
- Promote respect for clear communication
Are the costs of offshore ICT and offshore projects controlled?
Offshore is a learning process, an organization must learn how to manage offshore projects and ICT costs. Offshore projects must be successful.
Basic offshoring design
- Start small
- The larger the project, the greater the likelihood of failure. Therefore, it is most practical to start small, which should be taken into account in the range from Euro 20,000 to 200,000.
- To consolidate the learning process in the organization.
- This means that the project must have its own permanent staff, and new projects begin with this core of experienced people.
- Active management involvement
- Set up a steering group and regularly consult with all parties involved.
Much has been written about the selection of offshore projects, but in practice little needs to be done to select one or more projects to be completed at sea. Therefore, the first project is usually an extension or replacement of an existing system.
Important points to consider when creating an offshore project:
- Choose an important system whose goal is to gain real learning experience.
- A system should not have too many interfaces with other systems that are in motion.
- If the maintenance of the existing system is outsourced, provide a “clean break”, from a certain point onwards no maintenance can be performed inside the system, all maintenance should be performed on the shelf.
- Carefully select your staff. Curiosity, adventure and commitment are important success factors.
Choose an offshore system development company with work experience
As a large company, it makes sense to work with several offshore companies. This speeds up the learning process, best practices, ensures the competitiveness of offshore companies in the development of systems and their competitiveness.
Start-up offshore companies are charming, but it is better that they gain experience from another client. Therefore, choose an offshore system development company with work experience. Experienced offshore companies usually have more opportunities to solve problems than start-up offshore companies, and have experience working with large Western companies. This choice is important:
Select a clear contact point with authority
Many offshore companies have an unclear structure. There is an intermediary or sales organization in Europe or the Netherlands with unclear tasks and powers. In companies with an offshore branch, there is often a requester. One of them depends on the cooperation of subsidiaries or the parent company. The larger the software company, the more links can work.
Choose a clear communications framework for offshore software development
It is very important how easy key-connection with offshore software develops with people who have to do the job. Is it simple, you immediately understand what needs to be done, do you ask the appropriate questions?
And are you sure that this is one of the people who will carry out or direct the work, or is it just an intermediary?
Onsite Systems
Should an offshore company have systems? for:
- Version and change management
- Publishing software including delivery protocols
- Project Management and Procedures
Offshore Issues Due to Availability and Time Differences
Temporary differences and availability are not so important at the beginning. But at some point, this could become an insurmountable barrier to related problems.
Direct communication with India and China is possible at the beginning of the day. If you look from an offshore country, this means that all questions must wait until the end of the day.
Seen from the Netherlands, this means that all problems that occur after 9 and 11 hours can only be processed the next day.
It doesn't matter when choosing an offshore software development partner
An offshore company has a good office.
Fantastic, but we do not need good offices, but software. For beautiful offices, you pay twice: office expenses + higher salaries of employees.
Experience with a specific technology
If you hire employees through secondments, you want to have able-bodied people immediately. This does not apply to offshore. All modern developed environments are very similar, one much faster than the average Dutch programmer can quickly work on another technology. In addition, there is enough time between creating functional specifications and starting programming to make the development environment familiar enough.
Experience in using the domain
You must bring specific experience with a particular company, as well as technical knowledge of your offshore partner. Knowing the subject area of your offshore partner is appropriate only if you transfer not only IT development, but the entire business process.
Risks in the respective country
All offshore countries are risky, but the risk cannot be predicted.
A way to avoid risks is to choose several offshore companies located on different continents.
A sales office is associated with the country.
In practice, a sales office is for sale and may not be very adaptable to the operational process. A person does not have enough knowledge about insufficient power within his own organization.
An offshore company is located in a good country where it’s nice to stay
We work if you sleep the argument
Offshore companies in India and China are well aware of the lack of time differences. Therefore, they pack this flaw in the arguments of “24-hour development”. But no matter how you pack it, the lack of time difference remains, and no one can work longer than 8 hours a day for a long time.
An offshore contract? when developing offshoring software
Sign an offshore contract with an offshore company? Developing a software system on the periphery in a non-Western country is a waste of time. Only with Western companies, it is worth concluding a legally valid contract, but these contracts can be enforced. But in practice, only if a Western company controls an offshore company.
If you are not in luxury with a controlling Western company to sign a contract, the only option is to communicate what you definitely want in a clear language.
Create easy-to-read meetings and speak directly (!) Point by point with an offshore manager. At the same time, it will help to get an idea of the client’s culture, where the emphasis is made, and what is considered less important.