Each software development company has its own methods of engagement and SDLC processes. When using offshore developers, you need to understand that there are benefits, pitfalls, drawbacks, and risks involved and you want to choose the best developer team that will concisely handle your software development to deliver quality products. That being said, here are things you want to consider when hiring offshore app developers to ensure you reap the best of their services.
1. The Talent Pool
It can be difficult to assess the level of talent of developers based on the other side of the globe. The team may have the chops needed to get a project done, however, they might also be fresh off the series of the internet booth camps. While there is nothing wrong with having your software development learning online, the lack of experience can sideline you, especially when a business needs an experienced team that can handle a complex app development project. The abilities required in delivering a software product isn't just the technical part, there is expertise in the industry and an understanding of the business environment.
Different industries face different development challenges and a team that is experienced in one industry may not do well in another. Make sure you get the talent right when you hire web developer teams. The developers should have the training, experience, exposure, expertise, and ability to solve problems when it comes to app development.
2. Project Leadership
If you're outshoring app development, you need to determine if there is concrete leadership to the project. The developer team needs to have a leader who also communicates with an onshore leader to oversee the project work. A local leader is found on the client-side meaning that if you are hiring a developer team, you should have onshore leaders that help with communication and collaboration during the app development process.
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Asking the offshore developer team to fully take charge of the app development can lead to disaster. You need to have clear-cut requirements when agreeing on the contract and ensure everything is documented. When the leadership of a project is not up to par, it can result in chaos. Developers of the software can go rogue and the project derails fast. Offshore leadership may be too much committed to keeping up with the focuses need on the project.
3. Work Schedules
Among the difficult things when developers are offshoring software developers is the different work schedules. You need to see that there are work schedule hours that overlap between offshore and onshore so that you are able to communicate effectively. Have at least two to four hours where you can interact with the developer team to see the progress of the project.
When you don't discuss the project with offshore leaders, things can easily go wrong. The team needs to get direction, ask questions, and discuss issues pertaining to the project such as improvements and code changes. Flexibility is crucial when determining when you should have a meeting with the offshore team. Sometimes, you may have to engage the developer when he or she is at home and you are in the office or vice versa. Having a clearly defined and flexible schedule for holding meetings and discussions ensures that there is good communication.
4. Efficient Communication
Any project requires efficient communication to see its success. It's important that you maintain focus on the Minimum Viable Product and know when it is due. The MVP could be the main factor that determines the success or failure in delivering quality software. Language barriers can lead to misunderstandings. If you cannot effectively communicate online or on phone, it can doom a project. When hiring offshore web developer teams, see that you can easily communicate and there aren't language barriers. You will often engage in in-depth, lengthy conversations through various methods like email, direct messaging, phone, or chatrooms. You need to be able to understand each other.
5. Control over the Developer Team
If you can't have control over the team, it can present many challenges. You will need to align the offshore team in conjunction with the customer. There are demands, expectations, and deadlines that need to be communicated correctly, and if you cannot control the developer team, it can be chaotic. If there is a problem developer on the other side, it can be hard to remove them. You may have the project owners having issues with a developer, however, the offshore team doesn't think there is any problem. In addition, the laws to govern the offshoring can be different and you may have your issues ignored by the offshore government meaning that you should carefully evaluate the developer before you can engage them to see if they are controllable or accept liability and willing to solve problems.
When you know what to expect from a developer team, it allows you to remain within boundaries and you don't ask too much for them to deliver. From the word go, you should have evaluated the team before hiring it. These considerations can help you determine whether the team you are about to hire will deliver or not. It also helps discover whether you will have issues down the line or not. Your ability to gain some control over the team goes a long way in helping the different parties involved in the app development from the design, to build, deployment and use to collaborate and interact together. You should be able to listen to the users or customers and communicate their views to the dedicated web developer team. The developer team should be willing to listen to feedback provided by your customers who are the end-users of the application.
