Offshore Software Development: Tips to Cut Costs and Boost Efficiency

How to Reduce Costs and Optimize Efficiency in Offshore Software Development

The advancements in offshore collaborations and outsourcing have proliferated rapidly with the progress made in the digital space. The same goes true for software development, with offshore development services being a popular option for many businesses around the globe. While offshore software development can reduce time-to-market, cut operational costs, and reach a wider talent pool, it is not without its set of risks and challenges. Here, we will look at the best practices to be followed when opting for offshore software development services so as to ensure quality and performance while aiming for reduced costs and optimized efficiency.

How to Choose the Right Offshore Software Development Partner

Choosing the right partner for your software development needs is highly crucial to not only the quality and working of your end product but also to the reputation and operational efficiency of your organization. That being said, here are a few things to consider when choosing a prospective partner for your software development project:

Experience and expertise in your domain and technology stack: Having offshore developers that are knowledgeable in the coding language you intend to utilize is essential to the success of your project. In order to have a team of developers who can handle the demands of your selected technology stack, it is crucial to choose a software development firm that offers a wide selection of technologies. While it is unfeasible to expect a single developer to be an authority in every coding technology, it is essential to choose businesses with qualified staff who can oversee multiple release cycles and have experience in product conceptualization, design, documentation, and modernization throughout the software product's life cycle.

Portfolio and testimonials from previous clients: A clear sign of a prospective software development partner’s credibility and expertise is the portfolio and testimonials they have amassed. Portfolios help clients to get a deeper look into the development firm’s specializations, while testimonials from trusted, verifiable past clients help determine what a client can expect from working on a project with the prospective partner.

Pricing and payment models: As most offshore software development companies are based in emerging economies, pricing can be much lower for services as compared to the onshore counterparts. Moreover, many development firms aim to offer flexible payment plans and models that appeal to clients in a more pocket-friendly way.

Location and time zone compatibility: Offshore firms can allocate staff to work in different shifts so as to cover 24-hour working periods where it is possible to conduct meetings and follow-up support at any time as desired by their client organizations. This saves a lot of time to market and helps clients to stay ahead of the competition.

Cultural fit and communication skills: A crucial part of vetting a prospective offshore software development company is to figure out how well its representatives and employees communicate and fit in with the culture of its client organization. Most development firms communicate in well-versed English and adopt practices that mesh well with the culture of the targeted client audience. This allows for easy project advancements, quick responses, and smooth functioning of the diverse roles involved in the project.

Effective Ways to Communicate with Your Offshore Team

The importance of enthusiastic and clear-cut communication with project partners cannot be overstated as it provides a wide range of perks such as increased trust, enhanced collaboration, and alignment with overarching goals. The following are some tips and tools to improve your communication with teams working offshore:

Establishing clear and realistic expectations and goals: Having explicit and realistic objectives are very helpful in the smooth advancement of a software development project. Client organizations should specify weekly, monthly, quarterly, and annual milestones that serve as a checklist for those who assume project ownership. Supplementing contact information, support staff structures, and the like can ensure seamless communication about the achievement of the predetermined goals during the lifecycle of the project.

Using Agile methodologies and frequent feedback loops: The offshore agile development methodology is now widely acknowledged as a successful method for leading development teams. It offers a clear structure that encourages gradual and iterative methods, enabling flexibility in response to market circumstances and feedback. In the agile technique, effectiveness and quality come first. The productivity of your offshore team can be increased, and you can achieve outstanding outcomes, by adding this strategy into your team management system.

Leveraging cloud-based platforms and collaboration tools: Offshore services usually necessitate serverless modes of project execution and this is all the more applicable in the field of software development. By using remote servers for fast and expandable storage applications, development companies of all sizes can develop applications and websites without much hindrance in the way of storage limitations. Moreover, collaboration tools such as video conferencing, emails, and slack messaging, etc. make feedback quick and closer to real-time than in previous years.

Scheduling regular meetings and calls: It is always advisable to hold regular meetings and conferences both virtual and in-person (whenever possible) so as to provide clear two-way communication channels that are almost always available for constant interaction and course corrections during the lifecycle of the development project. Shared calendars and invites can help streamline this process, which is aimed at making sure that all involved parties are on the same page at all times.

Respecting cultural differences and language barriers: While most prospective offshore software development companies have personnel well-versed in their clients’ languages, some language and cultural barriers are to be expected.

How to Manage Your Offshore Software Development Project

Project management is clearly vital to the success of any modern-day innovative venture. It is all the more necessary when the project in question is being carried out in an offshore area. There are several benefits to managing such projects, a few of them being prompt delivery, quality assurance, and risk reduction. Below are a few techniques and strategies for successful offshore software development project management:

Defining the scope, budget, timeline, and milestones of your project: We have already discussed the importance of setting realistic objectives and milestones for any development project that has to be carried out. For ensuring timely software delivery, properly delineating project timelines to developers can be very helpful, as well as specifying the budget to the senior management teams of your development partner. Defining the scope in a very particular manner is also a way by which all collaborators on a project can plan ahead and achieve excellence.

Assigning roles and responsibilities to your in-house and offshore team members: Carefully outlining the exact roles and functions of each member of both in-house and offshore teams helps in assuring seamless communication and functioning between said team members. By additionally specifying responsibilities and project ownership details, each member can know what to answer for, who to defer tasks to, and which members to consult in case of roadblocks or queries.

Monitoring and tracking the progress and performance of your project: By dividing tasks and project sections into smaller, more manageable chunks, project managers can easily assign tasks and ask developers to report back if and when each little milestone has been achieved. Managers can also chart the progress of each team member to ensure that everything is caught up and hold interventions and meetings to provide feedback wherever necessary.

Implementing change management and contingency plans: It is not entirely inconceivable that projects will not proceed as initially planned. Certain contingencies and unexpected events can alter the future course of action, sometimes even drastically. Effective project managers must know how to handle these events and guide the progress of the project in a way that not only addresses the changes but also cohesively brings together the rest of the development process in order to achieve the core objectives that were laid out at the start of the project timeline.

Evaluating and rewarding the results and outcomes of your project: It is always a good move to reward achievements in order to motivate team members to perform better in the future. By carefully evaluating the performance of offshore teams against key performance metrics and indicators, project managers can get a fair idea of how to appreciate developers for their efforts while also giving them the incentive to put in better work in the long run.

Also Read - How Offshore Software Development Works

How to Ensure Quality & Security in Offshore Software Development

A high-quality finished software product can go a long way in cementing your brand’s reputation in the eyes of its customer base. The right quality assurance practices help foster customer satisfaction while proper data safety measures help meet compliance laws in the jurisdictions where your products are being used. Here are a few measures you can take to enhance both the quality and security of your offshore software development project:

Adopting a shift-left approach and conducting thorough testing throughout the development process: A shift-left approach is one in which the testing, QA, and performance evaluations and done early on in the development project, rather than postponing them towards the end. Performing tests throughout the entire software development project lifecycle is also a good way to stay ahead of any bugs, errors, and mishaps that may threaten the proper working and functionalities of the desired end product.

Using automated testing tools and code review platforms: Manual testing has its limits, and it is always good to work with a development partner that knows how to properly employ automated testing tools that will significantly reduce the time taken for development. Code review platforms can help developers pinpoint where and how to refine and/or correct their code, thus leaving little room for cognitive biases that can be encountered during manual testing.

Following industry standards and best practices for code quality and security: In offshore software development, adherence to best practices and industry standards is essential. This entails adhering to coding standards, performing frequent code reviews, using version control systems, and adopting secure coding techniques. Developers assure code uniformity, dependability, and security by adhering to these standards.

Encrypting data transmission and storage: Data must be protected both during transmission and storage. For data transfer, offshore development teams should use encryption methods like AES and secure protocols like HTTPS and VPNs. It is recommended to use secure file transfer protocols like SFTP and FTPS. Access controls and authentication procedures, together with the encryption of sensitive data in databases, further improve data security.

Complying with relevant regulations and certifications: It is crucial to adhere to all applicable jurisdictional laws as well as earn certifications that are relevant to the technologies used in the project. This includes following the CMMI-certified process - companies with level 3 CMMI or above can be relied upon to have the maturity to capably deliver quality products and services. Respecting the rules of a certified process promotes confidence, guarantees that security and regulatory requirements are satisfied, and safeguards private data.

Final Thoughts

Handing over your software tasks and projects to offshore development teams can seem like a no-brainer to many organizations, given the incredible cost savings and efficiency gains inherent in the process. However, this does not mean that prospective clients must not focus on effective communication, project management, partner vetting, quality assurance, and security. In fact, these aspects of overseeing development projects can usually make the difference between a successful project and a failed one. If you are searching for a competent and responsible offshore software development company to help meet your business’s software goals, do not delay in contacting us at Vofox as soon as possible. Vofox’s experts have proven time and again that they have the experience, tools, and know-how to offer clients great, quality software at very reasonable prices.