7 Keys to Success in Software Development Outsourcing

Introduction

Building an easy project management system for teams that are spread across different locations becomes important. This system would help enterprises handle projects smoothly even though team members are located in different parts of the world.

In this article, we’ll talk about what is Software Development Outsourcing project management, why is it important, and a detailed process of software project management.

Are you ready to learn the approach in detail? Then, let’s begin.

What does an Outsourced Software Development mean?

Outsourced software development is the practice of hiring an external team to handle all the software development tasks of a business. 

This approach enables businesses to leverage specialized expertise, access a large talent pool, reduce operational costs & enable the organization to focus on core competencies.

Outsourcing can be of two major types, first, it can be done within the same country, i.e. onshore outsourcing or it can also be done in different countries, i.e. offshore outsourcing. It covers several services some of which are mentioned below:

• Application development

• Testing

• System Integration

• Software maintenance

Moreover, companies can achieve faster time-to-market the product, can adapt to the changing advancements in technology & can scale their development efforts without the need to invest in hiring an in-house team.

Why Managing Software Development Outsourcing Project is important

Managing a software development outsourcing project is important for various reasons some of which circle around the optimization of resources, time & quality. 

Below we’ve mentioned a few points that state why is it important:

Communication & Coordination

An effective project management would ensure clear communication & coordination between the software development outsourcing & in-house development teams. A single misunderstanding & miscommunication would lead to project delays, increased costs, etc.

Scope Management

An Outsourced project might suffer from scope creep, where a project's requirement might keep changing or expanding with time but without a proper adjustment of budget or schedule. Effective project management defines, documents & controls the project scope to prevent an uncertain occurrence.

Quality Assurance

Ensuring that outsourced work meets the set standards and is defect-free is important. Project management includes setting quality benchmarks, conducting regular reviews & also implementing quality control processes to meet the set benchmarks.

Risk Management

Outsourcing software development might make way for a lot of risks, including cultural differences, time zone challenges & a potential misunderstanding about project goals. Moreover, proactive risk management identifies assesses & helps in mitigating risks by ensuring the project stays on track.

Cost control

Not having a proper management plan in place can result in an increased cost overrun. To manage your project effectively you should track the budget, and cost forecast and also manage changes in a way that keeps the project within the financial boundaries.

Timeline Adherence

By delivering the project on time you can enable and gain the trust of your audience and stakeholders by meeting the market user needs. 

Moreover having the right project management skills helps you in defining, monitoring, and adjusting the timelines to ensure a timely delivery of the project despite the complexity of working with an in-house development team.

Resource Optimization

Effective software development outsourcing involves an efficient allocation of internal & external resources. Effective project management ensures that the right resources are available at the right time to meet the demands of the project.

Strategic Alignment

The last importance of outsourced project management ensures that the work you have done aligns with the strategic goals and objectives of the project. Moreover, it ensures that the outsourcing relationship contributes to the company’s overall direction & success.

Now, further, let’s understand the process of pulling off an effective Project management.

Effective Software Development Outsourcing: A 6-step process for effective project management

An effective outsourcing software development needs the right process to be followed. Planning the process for software development outsourcing requires thorough diligence where you need to follow all the steps effectively to manage your software development outsourcing project smoothly.

In this section, we’ll talk about a six-step process to achieve smoother software development outsourcing. So, are you ready to learn and implement these core steps for smoother project management? Let’s begin then!

Understanding Problems

Firstly, it is crucial to understand the problems that occur when managing a team from remote locations. This can include dealing with different time zones, understanding various cultures, tackling language barriers, and an absence of face-to-face meetings. 

Issues like these can make it hard for teams to work well together and stay on track with the projects.

One of our clients Blue Box Firewall reached out to me with a Cybersecurity Firewall application where the founder wanted me to help him build an app that had the below-mentioned features:

1. Minimalist and user-friendly design.

2. Developed using Kotlin for efficiency and ease of use.

3. Advanced features for hardware interaction and web filtering.

4. Customizable user access levels and guest Wi-Fi.

5. Monitoring tools for devices, internet speed, and Wi-Fi settings.

6. Automatic software updates.

So, while working on this project my team at Acquaint Softtech helped Blue Box by:

1. Designing a minimalist and user-friendly app interface.

2. Choosing Kotlin for development to ensure app efficiency and user-friendliness.

3. Implementing advanced features for seamless hardware integration and effective web filtering.

4. Developing customizable access controls and secure guest Wi-Fi functionality.

5. Providing monitoring capabilities for network management and maintenance.

6. Ensuring the app remains up-to-date with automatic updates.

We identified and understood their problem to find the best possible solutions for their project. Moreover, we build a strategy & plan to understand how we can help them with the solution. To read more about how “BlueBox” excelled their business by choosing us as their application development partner Read “Blue Box Firewall - Cybersecurity Mobile App Developed with Kotlin”

Clear Communication

Effective communication is key to any project’s success, specifically when your team is not working from the same location. Here’s how you can build a clear communication amongst all the team members:

• Use communication to let team members talk and share information in a real-time scenario.

• Have a regular meeting to keep your team connected & informed.

• Keep all the important project information in one place online so everyone can read them.

Using Project Management Tools

Technology can make remote work easier. Using the right project management tool can help you in assigning tasks, tracking the project's progress & analyzing who is doing what. Look out for the tools that let you:

• Organize all the tasks & show who is working on them,

• It enables you to connect all the apps and tools to achieve a smoother flow.

• Ensure you send regular updates & reminders to keep everyone aware of the deadlines.

Building an efficient team

When the team is spread remotely, it becomes essential to create a sense of togetherness & shared goals. Doing this will help:

• Encourage fun activities to help team members get the chance to know each other better.

• Celebrate the success and recognize the hard work, no matter where your team member is.

• Also, encourage casual chats to help team members in building friendships amongst the team.

Using agile methods

Agile methods work well for teams that aren't in the same place. They help teams adjust to changes, get better over time, and work well together. Here's how they do it:

• They split the big project into smaller pieces, making it simpler to handle.

• They check how things are going often to solve problems fast.

• They let teams choose what to do, which keeps them eager and active.

An effective virtual meeting

Virtual meetings have become common for remote teams, thus it’s important to make them work well.

• First, plan what you wish to achieve in each meeting by sticking to the agenda.

• Use a video calling mechanism to implement clearer communication.

• Ensure everyone gets the chance to speak and share their ideas.

Learning & Adapting

To improve your project management it is necessary to learn from everyone and apply the necessary changes when something doesn’t work. You can do this by:

• Asking for feedback from your team to figure out what works in your favor and what doesn’t work for you.

• Analyze your past successful projects to find out why they were a success.

• Keep learning & using new & upgraded tools to improvise your learning.

Following all the sequential steps would help you manage the outsourced software development project efficiently and effectively. While managing projects make sure you do not miss any of the steps, as failing to implement at any stage would counterattack your project’s success.

Implementing these steps seems to be a difficult thing to pull off. Then, rest assured I am here for your rescue! Let’s understand how my expertise in software development can help you meet your requirements.

How can I help you with Software Development Outsourcing?

Being a LinkedIn-certified Top Voice for IT outsourcing, I possess 15+ years of experience in software development project management. 

I own an IT Staff augmentation & Software Development Outsourcing Company to help my clients meet their Custom software development needs. Additionally we also help them hire remote developers to build their remote team, doing this allows them to minimize long-term hiring.

Moreover, my team & I can also help you in achieving a successful Laravel development project by leveraging the skills of our agile Laravel developers.

Now, let’s quickly wrap up the discussion!

Wrapping Up!

In conclusion, managing a team spread out over different places can work well if you do a few key things. First, make sure you communicate clearly. Everyone needs to understand each other and stay connected, even if they're far apart. Using the right tech tools can make a huge difference too, helping everyone feel like they're in the same room, even when they're not.

Building a team culture matters a lot as well. When team members feel like they're part of a group and value, they're more likely to do their best work. Plus, it helps prevent anyone from feeling lonely or left out, which can happen when people work remotely.

Being willing to change and get better is also crucial. The way we work together, especially when we're not in the same place, keeps changing. So, what worked for one project might not work for the next. If you're open to learning and tweaking how you do things, you'll keep getting better at managing your team.

In the end, your projects can thrive with team members anywhere in the world, as long as you focus on good communication, the right tools, a strong team spirit, and a willingness to improve and adapt.