Manage An Offshore Development Team for Non-Tech Founder

An offshore development team is the ultimate solution to developing mobile and website applications for most firms in the information technology sector. Two major reasons why firms hire a remote team include saving money while ensuring that tasks are completed promptly and allowing in-house staff to focus on their chief responsibilities without overworking them.

In this article, we look at the 5 tips to help you manage your offshore team of developers effectively.

1. Discuss Project Objectives and Expectations

It is advisable to deliberate about your expectations and the project goals with the offshore development team before assigning them the task. This is critical as it ensures that the group meets the specific objectives of the task. As a result, this saves you and the external group a lot of time that you could otherwise waste on revisions or re-assignment.

It will be hectic for both in-house staff and outsourced teams to achieve project goals and meet specific expectations if they are not aware of the product vision. As a matter of fact, without the project requirements, it is unrealistic for them to deliver expected results. Therefore, as a team leader or manager, it is your responsibility to give a clear illustration to outsourcing development teams for them to make moves that deliver exactly what you are expecting.

2. Communication is Key

In opinion of the offshore development team Saigon Technology based in Vietnam, for the outsourced to deliver successful projects, there must be clear communication. As a matter of fact, communication alone is not enough as the team leaders should over-communicate with offshore teams for the successful completion of any project.

Internal employees in most cases have an easier time executing their duties because they fully comprehend and have a coherent idea of the projects as they work in real-time in the office. Nonetheless, an outsourcing development team may not have a glimpse of critical details about the organization happening on the ground as they operate remotely. Therefore, communication is critical in bridging the physical gap and this ensures that a remote group is equipped with all the necessary information, despite the distance.

Scheduling weekly meetings with remote groups is not enough to make sure that they feel part of the organization. You should have engagement and communication with external teams daily. Embrace using modern applications like slack among other channels to communicate and hold meetings as they are highly effective. It is also important to factor in the time zone difference and language barrier to make sure that the communication is concise and clear.

3. Time Zone Difference

In most cases, offshore teams are located in a place that has varying time zones from the company headquarters. Therefore, the difference in time zones is a critical factor to consider when managing a remote team. Team leaders, members, and managers should take advantage of overlapping hours to schedule meetings and engage with outsourced teams.

Engaging and communication when both offshore and in-house teams are actively in operation makes it possible to consult each other in real-time and address concerns and questions. Using video conferencing and mobile applications will deliver effective and productive collaboration.

4. Allow Freedom and Independence

One of the best ways to manage the development team is to avoid micromanagement. The external team should be allowed to operate and function as an independent department in the organization in order for the team to be productive and creative. Doing this gives the team confidence in what they are trusted to execute, allowing them to give their best not to disappoint.

Micromanagement never works even for an in-house team and so it is a vital; factor of consideration when you are working with an external team. Micromanaged teams have broken trust and lack autonomy and freedom. As a result, this hinders their creativity and innovation, limiting them from achieving set goals and expectations.

5. Build Team Spirit

In your mind, there should never be a remote and internal team because separating the two creates a gap that works against the goals of your firm. The outsourced team should be viewed and treated as an equal to your in-house staff team. Making remote teams feel highly valued and giving them a sense of belonging, motivates them to maximize productivity and engagement. This, as a result, enhances the quality of your relationship with the team, impacting your firm positively.

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Bottom Line

All businesses regardless of their sizes and niche should embrace the idea of collaborating with an offshore team. Consequently working with a remote group saves you money as most offshore developers work from regions with reduced production and operational costs. Outsourcing development also ensures that your in-house employees are not overworked, ensuring that tasks are delivered in a timely fashion. Proper collaboration with offshore firms and teams, right from the beginning ensures that the partnership is successful and productive.