Myths Over Offshoring | Break the Barriers

Offshoring has always remained a tough question in our minds every time we think of it. Should I need to really outsource? Is offshoring the right approach? What if my expectations are not met? We have millions of questions running in our minds on offshoring. Every one of us would like to be ensured that the development process is going to be smooth. Here are a few of the questions that need to be answered before we say “YES” to offshoring.

I have never outsourced before. What should I look into the outsourcing company before making my decision?

Before deciding where to outsource, we must understand the company’s process of development, the value proposition that the company would offer and how well they would ensure the success of our product roadmap.

We should also look into:

• Their market experience.
• Clientele/success stories which the company has accomplished in the past.
• Their domain/product knowledge.
• Delivery process.
• And finally costing – “ Costing should never be a deal-breaking factor quality always comes with a price”

Will I have complete visibility on the project when it is being developed?

Project visibility is vital during the course of development. It is important for us to know the current status of the development because we need to validate our requirements that are under development. In many circumstances, failures occur due to lack of visibility to the customer. So while selecting the vendor for outsourcing, one will have to have better knowledge of the outsourcing company’s communication and reporting process. Some key points to look for are:

• A project plan during the start of the project – this would help us to track the development process in comparison to the milestones set.
• The communication process along with its frequency, the company would adhere.
• In case of an enhancement, SLAs are vital, for every service requested would be crucial.

Will outsourcing fit my budget?
When it comes to fitting the budget, we DON’T like any surprises.

Offshoring Companies should ensure that we would not have to bear any significant additional cost and stick to the cost that has already been committed. The offshore projects can also help you increase productivity , improve customer satisfaction and stay ahead of the competition. Hence, a clear proposal at the initial phase on cost/scope coverage from the offshoring outsourcing company is what one should be looking for.

How will I make sure that my requirements are clearly understood so that they can be met better?

More than 50% of the project fails due to expectation mismatch/misunderstanding/ improper requirement analysis. The offshoring company should have a clear plan on their requirement gathering process. It would also be helpful if there are some sample wireframes, use-cases and visual representations on how the deliverables would look like. We would also like to be briefed about the sign off process and the level of iterations that would be done during the requirement gathering.

One would also like to know more on the traceability matrix and how the issues that might be raised, will be tracked and closed. The outsourcing company should also encourage us to participate in the review of the design deliverable.

How will I be sure that the offshore development is going on as per the plan?

This is probably the most common fear many of us have. The myth about the offshore project is that the development is going to deviate off the plan.

To sure that we have chosen the right offshoring company, the company’s project management process should be better understood. If the company practices the below points, we can be better aware of the project’s progress throughout its cycle.

• Weekly status reporting.
• Periodic teleconferences, video conferences, etc.
• Project health reports and milestone analysis.

We would also need to talk about internal quality verification and validation processes such as:

• Internal Project Audit by the SQAs.
• Review by Senior Management.
• Audit by the external consultants.

If you got all the questions answered, then you got the right company to outsource your work. You can be sure you will get your work done at the right time with good quality. Outsourcing is not scary anymore. Send your project queries to media@techaffinity.com or schedule a meeting with our experts.

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