How to Work with an Overseas Software Development Partner

The issue of not being able to cooperate actively and effectively when you have an outsourced partner cannot be overlooked.

Every step of the software development process needs to be completely thorough, and every member involved in the project needs to be updated regularly.

Therefore, in order to successfully co-operate with your offshore software development outsourcing partner, you should follow the guidelines below:

Have a Clear Vision

It is highly crucial that you begin your project with a clear mind. You need to have a complete understanding of what you need to outsource and why. You need to list out your company’s objectives and needs. Also, make sure to consult a market analyst as per the functionality of the software product.

Help Them Properly Understand Your Business

Good software development companies always start with having a clear understanding of your business goals. The development team’s expertise in your field is highly valuable. However, the capability to listen and then ask questions is no less important.

Every single business is unique, and there cannot be two identical products. That’s why you should make it your primary concern to always start a collaboration with your clients by discussing the fundamental business idea, and you should go over the suggestions and preferences with them. The process may take somewhere between an hour to several weeks, but it will be completely worth it.

Ensure Flexibility

Your software needs always change. Your potential outsourcing partner must be able to accommodate those changes.

You should inquire about your partnering company’s workflow. Find out if you will have substantial insight into the process and what role you will be proposed to play. You need to ensure that your designated role will be to participate and not just “step aside and not interfere.”

It is highly recommended that while you outsource to a company, you should employ one of the Agile Methodologies. Take the Scrum Methodology as an example. It entails that the total scope of work is split into short iterations. At the end of each iteration, the team introduces a type of a working version of a product or at least some part of it. So, it can be easy for you to track the progress continuously. The Scrum Methodology allows prompt response to any changes in the progress.

Be Transparent in Your Communication

Transparent communication is quite possibly the most important aspect when it comes to offshore software development outsourcing. Surprisingly, it is often overlooked by company executives. Without thorough and effective communication, how do you expect to ensure that your project is moving in the right direction?

Transparent communication means all involved parties get the necessary information to evaluate a situation, to understand its past, and to be able to predict its future. It creates expectations and avoids surprises. And it demands follow-up communication to address all raised concerns.

As stated above, your software needs always change. Transparent communication ensures that both you and your partner can build trust, and that the outsourcing software project moves along without any erosion of trust.

Ensure Quality Assurance and Maintenance

The importance of quality assurance cannot be overstated. It has the potential to save you from thousands of troubles when the product is launched, be it big or small. The more attention both you and your partner invest in quality control, the more reliable your final software product is.

Prioritize Security Above All Else

In order to ensure that there are no setbacks in the project, you need to ask your potential vendor whether or not they are up-to-date on data security and compliance measures. These tend to include the following:

• Storage of sensitive data and encryption of any stored data
• Privacy issues
• Compliance with the data security regulations.

A notable example is EU’s new General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) that came into force in May 2019. Specific sectors—such as healthcare, finance, and eCommerce—also have additional requirements in data protection and breach remedy.

The most common way to alleviate the associated risks in the security domain is for you to sign a confidentiality agreement. Under this agreement, you can effectively set out your required terms and conditions for the information is to be kept strictly confidential. This will ensure the security of your company’s data.