How Hard Is It To Hire Outsourced Software Team?

Outsourcing Software Engineering?
When we hear the word “outsourcing”, we are typically inclined to associate it with rather pessimistic views. This can be predominantly due to the unprofessional approach of most clients that entails that the company budget is the utmost priority. This evidently leads to dissatisfaction and the term “outsourcing” suffers. However, outsourcing software engineering is a fool-proof way to maximize efficiency. In fact, it is now a lot more common to have small projects outsourced as opposed to hiring and organizing a complete in-house team. Some of the major companies like IBM, Amazon, Microsoft, Intel, and many more have all proven to be in favor of opting for outsourcing software engineering.
In all honesty, if you want to guarantee quality results and an overall exceptional experience, then you can’t expect it to come easy; be it whatever method you decide to go with. However, it is not as hard as it has been portrayed to be. You just need to do a little bit of homework before diving into it.
There are some prevalent fears regarding outsourcing software engineering that this article aims to address. Below are the most common 4 and we shall discuss methods to mitigate them in the hopes of ridding you of the fear of outsourcing.

1. Hidden Costs
It is no secret that the most significant reason as to why people avoid outsourcing is having no hold over the cost. Due to lack of effective face-to-face cooperation, it is hard to evaluate every single expense. Mostly, there can be substantial money wastage due to unproductive operations abroad, cultural differences, management of the outsourced team, etc.
Solution
There is a very easy fix to this issue; good communication. You should not only take the initiative to schedule regular video conference meetings but also indulge in casual daily communication.
Basically, the more you know your abroad team, the better. Moreover, you can try planning ahead; establish team-building goals and ensure they are accomplished considering the money and time constraints.

2. Selecting the Wrong Vendor
This fear is a valid one. You can’t predict how good or bad someone is at their work until you see the final product. But, you can take precautionary measures to prevent receiving low-quality work.
Solution
First and foremost, don’t rush it; choose your vendor after carefully reading up on every detail regarding the work experience, success metrics, availability, etc. Moreover, it is very important
that you go with your instinct; if you have a bad feeling about your choice, then don’t think, “Oh it’s too late now”. It is better that you avoid further damage by opting for a different engineering team.

3. Skill Gaps Between Outsourced and Local Engineers
It is the fear of many that outsourcing may lead to inefficiency due to a potential skill gap between the local and outsourced engineers.
Solution
An easy fix is that you hire a couple of skilled in-house engineers and have them keep close contact with the outsourced team. This way, you can avoid receiving subpar work and ensure productivity.
Moreover, you can ensure that the testing done by the team is thorough and automated, keeping in mind the end-user experience.
Lastly, you should require technical documentation from your outsourced team members, so you can understand their work fully.

4. Security
Companies believe that they are risking their privacy by exposing their sensitive data to outsourced vendors. Solution
Always look for any past incidents related to client security and how the vendor handled it.
Reading up on your potential partners can help you avoid disaster.