Four Stages of Working with Your Remote Software Development Team!
Some companies like to dive right in when they decide to start working with a remote software development team. Perhaps out of necessity, they need work done and they need it done yesterday. But just like learning any new skill, a good way to get started offshoring can be to crawl before you walk and walk before you run and once you are running, it is a very short leap to sprinting.
Softjourn's methodology to help you get started working with a remote software development team, involves four stages: Prepare, Construct, Produce Expand
At the crawling stage your company will be researching and learning how working with a remote software development team can help improve your business and be an integral part of your company's strategy. Some of the activities at this stage will involve looking internally at how your firm is handling improvements and new development today. What is getting done, what is not getting done. What are customer's demanding that you are not able to get to, etc., and determining what pieces of the system, or systems or your products, could be worked on by a remote team.
Another step will be looking at how prepared your internal team is for working with a remote development team. Who is, or who are the point persons going to be? How does everyone feel about working with a remote team, etc.
Learn how Softjourn's Offshore Assessment can assist you at the crawling stage.
After taking a close look at your company you will be ready to get started with your first remote development project. Whether you are planning to eventually have a dedicated team of software developers, or if you only need to have projects worked on periodically, the best first step is to start with a pilot project. The pilot tests the business area for the viability of further offshoring and gives your offshore partner a chance to prove themselves to you. A good pilot project has the following elements:
- Short in duration. Good time frames should be anywhere from two weeks to 3 months
- Well-defined. Where the tasks to be performed are well-defined and the measurements for acceptance of the results are clear
- Not mission critical. If the project needs to be implemented the day after delivery, the project is too critical to be done as a pilot
If you are thinking about starting with a dedicated team, think about how you bring new developers up to speed when they come to work for you directly. Maybe you have them start with bug fixing, and working directly with QA Test Engineers, or Escalation Engineers. This is one good way to start.
Softjourn's Offshore Assessment process can help your company define an appropriate project to start your company walking.
The good thing about running is that it is usually a short step from walking. After successfully completing a pilot project, you will most likely be anxious to begin running, i.e. on to expanded use of offshore in your first chosen area. One way many companies do this is by establishing a dedicated team of resources that will get to know your product, that will get to know you and that you will get to know. This is usually how your firm can expect to receive the biggest advantage working with a remote offshore team.
Softjourn assists many companies establish dedicated teams of resources, putting in place the necessary processes and communication tools so that your new offshore resources look and feel just like your in-house resources. Learn more how Softjourn can assist you to establish a dedicated team with its Assembly and Team management (ATMua) service.
While offshoring is still talked about quite a bit in the press, fewer companies are actually taking advantage of the process than it would appear. Fewer still are using offshoring as an integral part of their strategy so that it actually helps drive revenue. When your company is running with offshoring in one area of your business, looking at other areas of your business where global resources could be affective may give you the Trump card you need over your competition. Softjourn builds teams of global resources in several business areas including IT and marketing.