Article Contributed by Ved Raj
Outsourcing product development can be a money saving proposition for your business. The right outsourcing strategy can help find the best fit teams for development of the product. One also has to ensure the stability of offshore teams, to get timely delivery of the project.
Here are some important tips and tricks:
Evaluating the Outsourcing Partner
It is very important to evaluate the expertise and experience of the outsourcing partner. Here are some key points to remember:
- Ensure that the outsourcing partner is an experienced player and has got a decent portfolio.
- Make sure that the teams working on your project, have the desired skill set for developing your product.
- The teams must be communicative and must take complete responsibility of the project.
- The infrastructure, facilities and work culture of the outsourcing partner must be evaluated as well.
- The scope of work to be completed in the project, must be clearly defined and mutually agreed upon. One must choose a development partner who provides a range of services from development to maintenance.
Managing The Level of Productivity
Productivity management is the key for getting the product developed on time. This is essential for reducing the time to market the product. Here are some key essentials of managing the productivity level of offshore teams:
- Use appropriate tools for communication with development teams. Tools like Skype and Google Drive are useful for staying touch and collaborating with ease.
- Having a single point of contact to manage the remote teams, is crucial. The resource can help them with their queries and ensure they are meeting their targets.
- Daily and weekly reports must be analysed to gauge the level of productivity being achieved.
- The teams must be given regular feedback about the expectations, going forward.
Security of the Project
One must ensure that the project is secure with the outsourcing partner. Here are some important points to remember:
- The track record of the outsourcing partner must be carefully evaluated before handing over the project.
- The outsourcing partner must sign a nondisclosure and a non-competing agreement before taking up the project
Agile Development
One must ensure that the product is being developed using the latest tools and techniques.
- The project is divided into sprints and a sprint plan is shared with the client on a periodic basis.
- The team performance is judged on the goals planned and completed in during the sprint.
- The team meets on a daily basis and takes full ownership of the tasks to be completed.
Technical Evaluation
The product development should be thoroughly inspected for any kind of technical flaws.
- The quality of the code must be checked to see if the desired outcome has been achieved.
- The functionality and usability of the product must be checked thoroughly.
Attention to Detail
The more you know about your product, the better will be the outcome.
- Write a detailed description of the product.
- Have a vision of the product and communicate it clearly, to the developers.
Innovation
Remember, innovation is at the heart of an incredible product.
- Motivate the teams to come up with innovative solutions for the product.
- Get the teams to understand the product and suggest improvements at every step of the development process.
One can save up-to 50% on development costs, while outsourcing product development to offshore teams. A planned approach and consistent innovation, will surely bring great results.
About the Author
Ved Raj is a business enthusiast. He writes about startups, remote teams and outsourcing. He is working as a Marketing Manager with ValueCoders, a leading provider of remote development teams.