If it is the first time you are going to outsource development, you definitely do not need to stress out as probably you are taking a step that will help your company to benefit from it for the long term. However, you need to follow a few basics.
Define your vision and state major requirements. Never start outsourcing until you know what you need. You have to fully understand what your product requires and how the outsourcing development team can help you. Deeply analyze each of the requirements to fulfill your product plans. Some outsourcing partners might provide a service of job description creation prior to the service agreement and free of commitment. Try to choose a partner that offers this type of service as it shows a professional approach and will help you to define your needs.
Set realistic expectations. Who would mind having the cutting-edge business-centric solution delivered tomorrow? But we all know that is hardly possible. To eliminate pitfalls and common risks, make sure you always set realistic deadlines and scope of work for the given period of time. Remember that eventually, you are seeking for quality results so the time and life cycle of a planned project should match expectations.
Know your team. Get to know more about every member of the team you are going to work with. Even if you are not getting to see your team members often, there are multiple ways of providing them a sense of being meaningful and belonging. It will be to your benefit to know the individuals in your team, you will have more in-depth knowledge about their strengths and it will be easier for you to motivate them.
Allocate budget and resources. Before signing the contract with the outsourcing partner, make an estimation of costs and unexpected expenses that may accrue. In order to do so ask your partner for an elaborative proposal providing information and projection of yearly expenses. Feel free to ask questions and understand exactly what would be the final cost for you. Don’t be shy to negotiate!
Monitor, control, and evaluate all the processes. Stay in the know with everything happening to your product during development, testing, and deploying.
Mind the time and culture differences. If you outsource, your development team might be sleeping while you are awake or vice versa. Bear in mind the time difference when deciding upon vital meetings. Moreover, cultural differences might play a role in your ability to collaborate as a team and keep employees’ satisfaction high.
Collect some information about your outsourcing partner. Check its case studies, find what people think about it, make sure its site is easy and fast to navigate. You have to choose a knowledgeable partner that knows how to handle the local business environment. Remember that your outsourcing partner will be your point of contact in a foreign market where rules and business practices are absolutely different.
Invest in training and development. Help your team members to grow as individuals. Investing in their skills not only shows them that you care but will also provide you return on your investment. It showed in multiple studies that individuals who developed their careers within an organization were more productive and engaged than new hires. If people grow gradually in your company, they will be thankful, unmotivated and you create familiarity.
