How to Effectively Work With Offshore Development Teams Using an Agile Model?

Today, most companies are choosing offshore app development for their software needs, in spite of the challenges like the difference in time-zones, language barrier, cultural differences, etc. The immense benefits of offshore development like affordability, availability of a highly-skilled workforce, quality work, and flexibility are responsible for this. Hiring an offshore team gives the leverage of building high-quality MVP to start-ups and small companies; this being cost-effective. Also, agile methodology is a powerful way of project management as it ensures the simplified breakdown of tasks, continuous improvement, early delivery of project and effective team collaboration and interaction. But, the question is how can agile methodology efficiently be applied in offshore app development?

In this article, we will discuss the best ways to efficiently work with offshore teams in an agile environment.

Best practices for a successful agile offshore app development
Agile methodology is already quite popular worldwide due many advantages it provides. Here are a few proven steps that should be implemented to make offshore development work successful.

Use collaboration technology for better communication:
Strong and transparent communication is necessary for the final products to be the best pieces of work. Collaboration technologies help the teams to interact effectively, irrespective of differences in time zones and locations. Project management tools like Trello, JIRA, etc. and communication tools like Slack facilitate information sharing and keep all the team members on the same page. If you plan to hire offshore app developers, you should invest in advanced communication tools and also in high-performance computers, secure Wi-Fi network, video conferencing tools like Skype and Zoom, etc.

Define a vision statement of the product by planning ahead:
It is vital to determine all the tasks and plan accordingly before starting the project. You should consider different aspects like the volume of all the tasks, milestones, timeline for all deliverables, scope, budget, etc. It is necessary to present a complete picture of the project beforehand to the team. It allows the team to be flexible in their app development and research the obstacles proactively and work accordingly.

Invest in training of the offshore team:
If you want your mobile app development to be a success, you should consider training your offshore app developers on the technology you want to use and also about your company and products. They need to thoroughly understand the customer’s point of view to develop a profitable product for you. So, training the offshore team is an important practice.

Conduct demos regularly:
Demos are held to show the progress of the team after a certain period called iteration in the agile methodology. For better results, you should conduct regular demos and review if the team has achieved the decided milestones, what obstacles they faced, probable solutions, etc. These demos should evaluate team performance and give constructive feedback to them. All the decisions should be communicated to all team members and well-documented. These demos also help in good collaboration of teams with the clients.

Treat them as your partners:
For a successful project, treat your offshore team as your partners; as an extension of your onshore team. Make sure they align with the corporate culture of your company. Frequent communication through collaborative tools, video conferences, etc. should be conducted for building strong relationships between onshore and offshore teams.

Create a consistent development environment:
Working with the offshore app development team is a tedious job, especially due to the distributed work environment. So, it is necessary to create a development environment that is transparent, reliable, flexible and has less friction. Team members should feel involved and motivated to work. They should be given positive feedbacks. It is advisable to rely more on processes and tools for a positive work environment. Guidelines should be created for ensuring that the team feels supported and effective work.

Summary:
Many experts say that agile and offshore development cannot go hand-in-hand. Some businesses even avoid outsourcing as they follow the agile model for their projects. Agile needs strict following of principles and values, which can be quite tedious while working with a team from a different time zone, location, and culture.

Though, offshore app development is not easy in an agile environment, yet, it can be very productive with the tips mentioned above. The key is good communication and proper planning. The teams can develop trustful partnerships and achieve high-performance.

Hope these tips were helpful to you. If you’re thinking of contacting an offshore app development company, you’re not alone. There is a pool of experienced and skilled app developers in India. This could a wise option as app developers in India have scalability, flexibility in working and affordable as well.

Top Reasons to Hire Web and App Developers from India!

With the advent of smartphones and digitalization, the scope for web and app development has increased on a large scale. India has eventually become one of the largest providers of software solutions all over the world. There are many web and app development companies in India having the best developers available who are skilled in various software technologies. They are well-experienced, affordable and versatile when it comes to technological know-how. While you are investing in web or app development, hiring Indian professionals can be a wise decision. Here are a few reasons why one should hire the developers from India.

Skilled and experienced workforce:
India is a leading country for outsourcing different software services. The developers, programmers, quality analysts, etc. in India are highly skilled and experienced. They have a thorough knowledge of their domain. Whether there is a need for freshers or experienced professionals, India has ample resources. For different project needs and as per different technologies, authorized and certified experts are available. They have the required skill-sets and ready to provide dedicated efforts.

Adhering to deadlines:
Indian developers are professional and follow strict deadlines for their projects. The skilled and talented workforce ensures that the work is delivered in set timelines. Best practices are implemented to ensure that employees meet deadlines. Many times, tools or software like Asana are used to set clear expectations from employees, track and manage their work, which helps in timely completion of the projects.

Safety and security:
When you are hiring app developers in India, you can be assured that your product will be safe and secure. They sign a non-disclosure agreement (NDA) and make sure that the critical data related to projects are kept safe and confidential. NDA assures that all the intellectual property of the project will be provided to you after the submission of the project.

Round the clock support team:
While hiring web and app developers from India, one of the key advantages is the flexibility in timings and support. You will easily get developers to work as per the project requirements and the updates can be by conveyed by concerned managers in the clients’ time zones. Due to flexible timings, the web and app developers in India can provide 24/7 support to their clients. Right from initial stage of planning to making the project live, the team will assist the clients in anything needed. Unlike freelancers, there will always be someone to clear doubts of the clients. Also, if a lead developer on the project leaves the company or falls sick, some other developer can immediately take their place without any loss of time and money of the clients. There are flexible hiring models available as per the timing and budgets.

Supportive government policies and suitable infrastructure:
The Indian government has adopted many policies to boost the software outsourcing industry in India. Suitable IT infrastructure is also available here to ensure high-quality services are delivered. Indian software companies follow global quality standards in their development processes.

Affordable solutions:
While hiring app developers in India, the business owners will be able to have the right balance between quality and affordability. Usually, markets like North America, Singapore, Australia, UK, South America, Eastern Europe, etc. are relatively costlier. But when it comes to Indian developers, affordability is one of the biggest advantages to the clients, while the quality of work is also high.

Conclusion:
While you are investing your money, you must get value for money and a high-quality product. Hiring app developers in India is the first step to ensure that you get good quality in a budget-friendly manner. They have the expertise and ability to develop new-age solutions to cater to today’s business needs. They can build flawless websites, feature-rich interactive apps, and other software solutions. They are strict about the deadlines and you can get complete control of the team once hired. You will save a lot of time and money as well. Before hiring the web and app developers from India, you can have a look at their profile and portfolio to be sure. So, when you want to develop a website or app in tight budgets with decent quality and time-efficient manner, Indian developers can be the right choice.