Offshore software development
Offshore software development has come a very long way.. Starting in the mid 90s, when companies were looking for trained resources who could work on low value add pieces of software to now, when all development companies have operations across the globe. Now, small and mid size companies are also utilizing ODCs to compete better. With technological advancements, you no longer need to be in the IT industry to avail services of a software developer. Any company, big or small, may find themselves in need of software developers if nothing more than just for web application development or mobile app development. The reality is software developers are a requirement for businesses now, and an expenditure your company needs to make. But software development is a complicated business that requires creativity as well as a lot of analytical thinking. It is not everybody’s cup of tea. It is often an expensive job requiring a team.
Furthermore, it is also not just about the software. What do you do if you roll out an application, but soon after it starts experiencing some glitches? The software needs to be regularly maintained and updated. For companies whose core business is not related to software or technology, keeping an in-house software development team is ill-advised. It is a drain of both capital and time. A small and medium enterprise especially cannot endure that. This is the reason companies are widely implementing offshore software development. Whether it be small applications or big software development projects, it is an ideal solution to receive the desired product without your resources taking a significant toll. While cost savings is a major benefit of using offshore staffing, there are more advantages that offshoring provides, especially in regards to software development. Below we discuss these benefits.
Product reaches the market faster
Software development is an area that is all about the race to the market. With fierce competition, it is no longer just about having an ingenious idea; you also need to get it delivered to the market fast. Innovations and developments pop up frequently in this field. Having your product too late in the market means losing out on potential clients to competitors. But by having an offshore team dedicated to working for you, you ensure that your product is in progress round the clock. Your in-house team and offshore-team can collaborate to finish the project and have it in the market sooner.
Scale up your team
What if a client requires a product delivered quickly? Or there is a big project you need to work on? These circumstances require a proper team, something that would cost you a lot at your local place. Since the cost of hiring offshore is significantly less, you can employ and add more people to your team at any given time, instead of burdening a few individuals with more prominent roles and more work. You can have a proper team with defined roles and duties at your disposal, working with each other to provide quality results in less time.
Hire skilled professionals
As already stated, software development requires a lot of creativity and analytical thinking. It is a highly-skilled job that requires attention to detail and a knack for innovation. They need to be technical experts. Such talent is not easily found, and when you recruit locally, you might not be getting the best developers working for you. But with offshore staffing, a whole other market opens up for you. You now get access to the world’s best development talent that is already experienced in their fields. Chances are they have previously worked with other companies for their software needs, and therefore would know the work expected of them. They are thorough professionals dedicated to providing a quality product to you. So, don’t settle down for mediocre employees when you can have some best professionals working for you at a lesser cost.
Cultural advantage
Often, the difference in culture is seen as a drawback of offshoring, and it is not hard to think why. Working with a culturally different team can be challenging in its ways, but it definitely should not deter you from hiring an offshore team. A team that works and lives across the globe can have its own benefits. Their education system and work approach are bound to be different from your local team. It provides them with a different outlook that can be incredibly useful in times of problem. Whenever you might encounter an issue, your offshore team can provide you with a new insight. Their different thinking allows them to approach it from a different angle. This can prove to be productive for your company.
Bridges gap between small and big companies
Big corporations have inexhaustible resources at their behest that allows them to splurge in the best technology and developers. But with the offshoring model, now even the smaller companies can hire highly skilled developers for their projects. This lets them jump into the market with quality products without denting their budget much. So, the playing field is leveled, and SMEs get to compete with big companies.
No extensive management needed
An offshore development team is managed and overseen by an associate manager or a project manager who monitors the project’s progress. Your company needs only to interact with the manager and communicate all the required information, any changes, or other requirements. This lets you control your product development without having to manage the teams daily. You can choose to interact with team members if and when you need to, but otherwise, you can employ an in-house manager who deals with the offshore team. It frees up a lot of time for you that can be invested in core operations and the company’s growth.
Undeniably, companies can hugely profit from offshore software development. They save a lot on costs by not having to directly invest in infrastructure that would have been needed by an in-house team, not to mention the considerable salary expense of the team itself. So, if you are an SME looking to hire software developers, explore the option of offshore staffing.