Offshore outsourcing your IT needs can lead to excellent product results that exceed expectations. However, some companies have experienced poor outsourcing service and are nervous to enter into this type of work again. By being informed and prepared for the transition, however, companies can have a positive outsourcing experience.
There are many common fears organizations have when considering outsourcing IT work. To soothe these fears, companies should perform proper research and understand how the outsourcing IT field works. Here are the top five most common concerns businesses have and how to overcome them.
#1 Skills Gaps / Slowed Production
A common fear for those ready to outsource is the possibility that the rate of production will be slowed down due to a skills gaps between the outsourced talent and the in-house engineers. To make sure this doesn’t happen, organizations should test the outsourced developer or use a company that performs rigorous tests before hiring IT talent.
Companies can also implement a test throughout the development process that will clarify that the software meets your expectations and performs the operations it was meant to handle. Reviewing content as it is developing ensures that your company doesn’t waste time waiting for a finished project that falls below your expectations. It also verifies the outsourced engineer’s talent for future project needs.
#2 Hidden Costs
A widely known benefit to offshore outsourcing is the budget-friendly rates of top engineers outside of the US. For businesses looking to save money, they must make smart, educated choices. Ineffective production or collaborators that don’t work conducive with the in-house team can lead to no savings at all.
Hidden fees could appear in unproductive endeavors, miscommunication, mismanaged resources, etc. The key to making smart tactful choices when outsourcing starts with clear, frequent communication from both sides: daily conversations and regular team meetings to discuss larger ideas. Discuss everything to iron out any differences in processes, collaboration methods, project milestones, individual project goals, etc. Though the outsourced talent may be remote, that shouldn’t hinder a detailed level of communication to get to know each other and learn to work together.
Always check references as well before hiring an individual or team. Those references will be able to tell you if hidden costs might arise.
#3 Avoid IT Silos
In today’s world, clients looking for IT services are interested in finding a vendor that offers a range of IT services, like front-end development and cloud services. Such distinct IT services, in earlier years, were only attainable through separate providers. In today’s market, service silos are disappearing because standalone IT service areas no longer make sense for clients who are in need of multiple services. To find a vendor that provides multiple IT services, look for a larger company that provides outsourcing services, instead of one individual.
#4 Disconnected People and Problems
When problems appear, it’s instinctive for teams to associate the person involved as responsible rather than a process or set of operations. This mentality can hinder rather than help the development process, especially in outsourced teams, where the collaboration methods and the development processes are relatively new, and communication might be difficult across different time zones. By targeting a team member rather than the factors that led to the problem, you raise the likelihood that the same problems will reappear in the future with little to no progress in finding a solution.
Instead, focus on the process that resulted in the problem so you can learn the reason for the error avoid in the future. The method is called Blameless Post Mortem in IT circles. It promotes the transparency and open analytical thinking necessary to find solutions without scapegoating and alienating any collaborators. Employing the Blameless Post Mortem process helps your team learn how to avoid similar operations in the future without harming the working relationship between outsourced and in-house teams.
#5 Security Concerns
- The idea of trusting an outsourced team with proprietary information is likely to cause some concerns. But with security measures like these, concerns can be alleviated:
- Request references and recommendations from the previous or current employer.
- Research their professional history for any oddities or incidents.
- Provide the outsourced talent with an NDA to ensure their confidentiality.
- Carefully assessing any possible safety concern with these precautions can ward off any possibility of future security implications.
By doing the proper research and taking the proper precautions that suit your business, there is no reason why IT outsourcing will not lead to increased productivity, more time to market, a heightened customer experience, and an optimized team workflow.
Source: Bairesdev
