If you have an outsource software development team or are planning to hire one, overcoming communication challenges with them might be one of the significant challenges you would face. Here are a few points that you can use to avoid the challenges.
It is estimated that global outsourcing spending will reach $731 billion in 2023
(Source – Deloitte)
Outsourcing software product development companies has become quite popular these days as they are much quicker, more accessible, and affordable when compared to hiring and developing your team and training them for the same. But Communication challenges are something that comes with it. So we need to address the communication challenges and overcome them for a better output. Here we’ve listed some of the tips and techniques to overcome communication challenges:
What Challenges You Should Expect When Outsourcing Your Software Development Project?
Software development outsourcing has been very helpful for businesses to deliver faster and more quality digital products. Outsourcing your software project significantly reduces recruitment costs, saves time, and solves the talent shortage. But everything comes at a cost.
The major challenges companies face when outsourcing their software project are lack of project management skills, lack of collaboration, language, and cultural barriers, poor monitoring systems, regulatory issues, intellectual property rights (IPR), non-competitive price, failure to manage user expectations, and above all communication issues that’d probably destruct the whole project into ashes.
Choosing the Right Team
The first and essential thing that you can do to avoid communication challenges is to choose the right partner for your offshore team. The right team not only ensures there are no Communication challenges, but they also help you through the entire process and bring out excellent output. Project management tools like Asana, and Trello might help you connect and offer seamless communication between you and your outsourced software development team
Explain Your Goals Clearly
As a business owner, you might have specific goals and visions, and you would want them to reflect on your software too. So it is essential for you to clearly discuss your goals and visions with the outsourcing software development company before starting the project. This helps the team understand your expectations, and there is no room for error. Ensure everyone understands your project timeline, milestones, and deliverables. If you have communicated your expectations and goals for the software product development project, you’ll be likely to have fewer or no communication barriers.
Paper Work To Ensure Transparency
Paperwork is non-negotiable. No matter how much trust you and the custom offshore software development services provider have in each other, make sure you put everything that you have discussed into a paper and get them signed. A piece of paperwork can help make things clear, and both of you know what terms and conditions you have agreed on.
Discuss Your Budget Limit
Budget is another crucial thing that might go wrong. So make sure you talk to the team, fix a specific budget that works for both of you and try sticking to it. Again, communicate with the team and make sure you guys are on the same page.
Request Frequent Updates
Another common reason why misunderstandings happen is that some teams fail to keep the company in the loop. To avoid this, make sure you talk to the team and ask them to update you with everything that you need to know. This way, even if some changes need to be done, you can rectify and alter them immediately.
Schedule Meetings Often To Build Rapport
To know the updates, arrange for a weekly or bi-weekly call with the team. Schedule calls beforehand and make sure you stick to them. A short meeting every once in a while gives you confidence as you get to know the updates. It’s always better to over-communicate than under-communication. The more you learn about the project’s life the better it is to avoid any communication barriers and build a rapport with the outsourcing company.
Mails for the Win
If you encounter an error or if you come across something that you want to change, make sure you mail the Offshore custom software development company to the respected team on CC. This way, everyone who is involved knows that you have communicated the changes, and they will ensure to do it. Also, conveying things on phone calls and messages might go unnoticed, so communicating by mail makes things a lot clearer and more accessible for both parties.
After Sales Support
Another common challenge that most companies face is after-sales support. After-sales is a kind of support or service provided to you after you bought a product or service from a company. So, communicate and make it clear with the partner about your expectations. Outsource your project to a company that offers post-sales support to keep your system robust and your company on top of the competition.
Conclusion
Communication challenges in software outsourcing are inevitable. But with the right tricks you can overcome them. The first and foremost thing that you can do is: List down all of your goals and visions for your software development team and then start hiring a team. Next, make sure you choose a team that aligns with your vision.
Another important pointer that you need to remember is to make Contracts. Make sure to put every little thing that you have discussed with the team in the paper and get them signed.
When it comes to software development outsourcing, I’d recommend you to choose the right software product development company. By choosing the right software development company you have successfully avoided a plethora of challenges such as, not aligning with your goals, inefficient technology stack, not being your industry expert, and so on.
If you’re looking to outsource your software development project, drop us a line here.
Do you have an amazing idea under your sleeves, but don’t know where to start? Partner with us and roll out your idea into the market. Zaigo is a reliable custom software development company in Chennai specializing in delivering robust software solutions that meet today’s needs and are prepared to take on future challenges.
