When developing a software, a successful strategy is needed to achieve massive scaling of your operation. This is especially true if your customer base is growing or your shareholders are breathing down your neck for the next best thing. If you already have an in-house team handling that part of your business, that's fine.
Still, there are times the in-house team isn't just enough, and that's because new technologies/programming languages keep coming out. Altogether, you don't want to start training your team when you have an urgent project to execute. Scrambling through the local talent market isn't the best either.
So what’s the next step? Well, you’ll likely need to hire an offshore development team so you can have the necessary workforce at your disposal. For example, here at Cloud Employee, we offer a premium offshore staffing solution that helps companies hire offshore developers from the Philippines. We’ve seen the immense improvement in our client’s operations in terms of workforce efficiency.
With that said, here's a guide on how to massively scale your developer’s progress.
Hiring a local or in-house team is the traditional approach to scale up your business. Your in-house team will, no doubt, cost you some money in terms of hiring and maintenance. However, the fact that you share a zip code is a huge plus. Unless they resign or calling in sick, they are your first point of call.
You probably already know their skills and capabilities, so assigning tasks is easy once a project comes up. Furthermore, you'll have better control over your in-house team as one-on-one communication is instantaneous. What's more, the integration of changes to a project is usually seamless.
As much as the in-house team has its advantages, outsourcing your software development is an excellent way to achieve massive scale-up without wasting time or resources. This practice usually involves another software development agency often located offshore with a team of developers in place to deliver your needs.
The advantages are tremendous. First, it eliminates the stress of looking for talent locally, as the offshore agency already has them on standby. Furthermore, you don't need to provide further benefits, such as new year bonuses, 13th-month allowance, or medical benefits, etc.
They usually offer dedicated managers, so the responsibility of managing the offshore team falls on them. Also, there’s usually a service level agreement that guides and makes project completion a must.
Though engaging freelancers comes with the risk of project abandonment and data leakage, there are ways to make the practice work for your business upscale. Hiring from a reputable freelancing website with a high level of professionalism is one way to go. This way, you can circumvent some of the risks.
Because there are tons of options on sites like Upwork and Fiverr, the competition is high. So, It's technically the survival of the most flexible in terms of price. Adopting freelancing also saves the money a full-time in-house staff is entitled to. You only pay for the project, and letting them go doesn't cost much, since you don't necessarily invest in their training.
Whether you have a dedicated in-house team or not, outsourcing your app development has numerous advantages. Here are some of them;
Time-saving is one benefit that you can't overemphasize. The race to the software market is tough. Because many tech products can be similar in terms of the service offered to customers. Your only advantage may be getting to the market first. An extra number of hands will ensure you get to the finish line quicker.
If you are looking to outsource, the best location is offshore, where you can take advantage of the exchange rate. For example, a business in the US can outsource app development to the Philippines, as the exchange rate offers the luxury of hiring more hands for less cost.
Outsourcing companies often have an assembly of fantastic talents. It is because they need to impress clients, or else contracts/projects will end up being awarded to competitors. As such, there’s a considerable chance that highly experienced personnel will be assigned to your project. Overall, outsourcing will produce quality outcomes.
Sometimes, your project needs some fresh eyes. The internal teams might have a work approach that depends on existing culture and bureaucracy. But a developer from another part of the world may have a different contribution. This collaboration between the in-house and offshore outsourcing team can only lead to better results for a company.
Again, whether you have an in-house team or not, the luxury of hiring the best talents makes upscaling or downscaling achievable. If you are taking on new projects, you don't need to add more to your current team. Simply bring in the offshore team to handle the new jobs without shifting focus.
Now that you know what you stand to gain from outsourcing your app development projects, let's take a peek at the things you need to know first.
Irrespective of the location, price, and type of concession you'll be getting, you need to ensure the offshore development company is genuine. It will be a total disaster if you sign a contract with a non-existent or fraudulent agency. Remember, some of these outsourcing companies are 100% online remote.
Not having a physical address can make swindling easy. To be on the safe side, opt for companies that other companies in your industry use. That way, you know exactly who’s credible or not.
Numbers don't lie. As such, an offshore vendor with a good track record is the best way to go. You can confirm from the companies they claim to have dealt with in the past to be double sure.
Usually, a good outsourcing company provides a project manager to handle the stress of team management. While you won't have to communicate with many developers on the team, you may need to consider hiring a correspondent person who can communicate in the language you prefer.
The same way a quick customer review on Amazon can save you the hassle of buying the wrong product, previous clients can give you insight into how efficiently the offshore vendor in question works. They might not necessarily be fraudulent, but may not offer excellent service as they claim.
One of the aims of outsourcing is to achieve a faster turn around. So, it’s best to hire from a location where you won't just have more hands working on your project, but you'll be able to maximize the number of hours in a day.
One primary reason for considering talent thousands of miles away from you is to save money. Outsourcing your software development to places like India, the Philippines, and Egypt, with favorable exchange rates, will offer you more talent for less.
Before you commit yourself to any contracts with an offshore development company, ensure they sign a non-disclosure agreement, which is also a confidentiality agreement. Some vendors do not like to commit themselves in this regard. But remember that the agreement will protect you, the project, and its content.
Whether you have an in-house team or not, an offshore team is beneficial as it not only saves money but also allows quick upscale, or even downscale—if the need arises. While it's also great to consider what best works for your company, remember achieving high productivity is every company's aim. So, what better way to achieve it than engaging a less expensive, less stressful offshore team.