The world of web development is booming with no end in sight due to the reliance that has become so common on technology. The question then becomes whether the development team should be staffed in-house or a team of offshore developers should be used. Offshore developers do have advantages in terms of costs although depending on management of the team the costs can level out. In-house developers to direct and correct small things in code will allow for a balance of quality and affordability. Scaling projects oftentimes will require hiring offshore developers in order to keep the project on budget. The following are tips that will help with managing both types of teams to ensure a quality project is completed.
Milestones to Check-In
Milestones for any development project should be established whether it is a new website or a software is being developed. Milestones to check-in will allow the project to stay on track and will allow for the larger deadlines to be hit. Making a few tweaks to the work that has been done is far easier with milestones. If the only deadline is the completed project deadline there are a myriad of things that could have been completed in an incorrect manner.
Client milestones are important as you want to make sure the scope of the project is not going to change. Clients that try to change the scope of a project after some work has been completed should be charged for the change. Far too many times clients try to take advantage and get free work out of a company that they feel needs the revenue they generate to stay in business. Do not take a loss on paying developers for a client that is unsure of what they want or wants aa completely different type of project worked on.
A Developer Should Manage the Offshore Team
If there is a developer that speaks multiple languages or has managed development teams before, they need to manage the offshore team closely. The last thing that a company wants is to be charged for development work that simply was not what was needed. Lack of communication combined with language barriers can result in poor quality working being done. Different cultures respond to different types of motivation. Some cultures need encouragement while others deal far better with severe reprimand.
Testers are not Optional!
When you are developing any type of website, platform, or software there are testers that will be required. The last thing that any company wants to do is to launch a website or software that is full of bugs and other errors. The ability to use a platform like the JFrog container registry will allow for easy storage of important information and docker images. Investing in testers in order to create the best website or software possible cannot be underestimated in importance. There are companies and individuals that can help with testing. Certain companies offering fixes for errors that they have found.
Ask for References/Look Up Reviews on Freelancer Platforms
Looking at reviews on freelancer platforms can allow a company to start building their offshore development team. Freelancers should have high ratings on a multitude of jobs. If communication being above average being noted is an additional bonus. The best freelancers will offer a balance of quality work, an affordable rate, and be a thorough communicator. By looking at previous jobs of the freelancer you can also offer them a rate in line with what they have worked for in the past. Keeping a valued freelancer will take consistent work at a competitive rate. A freelancer will rarely leave a consistent client as it provides financial security. Freelancers want monthly work and will not leave a project they are happy with without good reasoning.
Keep International Holidays in Mind with Developers Across the World
There are going to be those holidays around the world that could halt work almost completely. Working with a development team in China during the Chinese New Year will be very difficult. Most people celebrate this as a time for no work to be done so add a few extra days to a deadline of a milestone. Being sensitive to these holidays will be appreciated by the offshore team. These holidays can be used to tighten up the project’s details in-house. Understand the differences in cultures is very important as in some cultures a developer will let you know they won’t be able to hit deadline. In other cultures, this might not be communicated early in the project as the developer simply wants to land the project.
Managing development teams is going to take experience. The understanding of how to motivate certain individuals will take time. Take the time to assess how your management style could improve. Put goals in writing to hold yourself accountable for the improvements.
