Typical mistakes that happen with nearshore/outsourcing partners

Working with a nearshore development team or an outsourcing provider can be a smooth ride, if you know how to handle it. However, as a company that’s just starting to work with a nearshore development parent, there might be some mistakes you might make along the way.

From communications problems, to no setting the bases of the project from early on, there are many mistakes that could happen during this period of time. But don’t worry too much, you just have to identify these mistakes and learn how to avoid them.

Not getting to know your partners

Integrating a new team to your company, such as a nearshore development team, requires a very intricate process through which you are supposed to get to know your future outsourcing partners.

This means taking the time to properly know the people in the team you’ll be working with. Their names, what they do, what’s their role on the project, and so on.

Failed communication

This is perhaps the biggest mistake when working with outsourcing partners (both nearshore and offshore ones) You see, most companies tend to overlook the communication factor, and that’s a huge mistake.

For a work relationship like this to work out, you need to establish communication channels from the very first moments, this way there’s less room for miscommunication problems.

Make sure to talk about this, to establish how you’ll be communicating with each other (Phone calls, video calls, emails...) and how often will you’ll be keeping in touch.

Not knowing exactly what you want

When you choose to outsource a software development process and work with a nearshore development team, it’s mostly because your company doesn’t have the team, knowledge or resources to develop a team, which is why you choose to work with a provider who does.

However, you should have a basic knowledge about what you want, and be able to successfully communicate that idea to the provider or team. You have to know exactly what you want, or the partnership won’t work.

Not having a proper plan

When pairing up with a outsourcing partner, both of you should sit down and discuss how they will be managing the whole project, what’s their plan, and how they are planning to get it done before the due date.

It is important for you, as a company, to agree with their plan, but also to compromise on your end. Having a strong plan on how both of you will manage such a huge project takes both parts.

Not having clear expectations

We cannot stress this enough, if you want your relationship with your outsourcing partner to workout, setting clear expectations about the project ahead of you from the very first moment is extremely important.

Make sure you are both on the same page and can follow through the different deadlines. Not only that, but make sure you are completely okay with the nearshore development team’s methods and way to carry such projects. If you’re both on great terms, there’s no reason why the partnership won’t work.

Extremely strict timelines

Something that most companies fail to see, is that developing a software takes time and flexible timelines, as there might be some fixing to do, tests to runs and changes to be made along the way.

When working with your outsourcing partner, understand that proper programming doesn’t fall into the typical strict timeline rules, and you must give your nearshore development partners the time and space to delivery a great product.

These mistakes can seriously slow down a software development project, so make sure you, as a company, take the time to set down the rules from the very first moment and everything should go smoothly from then.

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