The Onshore-Offshore Hybrid Development Model

Companies have been using offshore software development services for many years. Drawn by the potential of lower costs, they have shipped their development work overseas looking to move faster and cheaper than their competition. The results have been inconsistent at best. Why?

Communication

Offshore firms often claim a high degree of English fluency, and it’s been our experience that their claims are not unfounded. But the nuances and norms of communication are often trickier to navigate when speaking with foreign English speakers. Communicating effectively often requires a degree of patience and accommodation that develops over time working with the same people.

Coordination

It’s hard enough to coordinate a team’s efforts when you’re all working in the same building. The recent acceleration of remote work arrangements has improved our ability to work asynchronously. Adding up to 12 hours of time difference definitely does not make things easier! There has to be some regular schedule overlap, and many people expect the offshore team to stay up late to make that happen.

Collaboration

Many offshore projects are established under the premise of “We’re going to tell you exactly what we want and you give that to us.” As a result, many offshore software development firms operate under that mentality. You will get exactly what you ask for, and if you have missed anything in your requirements or have expected the team to fill in the blanks, you are going to be disappointed. Establishing a truly collaborative relationship takes time, perseverance, and the willingness to fail at times in order to establish a high level of trust amongst the team.