Engineering and QA Outsourcing / Near shoring which is right for your organization? Outsourcing will continue to be more prevalent with shortages of talent in the United States. Determining the right model for your organization comes down to a few key elements, as both have benefits and things to consider as you expand your existing team. Do you need a Product Owner, Scrum Master, QA with your augmented team?
Pros of outsourcing and near shore teams:
- Decreased cost
- “Follow the sun” or same timezone
- Co-located or distributed model
- Access to a larger talent pool / different ideas / increased flexibility to scale when necessary.
- Quicker turn around / ramp time / increased productivity and client satisfaction.
- English language skills readily available
- Internet access and communication tools – ease of direct communication with the team
Considerations:
- Giving up some control/oversight – can be a positive if you hire the right company that will own the relationship and be fully invested in your success – a partner throughout the product lifecycle.
- Potential quality/communication issues – again, choosing the right partner – accountable for the quality of the personnel.
- Turnover – again, productivity disruptions can be minimized w the right partner.
- Impact on company culture – can be a positive if employees feel valued and view the augmented team as part of their own.
Key Elements:
- Choose the right partner – trust and reputation are everything. Allow the partner to participate in the requirements gathering and team location(s) whether a single location or a distributed team based on the technologies, project timeframe, back log, time to market, etc.
- Productivity and team selection are paramount to mutual success
- Ability to scale – a lot of people say this, but the proof is in the results and timeliness of their ability to identify and on board the right talent.