Navigating The 8 Top Challenges Of Offshore Software Development Services

Offshore software development has surged in the last few years, with most small and mid-sized companies carrying out their projects. Offshore software development services are a set of practices where businesses hire offshore developers from locations that offer tech support at lower rates. 

The services can be for end-to-end development or certain processes such as mobile app development, web development, UI/UX design, and quality assurance. However, businesses should always be aware of the risks associated with hiring offshore developers, such as language barriers, cultural differences, and increased competition. 

8 Challenges With Offshore Software Development Services

Offshore software development services can be great for startups, but there have been some cases where it has backfired. We have listed some of the challenges with offshore software development below. Let’s address and discuss them in detail;

Fig. Challenges with offshore software development services

Code Quality

Developers overseas may have different understandings of project management and business practices, which could lead to a final product that doesn’t match your initial vision. 

When you hire an offshore development company, you’ll need to integrate with their workflow to ensure things are going according to plan, especially with the quality.

At Mindbowser, we have weekly sprint meetings with our clients informing them of how the project is progressing. We also keep them in the loop at every stage, ensuring that the project’s development meets their requirements. 

Related Read: Complete Guide To Design Sprint For Product Development

Poor Communication

One of the main disadvantages of offshoring is the inconsistent communication between you and your vendor. In addition, the time difference between your countries will be a huge problem here. Offshore development companies must be transparent and communicative to build trust with their clients.

By using effective communication tools, businesses can keep track of project progress and ensure everyone is on the same page. Mindbowser is available to you in your time zone to have pre-scheduled meetings that are convenient for your team. This allows for a complete alignment between you and us. 

Related Read: 10 Tips To Deal With Different Time Zones And Communication

Unclear Goals And Expectations

For your project to have consistent quality throughout and avoid miscommunication, you must clearly understand your vision of the product you want to develop. Before contacting potential vendors, sit down and map out what you want to achieve. This way, when you speak with vendors, they will help you better figure out what actions are best to make your vision a reality.  

Being realistic with your project’s budget and timeline is key for offshore development companies. Ensure you have a clear understanding of your company’s capabilities before moving forward with any decisions. 

Cultural Barrier

There is a constant barrier that may sound like a risk for businesses planning to outsource their project to a country located at a distant location. 

There are many cultural barriers like local languages, pronunciation, accents, religions, and other social activities. However, most leading vendors of offshoring companies provide proper training on voice, accent, cultural understanding, alignment, and model for better coordination and performance of their culture. 

Poor Knowledge Of Tools And Techniques

Many IT organizations put on a good show for their clients, but sometimes they need more technical expertise and experience to follow through with implementation. In these cases, businesses may know what they want to showcase, but they need to gain the knowledge and efficiency to make it happen.

When your business decides to go offshore, especially to an offshore location, you must take the time to assess what your company can offer. Make sure to do your research and only work with software development companies with a lot of experience and follow best practices. Otherwise, you are not able to deliver what your clients want. 

Security Issues

Handing over your app idea to an offshore development company can be a scary thought. You might be worried about them stealing your idea or using your data without permission.

Offshore companies need to be careful about data protection and security. Although these issues pose a major concern, they shouldn’t stop companies from outsourcing.  

Mindbowser puts your mind at ease by signing a non-disclosure agreement (NDA) before we start working together. This way, you ensure that your idea will be kept confidential. Plus, when we hand over the completed project, we give you the code and all intellectual property rights. 

Related Read: Mobile App Outsourcing Guide

Ownership Challenges

A challenge that offshore outsourcing companies face is a conflict of authority. When businesses outsource, the ownership of all decisions regarding the source codes, intellectual property rights, and any other type of advancement goes to the outsourcing company.

This can be difficult for businesses to allow, as they must familiarize themselves with the company they are outsourcing to. Thus, the decision-making authority becomes a concern of both parties and can lead to coordination and management issues. 

Increased Competition

Choosing an offshore software development company can be tough. With thousands of options, evaluating which company is the best for your project can be challenging. In addition, many companies claim to offer the best prices, making it even more difficult to decide. 

However, competition among vendors is usually good because it incentivizes companies to care more about quality. Therefore, when considering different developers, keep in mind that it’s important to find a company that is a good fit for your project in terms of quality and price. 

How To Make The Right Choice?

Offshore development projects are sometimes destined for failure. However, plenty of companies can deliver great code despite the challenges. To pick the right one, start by looking at their work. Next, examine what projects they have already completed, and read up on their client list. And finally, make sure to ask about how they achieved success in past ventures.

Related Read: How To Achieve Project Success With Your Outsourcing Service Provider

Checking a vendor’s ranking on platforms like Clutch or seeing what their previous client say about their performance is always a good idea. You can also talk directly to their previous clients to understand their thoughts about the vendor. Researching will pay off in the end when you select the best vendor to deliver on all their promises.