7 Tips to Manage Offshore Teams Successfully

by

7 Tips to Manage Offshore Teams Successfully

Software development is a complex, time-consuming, and expensive process for an internal company team. Therefore, outsourcing IT projects to offshore teams has become a potential alternative for businesses to successfully complete their projects. Offshoring is the ideal way to combat the issues posed by the growing shortage of tech talent, unstable markets, and contracting economies. 

With offshore teams, you’ll gain access to skilled workers at a lower cost, and their diversity will help your business become more adaptable as the market changes. However, a lot of companies choose not to use this business model out of concern that they will not be able to manage them effectively. In this article, you will cover seven tips you need to know about managing overseas teams successfully and the following are them:

  • Communicate the Whole Project’s Picture
  • Create an Easy to Understand Product Roadmap
  • Use a Proper Communication Strategy for Offshore Teams
  • Make Use of Agile Methodologies
  • Implement an Overlap Work Schedule
  • Successful Orientation and Knowledge Transfer
  • Recognise Their Contributions

1. Communicate the Whole Project’s Picture

Rather than just giving committed offshore teams urgent tasks to complete, it is imperative to make sure they understand the project’s overall goals and objectives. Otherwise, the team members will not be aware of the project’s objectives, which will cause them to become disengaged from their work and produce subpar work. No matter which development stage they are working on, they should have a clear picture of the project’s vision and direction. 

It comprises the Scope of Work (SoW), which includes deliverable schedules, priorities, milestones, and anticipated results. Moreover, the release details and sprint planning ought to be given to them so they can comprehend and adhere to the forthcoming tasks. If you have a clear product vision defined, your internal team will feel more secure in their jobs and have a better idea of the product’s appearance.

2. Create an Easy to Understand Product Roadmap

Other than communicating the project goals, creating a clear product roadmap will be very helpful in managing the overseas teams. Organising your project into time intervals will help you manage tasks more effectively and efficiently with the team. By creating a product development roadmap, you can get a high-level understanding of what is essential to achieving the predetermined product vision.

  • In addition, the development process can be divided into brief intervals known as sprints, which comprise particular priorities, the timeline, and the SoW for each team member, respectively. 
  • Your committed overseas team and you can monitor the sprint’s progress and make quick adjustments to stay on course with the roadmap with its assistance.
  • An easy-to-understand roadmap with strategically spaced sprints is crucial for effectively managing offshore development teams and fostering a comfortable work environment.

3. Use a Proper Communication Strategy for Offshore Teams

When working offshore, there is a greater chance of losing track of many details about the job due to poor communication. When working remotely, it is rare for the team to understand how the work is going compared to an office setting. All of the communication takes place over voice or video calls. So, it is very important to consider communication tools properly.

  • For instance, you may use Jira and Trello for task tracking and reporting, Whatsapp, Skype, and Slack for voice and video calls, and Google Meet and Zoom for video conferencing. 
  • Moreover, try to avoid the possibility of language barriers by simplifying the way you communicate. 
  • In other words, you should be direct in your daily work, steer clear of metaphors, and use simple language. 
  • You can also lessen the likelihood of conflicts arising from cultural differences by conducting regular team sharing and showing respect for other people’s cultural practices and beliefs.

4. Make Use of Agile Methodologies

Employing agile development methodologies is another recognised and effective tool for the management of offshore development teams. This approach offers an open framework that supports incremental and iterative approaches and can adjust to any extent in response to feedback or changes in the market.

The approach gives quality and efficiency the top priority and when this method is combined with your team management system, it will boost the productivity of the team. The agile technique also aids in task prioritisation according to business value and client needs. Working with time zone differences and limited communication requires that the overseas team focus on the most important tasks, which is ensured by doing this.

5. Implement an Overlap Work Schedule

Working with overseas teams that are located in different time zones can make real-time communication difficult at times. When the work hours for both time zones coincide, more time can be spent jointly researching important issues. During this time, you can therefore hold extra meetings, team huddles, or anything else that calls for active collaboration with the other teams. 

Through strategic planning and organisation, you can minimise unforeseen delays in the workflow by implementing any necessary schedule adjustments. By doing this, you may be able to guarantee seamless cooperation for the success of development projects and possibly lessen the problem of working across even very different time zones.

6. Successful Orientation and Knowledge Transfer

Focusing on successful onboarding and knowledge transfer is another good way to manage overseas teams effectively. It will guarantee that all team members are aware of the goals and expectations of the project, as well as the work procedures and organisational culture. Additionally, relevant documentation and knowledge resources are shared in this process, as well as software development practices, tech stacks, and methodologies.

Proper onboarding and knowledge transfer can help overseas team members become productive and integrate into the team quickly. This can also lessen the possibility of miscommunications, hold-ups, and errors that can happen when team members are unfamiliar with the project’s specifications or procedures.

7. Recognise Their Contributions

Expressing gratitude is a crucial part of building relationships with your offshore team. Recognising their contributions and hard work demonstrates your appreciation for them. It encourages them to work hard on your project and give it their all. It strengthens team retention and increases productivity in addition to preserving positive team dynamics. Here are a few ways you can express your gratitude to your overseas teams:

  • As a token of appreciation for their efforts and commitment, send them a thank-you note.
  • A thoughtful way to express your gratitude is with a gift card or cash incentive. 
  • Team members should be promoted by giving them more responsibilities and compensation.
  • Gratitude is best expressed in public. Give them a shout-out in an email or during a meeting to express your gratitude for their work.
  • Provide people the chance to develop, pick up new abilities, and take on challenges.
  • Adjust your expectations accordingly, and show consideration for their circumstances.

Hiring offshore teams with the knowledge and expertise to complete tasks is always a good idea in this ever-changing tech world. However, leading an overseas team is not always straightforward due to potential obstacles like time zone disparities, a lack of face-to-face interactions, poor communication, etc. Establishing clear goals and expectations, creating a communication plan, and providing adequate support and feedback are essential to ensuring a successful overseas team.

Additionally, it is essential to ensure that the team has access to the necessary tools and resources. Therefore, managing an offshore development team goes beyond just strategic planning; it also involves assessing your organisation’s readiness to adapt to the new environment. Your software development project will be successful if you follow the above advice. Hope this article helps you achieve it.

Interesting Links:

Challenges of Managing Offshore Teams

Effective Strategies for Managing Offshore Teams

Leave a Comment