Some of the Must-Have Tools for Conducting a Successful Offshore Software Development

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Many of you have this misconception that a sure-shot recipe to succeed in software development is to hire the best team of developers, designers, testers. Yes, of course, your chosen team does matter but what type of tools and technologies equally matters.

Choosing the right technology and making the right decision is quite pivotal in any development project whether it’s onshore or offshore.

 At present, offshore development has become the talk of the town – all thanks to the ever-increasing COVID pandemic. Not to mention businesses from all across the globe are found vouching for the fact that offshore software development offers several other benefits in comparison to in-house development.

The following post focuses on certain tools to keep in mind while conducting an offshore software development project.

Some of the Must-Have Tools for Conducting a Successful Offshore Software Development (Paid GP)                                                                                                                                        1

Do you think it’s Easy? Offshore Development Challenges to Consider               2

#1 Lack of Strong Communication                                                                                2

#2 Cost Savings aren’t up to the Mark                                                                          3

#3 Delusional Goals 3

Top Offshore Development Tools to Take into Consideration                                 4

Collaboration Tools 4

Communication Tools                                                                                                        5

Task Management Tools                                                                                                    5

Monitoring Tools                                                                                                                 6

Screen Sharing Tool                                                                                                            7

Conclusion                                                                                                                             7

Do You Think It’s Easy? Offshore Development Challenges to Consider

Certainly not! However, it is a doable job. Of course, the prime objective behind offshore software development is that you are choosing a third-party service provider who endeavors hard to work on your behalf so that you can focus on your core business activities.

But at the same time, hiring offshore developers is a responsibility that must be managed with full sincerity.

For starters, it might sound like a cakewalk but trust me it isn’t! There are a plethora of challenges that must be avoided at all costs for a successful development venture.

1. Lack of Strong Communication

 Since you are already working in a long-distance relationship, it is pretty much mandatory to have effective communication between you and your partner.

For example, if you reside in Brazil and you would like to work with a remote team of offshore developers in India, how will you manage work? Simple, by communicating needs and requirements precisely.

Now inefficiency in communication can happen due to a plethora of factors such as time zones being different, language being a huge barrier, cultural differences, and what not!

2. Cost Savings Aren’t up to the Mark

The next challenge in line is that the thought of hiring an offshore software development company only comes when you want to save money.

However, by chasing the thought of saving money sometimes businesses happen to choose less-competent developers which results in a huge loss of time, money, and energy.

Incompetent professionals can result in the least amount of productivity and more bugs in the project. And you are back to square one! You end up being at the same point from where you started – ground zero!

3.  Delusional Goals

Another challenge in line when working with an offshore software development company is being delusional about your goals and objectives. Sometimes a failure of a development project is not always the chosen company but even you are equally responsible for it.

There are times when businesses themselves aren’t sure about their goals and requirements and since they aren’t sure they are unable to explain it to the software development team.

If you have a specific vision then only you will be able to convey your needs in front of others. Also, be realistic with your expectations, don’t push much! Have a clear understanding and don’t even consider doing the things you cannot afford.

This is highly recommended whether you are working with an in-house development or offshore development service provider.

Fortunately, to overcome the aforementioned challenges here I would like to shed some light on certain tools and technologies to take into consideration.

As mentioned earlier, the success of your offshore development project isn’t restricted to the development teams but exactly what kind of tools they have been using.

Top Offshore Development Tools to Take Into Consideration

Collaboration Tools

Google Drive 

One of the best and easiest ways to store your stuff is Google drive. Everything from important docs to images to screenshots, word docs, excel sheets can be stored in a Google drive. It’s a freemium app.

So you can use around 15GB for free and then pay if you want extra storage. By sharing project requirements and developments via Google Drive, things can become more seamless and hassle-free.

So yes, this is the most effective tool that must be used when considering offshore development. It’s a complete package where you don’t get a generous storage space but also the capability to integrate third-party services, and instant backup and restore.  

One Drive 

Apart from Google, even Microsoft offers a perfect-looking collaboration tool. The Microsoft One Drive turns out to be a reliable file storage solution. It doesn’t matter whether you are using it for business purposes or your usage.

The drive incorporates a wide range of features that enables one to manage a wide range of docs, excel sheets, Powerpoint presentations and share them effectively with other members.

What makes Microsoft One Drive a cut above is, it’s user-interface, compatibility with Windows, Mac, Android, and iOS, and excellent collaboration options.

Dropbox 

Our next tool that can assist in successful offshore software development projects is Dropbox. Another interesting alternative to Google Drive and Microsoft One drive is Dropbox.

This one is mainly used to store data and is quite known for its keen eye to catch malicious data which Google most of the time fails in doing so. This one is the most primitive collaboration tool considered across the globe.

Communication Tools

Zoom 

Who doesn’t know zoom? We all do right and it turns out to be quite effective when it comes to having effective communication with your team of offshore developers.

Whether you want to communicate with a bunch of relatives or coworkers, Zoom has been the go-to place for everyone across the globe.

If you want to speak one-on-one, it’s available for free but otherwise, there is a 40-min limit when communicating with a group. Zoom can be accessed both ways via web browsers as well as mobile apps.

 Slack 

Another option to conduct seamless communication is slack. Slack available for both web and mobile comes with a user-friendly interface. Some of its successful integration includes G Suite, Dropbox, Adobe, etc. Available at a reasonable price, Slack features a wide range of practical functionalities.

Skype 

This one is my favorite and you can say a go-to app! If you are looking for the best messenger across the globe then look no further than Skype. Of course, this one doesn’t carry some extraordinary features but it does carry all the basic functionalities.

The best part of the communication tool is that it is available for free and is loved by offshore software development teams now and then.

Task Management Tools

Trello 

If Skype works wonders for communication, Trello works wonders when you are looking for task management tools. Check out Trello’s boards, lists, and cards and you will understand how the tool assists in managing things.

Trello is highly preferable for those who want to schedule their blog content or for the developers who want to work in sprints. The tool can be accessed from your respective computing devices.   

Asana 

Asana is another crucial name to take into consideration when looking for collaborative tools for successful offshore software development. Though this one was introduced back in 2008 and today it has become pretty much the talk of the town. Asana not just assists in deciding the timeline but also acts as a comprehensive toolkit for remote work management.

Here team members can easily departmentalize their roles and responsibilities and speed up the development process. Not just distributing responsibilities but progress can be tracked accurately. With Asana there is no scope for any miscommunication.

Basecamp 

Another task management tool that has gained a significant amount of trust over years is the Basecamp. In addition from calendering, to different to-do lists, message boards, group chats, everything is possible here.

More or less, here team members can communicate in real-time – all because of the convenience of computing devices.

Monitoring Tools

TimeDoctor 

With Time Doctor, it is feasible to track time precisely for offshore software development teams. What the collaborative tool does is that it successfully records the time spent on each activity.

Once the activities are tracked, a summary is created. Regular screenshots are being taken just to know what the person is doing at the moment. It does show how much time you are spending on your respective phones. Time Doctor can be used to increase productivity as well.

Toggle 

Another interesting time tracking tool that must be taken into consideration when dealing with offshore software development companies. Toggle is pretty much famous among freelancers and businesses across the globe.

Accurate time tracker, advanced monitoring options are some of the crucial benefits offered by the collaborative tool. Certain aspects that make Toggle a cut above are its ability to integrate with other business apps, features a simple yet intuitive-looking dashboard, and comprises numerous range of options.   

Screen Sharing Tool

TeamViewer 

Of course, we all know what a team viewer is but what you might not know is how the tool can aid you well in conducting a successful offshore software development project. Team viewer is available in both free and paid versions.

Being easy to learn, featuring a user-friendly interface and high-end security aspects such as end-to-end AES encryption and brute force protection are some of its core benefits.

Conclusion

So that’s all for now! These are some of the most common yet crucial tools one must consider before planning any offshore software development project. Tell me which one of these you found useful?

I would recommend each one of them as all the aforementioned are easy to use, possess a user-friendly interface, and are best in regards to security.

So in case you still have any doubts or queries regarding the same, feel free to mention that in the comment section below.

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