How to Offshore Your Mobile App Development Project?

Offshore software development is one of the fastest-growing phenomena in today’s economy. There is a growing number of enterprises wanting to outsource mobile app development. This is due to the lower cost, faster turnaround time, and vast level of talent pool that can be accessed.

However, offshore mobile app development comes with the responsibility of having to work with an offshore team. This is no easy task since offshoring a mobile app development project requires leaders and team players to ensure the project runs successfully from start to finish. When working with an offshore team, the leader or manager may be faced with some unique challenges such as dealing with language barriers, time differences and more.

Majority of offshore projects fail due to a communication breakdown and not because of a lack of technical expertise. This article on how to offshore your mobile app development project seeks to help guarantee success when outsourcing app development.

Why outsource mobile app development?

There are various reasons why it is beneficial to outsource mobile app development. Below are a few and although this list does not highlight all of them, it does highlight some of the most important ones.

World-Class Expertise

Companies can collaborate with world-class experts that make up the offshore mobile app development team. This gives companies an edge over their competitors since it guarantees effective implementation and overall success of the mobile app development project. Mobile app development outsourcing in recent years has been more about increasing access to world-class talent rather than having access to low-cost resources.

Faster Results

When a company chooses to outsource mobile app development to experts, it means that the project will likely begin much sooner as compared to if they decided to recruit and form their own development team from scratch. Thus, the mobile app is likely to be completed sooner, which will then allow the company to go to the next phase of the project.

Focus on other business goals

Outsourcing app development gives companies a chance to focus on other aspects of their business such as marketing, sales, business expansion and more. Having an expert offshore company handling your mobile app development saves you time and cuts cost from learning a new skill so you can focus on achieving your company’s goals.

Support

Having a support team behind you is crucial to the success of your mobile app. This way should any trouble arise with the app, support is available 24/7 and get the issues resolved in a faster time frame. In some instances, offshore development centers may offer support for maintaining, operating and even upgrading the app.

Quality results

Offshore mobile app development teams tend to use the latest software development technologies available when building your app. This may not always be the case with in-house mobile app development teams. Using the latest technologies can lead to higher productivity levels, improved performance and produce top-quality results for your company.

How to offshore your mobile app development project?

How do you even begin to offshore your mobile app development project? Here are some of the best procedures for outsourcing mobile app development.

Have a clear idea of your app and its purpose

Identify the purpose of your app. Is it designed for consumers or are you making it so that your employees can benefit from it? When you have a clear idea of what you want, it is easier to convey the requirements to the offshore development team.

Set a realistic budget

Depending on the complexity of the project and the amount of work that needs to be done, the total cost of the mobile app can vary. Thus, you will need to be realistic with your budget. You should also ensure that your budget is somewhat flexible, should any challenges arise along the way that may need to be resolved before work continues.

Choosing the best county to outsource to

Choose a country with a good reputation as an offshore mobile app development company. Some countries that are renowned for having great mobile app developers include Brazil, India, Ukraine, Vietnam, and more.

Finding the best team for the job

After you have settled on the country that you want to outsource your mobile app development project to, you now need to find a team that is qualified and capable of completing your project.

Challenges when outsourcing app development

Let us discuss some of the challenges faced when outsourcing mobile app development projects.

Cultural differences

Unlike working with on-shore or in house development teams, working with an offshore development team can result in miscommunication. It takes time to overcome even the subtlest culture differences. These can have a significant impact on the workflow when it comes to communication and works ethics.

Scheduling difficulties

When working with an offshore team, you will have to consider time zone differences. Nationals holidays and traditions are different so scheduling conference calls or reaching the team may prove difficult.

Lack of Leadership

Some mobile app development companies do not provide a product or project manager which can leave you feeling frustrated since you’re unable to ensure that the project is going according to plan.

Disappointing deliverables

Miscommunication and misunderstanding are the biggest culprits in instances where the mobile app developed do not meet expectations. This could lead to a low-quality app or an app with the wrong specifications.

Effective ways to address the biggest challenges in offshore mobile app development projects

Document requirements and functions

Leading software outsourcing companies often recommend that you document your requirements and functions in detail so that they can have a full understanding of your demands. If you are not quite sure what your requirements are, a good software outsourcing company will be able to help you figure your needs and requirements out as an additional service.

Doing this can guarantee that the end product is exactly what you want and leaves no room for error since things can get lost in translation. If your app could become valuable upon release, then you should probably include an NDA agreement here as well.

Define meeting schedule

Communication is critical to the success of your mobile application development. At the start of the project, set out the parameters for meetings taking into considerations the time zone of the offshore mobile app centre. Mention how many times per week you’ll be meeting, who should be present for the meetings and the agenda of the meetings. A set scheduled can help to ensure you are up to date with the progress on your mobile app.

Ask for a project or product manager

It is essential to have a project or product manager available to give you updates as the project moves forward or make recommendations. A product manager can give you insights which can help make your app better. On the other hand, the project manager will be at your disposal throughout the project should you have any questions regarding the progress of the mobile app development. Both these managers should be able to deliver reports and timelines to you directly. They should be able to take any feedback you provide and execute that feedback in real-time.

Use project management tools

To further boost communication, make use of project management tools online to track the process of the offshore mobile app development in a systematic way. The project management platform will allow all the parties involved including yourself, project manager and technical leader to see what is going on. Set a clear schedule about when the tool should be used and updated so that you are always in the loop.

Work with specialists

Ensure that the mobile app development company specialises in the particular type of app you need to be built. Always go for the company that is regarded as an expert to keep from wasting precious time and money. Do your research before hiring an offshore company. Read customer reviews and go through their portfolio etc before settling. As a result of thorough research, you will find the right company who has a deeper understanding of your requirements.

Discuss Scope and Identify hidden cost

Outsource app development companies have different payment models. Some charge flat fees, subscription fees while others charge based on the scope. The first thing to identify is the scope to uncover cost. This gives the outsource company all the information they need to know how much work your mobile app requires. Some may even include hidden fees at the end of the project so it is advised to figure out the payment model that the offshore company uses.

Allow enough time for mobile app testing

For your mobile app development project to be a complete success, you will have to allow the offshore company enough time to run tests. This is key to making sure that the app is the best version it can be and will serve its purpose well. The more tests your app goes through, the better your app will be when it is handed over to you. Giving the company enough time to do quality control can save you time and money from modifying and fixing the flaws after the project is completed.

Conclusion

To offshore your mobile app development project, there are a few crucial steps you need to take to guarantee success. Ensure you have a clear idea of what you want and choose a reputable company. Discuss the scope of the work and identify the payment model that the company follows before commencing the project. Communicate effectively and efficiently so that the app development process can run as smooth as possible from start to finish.

Taking these steps on how to offshore your mobile app development project should leave no room for error and ensure the end result meets your expectations.