Successful offshoring part 4: Independence
In this series on successful offshoring we already spoke about time(zone) management, the important role of the coordinator and advisable steps during the preparation phase.
Next in my discussion on how to do offshoring successfully is independence. You have to make sure the development team in the offshore location can work as independently as possible.
Like the earlier articles it is equally important to deal with the subject of independence in the planning phase of a project, but also each and every day of its lifetime.
Successful offshoring part 3: Preparation
In this third article in my series on successful offshoring I will discuss the preparation of a project that involves a team at a co-location and present several steps to ensure a smooth start.
I give you some measures to keep the project on track and inform you about early warning signs.
If you missed the initial articles which handled the added complexities of time(zone) management, or the second one talking about the role of the coordinator, I recommend you click one of the the links and start there.
Successful offshoring part 2: The coordinator
This is the second article in a series on successful offshoring. If you missed the first article which handled the added complexities of time(zone) management, I recommend you click the link and start there.
Here I will discuss the role of the coordinator and what its responsibilities are (and are not). What to look for in the person filling the role but also how to enable this person to do a good job.
Successful offshoring part 1: Time management
Globalization in the software industry not only means global competition and broader markets, it also means outsourcing work to offshore locations.
Offshoring is hard. There are many mistakes to make, some obvious (in hindsight), some not so. Do not expect an immediate success. If you have the strength to sit through the initial months, it can be a good solution to compete, grow and react flexibly to changing environments.
Being largely involved in offshoring and on-site coordination myself, I'll present you with some of the success factors that proved to be most critical in my own environment.
This is the first article in the series, make sure you come back in a couple of days for more on the topic!
Tools for a mobile office
I'm constantly trying to boost my productivity. For me that includes to enable myself to write ideas down instantly. In the present age of the smartphone, the question is no longer which device you should use to write down notes on the go but instead it is: Which applications should I use?
In this article I will present my current tool set of choice for the iPhone.
Scrum with pen & paper
A friend of mine recently asked me if I'd know any good freeware tools for use with Scrum. Well, I told him, I don't have any first hand experience with freeware Scrum tools but there certainly are a few.
However in the case that you're just starting with Scrum I would argue that you might be better off without tools. All tools force you into some kind of process that works for somebody else, but might not be optimal for you.
So instead of jumping to a fancy tool that comes with all the bells and whistles instantly, I'd recommend starting as low-tech as possible, learn the basics and discover your individual needs. After that you are enabled to get the Scrum tool that does exactly what you need it to do.
How do you start low-tech? Use pen and paper.
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I'm a software architect and developer, detail driven and opinionated, playful and curious.
Constantly learning, I strive not to do what others do but what I think is right.
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