| Success of a project when developed by an | | | | managed. It is imperative that a "common" |
| offshore provider is largely dependant on the | | | | time zone is mutually agreed on by you and |
| way the project is remotely managed from the | | | | the offshore vendor. This time should be used |
| client's side. If you hope to make a project | | | | for communication and ironing out issues |
| successful with very little input from your | | | | faced by the development team. Though it |
| end as a customer, it is unlikely that the | | | | might take some time to get used to getting |
| project will achieve success in the long | | | | in to the office at 7 AM, it pays good |
| term. The basic reason is very simple: you | | | | dividends in the long run.If there are |
| know your business requirements best. | | | | issues, alert everyone in time: It is |
| Software services companies working in | | | | advisable that you keep a look out for early |
| another part of the world can only develop a | | | | warning signals and warn the team up front |
| solution based on the input provided by | | | | rather than wait for things to correct |
| you.Fairly large projects have a dedicated | | | | themselves. Ninety percent of the time, the |
| project manager who interacts with the | | | | issue is not self-correcting but goes on to |
| offshore team and acts as a virtual bridge | | | | become a real pain to the entire team before |
| between the business and the software | | | | additional effort is exerted to get it on |
| developers. If your project does not have | | | | track.If someone in the offshore team is |
| dedicated personnel for it, there is no need | | | | doing well, comment on it: Encouragement and |
| to despair. You can follow some simple tips | | | | motivation are required even when you have |
| mentioned below and manage your project quite | | | | hired a team with an offshore service |
| successfully.Define the goal every week: The | | | | provider. Motivating team members with an |
| complete lifecycle of the software | | | | encouraging email along with occasional gifts |
| development process can be divided into | | | | sent to them on regional festivals creates |
| smaller goals which can then be communicated | | | | camaraderie as well as doing wonders for the |
| to the team via email or by phone. It is a | | | | project. At the end of the day remember that |
| good idea to have a call with the entire team | | | | developers are human beings and they do need |
| on Monday morning and run through the list of | | | | an occasional pat on the back.Although a |
| weekly goals that need to be achieved and | | | | number of onsite project managers feel that |
| then call again at the end of the week to | | | | project management tools are advantageous to |
| evaluate if they have been achieved or not | | | | the flow of a project, the core driver in a |
| and what type of roadblocks were faced by | | | | successful project will always be good |
| them.Manage the time difference: Time | | | | project and human resource management |
| difference is one of the factors in offshore | | | | skills.Rod Morris is the founder of CodeLance |
| software development projects which can | | | | - - a leading freelance programming website. |
| become a pro or a con depending on how it is | | | | |