Managing offshore projects

Many companies in the western world have begun to move their software development activities offshore to countries like India, China and Sri Lanka. This has occurred in order to achieve cost savings, and thereby to increase competitiveness and optimization of their processes.

Proper management of offshore projects is vital to obtain the expected outcome. Unlike management of traditional domestic projects, management of offshore projects is quite different, due to various challenges such as culture, communication, multiple locations and time zones, visibility and processes. Therefore an effective and efficient management methodology is required for a better outcome.

First of all I will tell you some of the challenges that could creep up;

External Challenges:

1. Staffing and retention
2. Time Zone Differences
3. Country and vendor infrastructure
4. Security
5. Vendor stability
6. Cultural differences
7. Geo, political concerns
8. Distance to vendors

Internal Challenges

1. Unrealistic expectations 
2. Improper project selection
3. Governance
4. Processes

Below are a few tips that will help you in managing your offshore project much better;

• Make sure that offshore and onsite groups work as a single delivery team.
• Do not play customer.
• Information – the more the merrier.
• Celebrate success and be generous with compliments.
• State the obvious.
• Don't assume anything.
• Build relationships with the offshore managers.
• And in the end, if you are coming to Indian Sub-Continent, A bit of cricket can go a long way.

I hope this will make your offshore project a success. Do tell me, whether it helped you or not.