How do you get Indian backend developers to work well with European application designers(GUI)

Set up the processes, ensure document template or tools and infrastructure are in place to support project, derive roles and responsibilities very clearly, define wow, have risk and issue log, check if any skill gaps (important) are there.

Assuming your structure is Design lead, Tech lead are reporting to Dev PM and PM reports to Delivery or Account mgr or you.

Clear planning: Mostly importantly PM should have a project plan with clear critical path, dependencise and deadline and that should be shared with the developers and ask them to report slipages and design gapes immediatly to Tech lead & PM.

Improve communication: Communication plan and channals are very improtant for onsite-offshore model. PM to plan to have weekly meetings with Design and dev teams, run though each task and understand the cocerns and issues. Tech lead has to plan and coordinate design gap meeting between developers & dev teams (power triage), PM to schedule to have daily progress report from dev lead and to have design issue status report from design lead.

Improve quality: Make sure the requirements are documented, design has been captured in High level design document or functional design document, ensure Low level design document or techincal solution document prepared by developers and reviewed by design team, Tech solution document has to be peer reviewed by Tech lead before design team, Code and unit test results has to be reviewed by tech leads, have one round system or e-2-e test before delivery, have a proper configuration & release mgmt tool to control release versions.

Track changes: Every small change should be captured in Functional design & tech solution document. Design lead should be accountable for design document and Tech lead should be accountable to update them in Tech solution document.

More improtantly, if these changes are impacting project or product go-live, then it should be discussed with all stakeholders (Change board - You, Dev PM, Tech Lead, Design lead, Business team, Delv mgr) and decision to be taken, when the change to be conidered, what if we go without this change, approximate ETA from design and dev teams...etc.

Governance meeting: I would suggest you or delivery mgr to schedule to have governance meeting to review project plan, Milestone, risk & issue updates with PM, Tech Lead, Design Lead (other stake holders) on this documents on weekly basis and see where you can help them.

I see a perfect synergy between both the target groups if -

1) roles and responsibilities are clear

2) window to interact is clear and format of deliverables is clear

3) interaction is on a regular basis

Especially for Pt.#2, it is always advisable for the outsourcing company to establish the system heads in India, who are looking at:-

1) deliverable's quality aspect

2) how they do it aspect

However, I have worked and led teams in instances wherein not even a single person from the German client was present and we started from a scope of very simple, easy and clear deliverable to handling a complete revamp/redesign of GUI of the entire software interface with certain level of coding involved as well for backend integration with project value of over 50.000 Euros. It all depends upon the confidence you are able to build in and commitment you are showing across.