| Outsourced product development is an enticing prospect to software product companies eager to accelerate their development schedules and save costs. In fact, software companies today with no offshore development strategy may suffer in evaluations by the financial community and in their ability to raise funds.
Many companies have already tried outsourcing their product development but are stymied by unexpected challenges, leading them to chalk the experience up as a failure and consider abandoning the outsourcing effort altogether.
The three top reasons why outsourced product development fails are as follows:
- Penny-wise, pound-foolish . In partnering with small vendors or setting up independent centers, software product companies try to maximize savings by establishing a pure offshore presence for the development initiative rather than including at least some on-site presence as well. Geographic and time zone differences inevitably lead to gaps in communications -- you simply cannot underestimate the value of conversation at the water cooler.
- Lack of formal processes. Eager to get started, many software product company partnerships with outsourced product development companies downplay the need for formal processes such those embraced by CMM level 5 companies. Missed cues, mislaid priorities, and development chaos ensue, leading to botched development releases and intolerable delays.
- Insufficient discipline in managing change . Changes in requirements are common in outsourced product development. Outsourced vendors or independently run centers are eager to please in their fledgling partnerships with software companies and are often tempted to promise more than they can deliver in the face of mounting change requests. Successful outsourced product development demands sober evaluation of change requests by experienced managers at the outsourced center and meaningful interactions with the client to find the right balance between mounting change requests and achieving the development schedule.
As a mature, CMM Level 5 company with rich experience in outsourced product development, Infogain ensures the success of its clients by avoiding these commonly experienced pitfalls.
Contact us today to learn more about your options with Infogain for outsourced software development |
