The same evolution goes for service delivery as well. Multinational organizations, enterprises, and medium to small companies all want to gain a competitive advantage in the market and turn to software development outsourcing to adopt innovative software and improve efficiency as well as boost revenue.

With the growing demand for services, more diverse and innovative service delivery models appear as well to leverage external expertise effectively. And one of those innovative models with its growing popularity is called build-operate-transfer model in IT.

Check out this extensive engagement models ebook that will help you understand the basics of collaborating with an outsourcing vendor.

In this article, you are going to find out the essentials of BOT in IT outsourcing industry. First of all, we will give the definition of this approach, describe how it works, what are the benefits of BOT, as well as possible challenges you might encounter. Let’s get started so you know more about the build-operate-transfer in IToutsourcing and can make better and well-informed business decisions!

What is a Build-Operate-Transfer (BOT) Model?

Before we dig into all the details, let’s get started with the basic definition so you know clearly what is BOT.

Build-operate-transfer model is one of the business engagement models that imply building R&D centers in an overseas location. Usually, a trusted IT outsourcing provider takes over this process and will create a center that will function in their location.

To be more specific, an IT outsourcing provider who offers a BOT model will be fully responsible for developer recruitment, legal aspects, payroll and accounting, and other operational procedures. It’s also worth noting that the R&D office might eventually transition into the client’s premises.

Outsourcing is one of the best and most well-recognized solutions that can help businesses reduce costs and improve their efficiency. Vendors offer quality services through the BOT as well as other engagement models to achieve all this.

In addition, by leveraging the build operate and transfer model in IT, companies can gain a competitive advantage as they can benefit from the market-leading expertise while delivering complex software solutions as well as acquiring exceptional service delivery capabilities.

How Does Build-Operate-Transfer Model in IT Outsourcing Work

Build-operate-transfer in IT industry is a very straightforward model. It consists of three main stages.

1. Build stage

The first phase involves a deep analysis of the client’s tech requirements and business needs. It’s crucial to understand their main vision, the end goal, as well as their company culture. Based on that, the service provider will take care of choosing the location, employing competent specialists, and providing the team with all the necessary hardware and software.

2. Operate stage

This phase is aimed at attaining safe and consistent operations while standardizing all the internal procedures and improving the processes to meet the objectives. The professionalism of a vendor will enable the client company to become more flexible, scalable, and easily adaptable to market changes.

3. Transfer stage

The last phase of engagement implies that the mature and stable operational center will be legally transferred to the client. It can be fully or partially transferred to a client including all the IP, knowledge base, team members, and assets. One of two options will be discussed and agreed upon beforehand. The success of the BOT depends on the success of the overall transition which depends on the proven track record of the service provider.

Key Benefits of Build-Operate-Transfer Model in IT Industry

Let’s take a closer look at the real advantages that BOT in IT industry can bring to businesses all over the world.

1. Reduced costs

First and most significant benefit of the BOT model is its reasonable pricing. The option of creating an R&D office with this model will be suitable for small companies that only want to grow as well as for big enterprises that want to cut down their expenses without losing the service quality. It can help you save up to 60% of expenses as salaries in overseas locations are significantly lower than in the North American market. We recommend you take a look at Eastern European service providers.

2. Minimized risks

Along with significantly reduced costs, the BOT can also minimize the potential project risks related to the services offered. The outsourcing company will take care of all the details as they are aware of the industry and they know all the local conditions of collaboration including the legal side of the process. The vendor will be already prepared to face all the challenges and overcome them without your involvement.

3. Flexibility

The build-operate-transfer model is considered a very flexible one. If a company needs that, the BOT will satisfy this need. Employees hired within the BOT model will be able to work on different tasks and switch between projects. Moreover, the collaboration between your in-house team and BOT team will be more productive and effective as outsourcing professionals are fully integrated into the project and will share the overall company culture.

4. Access to a wide talent pool

Due to a talent shortage of qualified professionals, businesses located in North America or Western Europe have faced a problem of having difficulties hiring in-house employees. The high demand for talent creates a lot of competition between employers of different sizes.

The BOT model will give you unique access to a wide talent pool so you can hire specialists with the required expertise without geographical limits. No matter what you choose — a nearshore or offshore outsourcing partner, you will have higher chances of successful recruitment of experts.

5. Facilitated scaling

The build-operate-transfer model gives an opportunity for a client to start a productive collaboration with team members right away. As the company infrastructure is completed and all team members are put to effective work, the client can focus more on scaling up their businesses while the outsourcing partner will take care of and eliminate all the possible bottlenecks. It gives more freedom to a company for business growth and development as well as plenty of room for rapid operational expansion.

6. Fast product release

Team members hired within a BOT model work on a project continuously. They are fully dedicated to the process meaning you can achieve the desired results and release your product on the market faster and more easily. Both parties are interested in a successful collaboration that’s why both of them are putting maximum effort into the quick and quality end result.

Challenges & Solutions When Using Build-Operate-Transfer Model in IT Market

As you can see, the BOT model in IT industry has plenty of advantages. However, there are some potential risks that you might face as well. Let’s take a look and the possible drawbacks:

• Offers might be rejected by candidates. If you haven’t played the offshore outsourcing game before, you have to be ready that candidates might potentially reject your job offer. Not all outsourcing providers will promote your company to be more appealing to candidates. In order to avoid that, you have to take care of employer branding as part of your collaboration strategy with offshore specialists.
• Challenges with dedication. The BOT team will belong to the offshore outsourcing provider. Therefore, chances are you will face potential challenges with employee dedication. Developers who will work for you can be confused and not fully understand who manages them and to whom to report all their progress. To make everything easy and smooth for you, make sure you take over the management process and your vendor that assists you in setting up the R&D team won’t have access to the development itself.
• Lack of operational management expertise. Choose an experienced provider who is knowledgeable in setting up an R&D office. Many IT service providers don’t know all the administrative operations details it implies. Choose a vendor with practical skills that will help you effectively.

Summing Up BOT Model for IT Outsourcing

To sum up everything that we said above, the BOT model IT outsourcing is the outstanding solution for companies who look for affordable ways to expand their teams, improve operational efficiency, and take their businesses to a whole new level.

More and more companies of different sizes opt for this specific model over other engagement models due to the big number of benefits the BOT offers. Despite some minor challenges it’s possible to face during the collaboration, this model is definitely worth considering for your upcoming projects.

Consider Intellectsoft Your Trusted Software Development Partner

If you are looking for a reliable software development partner that can help you in your digitalization journey, consider collaboration with Intellectsoft. It is a trusted offshore IT outsourcing strategies company with more than 14 years of professional experience on the market.

Our team offers a wide range of expert services, starting from software development consulting, to building a custom end product while using the latest technological knowledge and advancements.

Take a closer look at our top client cases to see how effectively we cope with business challenges and what scalable and innovative solutions we offer.

We have extensive expertise to outsource software development services across various industries including construction, healthcare, fintech, hospitality, logistics, and more. Intellectsoft has gathered the most qualified software engineers and other IT professionals to deliver top-notch results and meet all your business needs and requirements.

Feel free to contact our representatives today to get all the information regarding the terms of collaboration, to describe your project, and see the NDA agreement as well as contract samples. We are ready to skyrocket your business and implement our best knowledge and practices to build software that will transform your company.

FAQ 

How does the BOT model benefit IT Outsourcing?

In outsourcing, the build-operate-transfer model has a very special place. This particular model has many advantages and that’s why it’s chosen by various companies across industries. The main benefit of this specific model is cost reduction. You will be able to expand your team and receive quality services while paying less. Another pretty important advantage is that this model minimizes all the risks related to the process of building an R&D office so you will always stay on the safe side. In addition, this approach is very flexible and scalable, and you will get access to a wide talent pool to choose from.

Is the Build Operate Transfer model in IT popular?

Yes, BOT is getting more and more popular every day due to the wide range of benefits it might offer to businesses. If you want to know more about this model in Intellectsoft then feel free to get in touch with our team and we will be happy to tell you more about the build-operate-transfer model as well as about other engagement models we use while collaborating with our international clients.

How to know if a BOT is suitable for me?

First of all, in order to evaluate this specific model and understand if it’s suitable for you, you have to clearly define your business needs and goals. It will help you see what purpose you have in the future and after that, you can think of ways that will help you achieve your plan. BOT is not the only existing model so if you are hesitating, contact us and we will give you some basic consulting to enable you to make a well-informed decision that will match your ultimate business development goals.

The post How Build-Operate-Transfer Model is Shifting IT Outsourcing appeared first on Intellectsoft Blog.

To make it all happen you need an experienced workforce with relevant tech skills to do so. .NET development is a big challenge for businesses that can be overcome through outsourcing. Intellectsoft .NET outsourcing services will enable you to build your dream project and meet all your requirements.

We have in-house developers as well as enough resources to hire them from a large talent pool from any location in the world you want. The speed of the search process varies on the requirements regarding the specialist and their expertise, their seniority level, location, future responsibilities, etc. At Intellectsoft, it usually takes from 10 days up to 1 month. The hunting process is not a problem as the rising demand for accomplished professionals across the globe makes it so much easier.

Intellectsoft’s rigorous selection process makes it possible to hire only the most qualified and experienced .NET software developers for your needs and integrate them with your team. Our software architects and team leads take part in the recruitment process and conduct technical interviews to evaluate the technical skills of candidates.

If you are interested in hiring .NET developers and don’t know where to start, keep reading the article. Here, we are going to talk about how to hire dedicated .NET developers for your project, what are the core skills of a qualified professional, and what challenges you might face during the recruitment process. Let’s get started!

.NET Developer Global Market Overview

Currently, .NET is the most widely used platform on the market. It was released in 2002 by Microsoft. Why is it the main choice nowadays? Because it contains plenty of features and tools that enable companies to develop reliable applications and software using different programming languages.

That’s why more and more aspiring developers gain .NET experience and skills and more businesses search .NET developers for hire. There is a large number of professionals with relevant expertise all over the world. And rising demand for .NET developers generates an even more increasing number of specialists. Take a look at the following statistics to see the trend of the current .NET market.

Necessary Skills of .NET Programmer

1. ASP.NET MVC

ASP.NET MVC is the biggest industry trend that can be a developer’s competitive advantage. Knowing how it operates enables programmers to fully manage all application functions. ASP.NET MVC replaces other frameworks that help build any software in the most efficient and timely manner.

2. Exceptional coding skills

It goes without saying that a .NET developer must write quality code so the final product performs well. Specialists should easily determine how they can input the existing code to save time and what code to write from scratch. After the code is written, they have to be able to evaluate the code’s performance and improve it if needed.

3. Client-side technology knowledge 

As the primary task of a .NET developer is to develop innovative, user-friendly, scalable, and highly-functional web applications, they should understand well the essential client-side technologies such as HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and Bootstrap. Similar knowledge will help any professional to boost their employability as well as to deliver top-notch results at work.

4. Programming languages

In order to perform well on a project, a developer must have exceptional knowledge of programming languages. The most important languages are C#, F#, and VB.NET. In addition, it’s also beneficial to be familiar with SQL Server, NoSQL, Oracle.

5. Soft skills

Highly professional full stack .NET developer is not only a person with exceptional technical expertise. The specialist should also possess some soft skills that are integral while collaborating with a client and being a part of a team. Among the most important soft skills, it’s possible to name time-management, problem-solving, and customer service skills.

In-House vs. Outsourced .NET Developers

If you are wondering whether you should outsource .NET developers or hire an in-house team then we will try to help you decide what option is better for your case. An in-house team is an excellent option because you will get developers who are highly involved in a project and share your company culture, and it’s easy to manage them as they are working on your premises.

The main drawback of hiring an in-house team is that it requires some serious financial investments. First of all, in-house developers have significantly higher salaries. In addition, the recruitment process of local specialists involves additional expenses for training, healthcare insurance, office space, vacations, etc. This option will be suitable for large companies and enterprises with enough budget and stable workload and plenty of software development plans for the future.

Outsourced developers offer the same level of performance for a reduced price. As software engineers are located overseas, you don’t have to worry about paying extra and it can be very beneficial for small companies or startups that want to save their budget without losing the quality.

Moreover, outsourcing is the better option in case you are looking for a temporary collaboration with developers. However, be ready to face some challenges while outsourcing. The main bottlenecks are different time zones, some cultural differences, and potential language barriers.

Key Steps to Hire .NET Developer

Here are some easy yet effective steps that will help you find .NET developers and build a loyal and trustful relationship with them.

1. Write an informative job opening

The first and most important thing is to write an informative and detailed job opening. Define who is your perfect team member and what responsibilities they will take on. Structurize all the information and based on it come up with a brief yet extensive advertisement that potential candidates will see.

2. Know where to find them

There is no shortage of .NET developers, however, it’s not so easy to hire a good specialist really easily. Therefore, you need to know where to look for them and be really fast. You should turn to recruitment agencies or look for developers on job boards.

3. Prioritize the selection process

Once you start receiving candidates’ profiles, you have to review each of them thoroughly so as not to miss the real gem. Take your time, read CVs carefully, compare with other candidates and choose your top picks to invite them for an interview.

4. Prepare the right interview questions

Many managers make a big mistake by not preparing the list of interview questions beforehand. It’s paramount to be well-prepared before the interview if your main goal is to hire the best specialist. Create not just a list of questions about the previous experience, but also develop the tech task to evaluate their professional competencies.

5. Soft and hard skills matter

The importance of soft skills is gravely underestimated right now. However, it’s crucial to evaluate the soft skills of a candidate the same way you evaluate their technical knowledge. Define what soft skills would matter for your business and for your company culture and rely on them while looking for a best-matching candidate.

6. Consider hiring remote developers

As we have already mentioned above, outsourcing software development services can be a very convenient and budget-friendly option for companies across industries. Therefore, you should seriously consider hiring remote .NET developers.

Challenges to Avoid While Hiring .NET Developers

• Not paying attention to cultural fit. Cultural fit really matters. You should hire not just an amazing professional who can perform well but also a team player who shares your company’s vision and can be a great match.
• Choosing the lowest salary rates. It’s very tempting to choose the developer with the lowest salary requirements. However, it’s important to understand that salary is the reflection of professionalism and experience. Make wise investments.
• Limited your access to talents. Even though you would prefer to hire local developers, don’t limit your search. Be open to opportunities and don’t underestimate the potential of global search and outsourcing.
• Failing to conduct a proper tech interview. This mistake is very straightforward. Take your time to prepare the relevant technical interview and review it carefully while evaluating it without any bias.
• Hiring from freelancing platforms. This is not the best space to look for qualified professionals. Most likely you will encounter a person with mediocre skills and a lack of experience. Better delegate this task to a professional agency.

Where to Hire .NET Developers? 

As you can see from the .NET global overview and statistics, there is no lack of specialists. There are approximately 6 million on the roles of .NET developer all over the world and basically, you can hire them in any country you want. If your team has enough budget and resources to hire in-house developers, you can search your local market. However, if you want to minimize expenses while maintaining the service quality, you should consider outsourcing .NET services or hiring a dedicated development team who will relocate to your premises but you will pay according to the prices offered by an outsourcing vendor.

Let’s take a glimpse at the average salaries of ASP NET developers in different countries. For example, in the United States, specialists get up to $105,000 per year depending on their seniority, skills, and years of experience. This is the highest salary in the world. In Canada and Australia, the salary goes up to $88,000, and in Western Europe — $80,000. In the UK, the level of salaries is the lowest, up to $72,000.  

Take into account that offshore .NET developers cost less than developers from North America. The price range varies between $50K to $30K per year depending on their seniority level and your specific requirements for a candidate you want to hire. If you want to hire matching specialists, you can look for Easter European destinations. Countries like Ukraine, Poland, the Czech Republic, etc. are trusted by many international companies for .NET developers outsourcing.

If you want to know more about hiring offshore software developers in Eastern Europe — read our guide with valuable tips and a list of companies to consider.

Intellectsoft is a Trusted .NET Software Development Partner

Intellectsoft is a trusted outsourcing company with a market presence of more than 14 years. We are recognized by many review platforms like Clutch, TheManifest, Inc. 5000, and so many more for the level of professional enterprise software development services we offer and for the feedback our multiple clients gave us after collaborating with Intellectsoft.

Our core expertise includes experience working across industries such as fintech, healthcare, construction, hospitality, logistics, and more. We have gathered a team of qualified outsourced developers with outstanding programming skills who share our corporate culture and bring their own contribution while helping businesses digitize and grow exponentially through technology implementation.

Speaking of .NET specialists, we offer our clients access to our employees with the relevant experience or an opportunity to find the best-matching candidate among the large talent pool with the assistance of our skilled recruitment department. We are here to help you in your digitalization journey and are ready to offer all of our skills.

Feel free to contact us and get all the information regarding hiring .NET programmers or discussing your software idea with our representatives. Our team will gladly assist you with defining your project scope, and length, counting expenses for our services and so much more.

Don’t hesitate to take a look at our top client cases to see our capabilities and exceptional results that enabled our partners to grow their businesses and benefit from collaboration with Intellectsoft.

The post Hiring Dedicated .NET Developers in 2023: Steps, Advantages and Pitfalls appeared first on Intellectsoft Blog.

Remote work became a new reality for most employees and companies right now. Along with the rising demand for software developers, not only do companies let their employees work from home but also hire full remote software engineering teams to work on implementing the latest technologies.

It’s worth noting that the industries with the highest number of remote workers are healthcare (15%), technology (10%), and financial services (9%). However, other industries also consider hiring remote developers to help them digitize their businesses.

As you can see from the latest statistics, the popularity of remote work keeps growing and has a positive impact on businesses.

Nevertheless, some owners still feel skeptical about hiring remote employees especially when it comes to software engineers. Most of their concerns are related to managing a remote development team. As we have offered remote software development services for 14 years already, we decided to share our unique experience to make your decision-making process easier and management more effective.

In this article, you will find an extensive overview of managing remote software developers. You will get priceless tips from our experts to make the most of your collaboration with a software development vendor, achieve higher productivity, and meet your long-term goals.

7 Tips For Effective Management Of a Remote Software Development Team

Now, let’s dig deeper into the basic rules of remote software development team management. 

Importance of Team Structure Composition

Managing a remote software development team is a very complex process that requires a lot of responsibility and organized approach. You have to structurize your requirements and goals in the first place.

However, in order to have a successful partnership with remote employees, you should also start by structuring your future software development team. To make it happen, it’s paramount to define the scale of your project.

Document all your project details and provide the broad description of an end product. It will help you and your outsourcing vendor to define the team size and select the specialists with the most relevant knowledge and skills.

Through this, you will be able to have a smooth workflow without interrupting to search for extra developers, or paying extra for the employees that are not bringing any value to the process.

Have Your Remote Team’s Time Zones in Mind

Another very important tip if you want to have an effective remote software development team. As you probably know, most outsourcing companies are located overseas and because of their remote locations, those companies offer very budget-friendly options while delivering fantastic service quality. Most typically, outsourcing companies are located in Asia or in Easter Europe.

Although Asian service providers offer a little bit more cheap services, the main drawbacks of collaborating with them are a huge time difference, bad knowledge of English, and significant cultural differences. Speaking of Easter European outsourcing companies, they have a similar mentality and have more convenient locations. No matter what option you choose you should have time differences in mind.

According to the latest research, 59%  of remote workers claimed that their company operates in two to five different time zones.

Therefore, to make your collaboration as smooth and effective as possible, you should schedule meetings, distribute tasks, and manage the performance taking into account the time zone of your team. In order to make the most of your partnership, you should adjust the working hours of your team accordingly to share as much work time together as possible.

Create Ground Work Rules for the Team

Given remote geographical locations, time limits, and other challenges that you might encounter during your collaboration with software developers, your main focus should be aimed at documenting all the project ground rules that will be the guide for you and your employees.

It will be the core document that will contain everything from the main business goal, to the project description, and other employee requirements and work rules that they should follow while partnering with you. This is your chance to share your company culture and values, and demonstrate what employees have to take into account.

Project guidelines for productivity and effectiveness are a pillar of an organized team that will be so easy to manage. Transparency and clear communication of your rules are essential when working with remote teams.

Create a Comfortable Environment for Remote Communication

Partnering with a remote team has a few keys to success. The main one is clear and timely communication. To manage remote developers you have to invest your effort into the following aspects.

Schedule regular meetings

Communication cannot be effective and beneficial for your project’s success unless it’s regular and consistent. You have to define your needs to communicate with your remote team and schedule video and phone calls regularly throughout the month to stay up to date with all the progress.

Establish personal connections with developers

To break the ice and build loyal and trustful relationships within a team, it’s also important to establish personal connections. Try to always find some time and space for small talk to make sure that not only the tasks are done but all your employees are happy and satisfied with the project.

Face-to-face meetings (virtual and in person)

Having individual calls with each separate employee in your team is extremely important for ensuring work quality and building trustful relationships. It will be highly recommended to plan in-person visits to your remote office to add a more personal touch to collaboration as well as track progress.

Reward employees

To maintain a positive team spirit and keep employees motivated and success-driven it’s important to incorporate a reward system. It can be anything from corporate gifts, and cash bonuses, to mere praise and encouragement for a well-done job.

Track Performance of Your Remote Development Team

It goes without saying that it’s required to track the overall performance of a team as well as the progress of each individual team member to make sure everyone stays productive and all the job is done on time. To make it happen, the previous communication tips will come in handy.

In addition, you should consider using management tools to make the process of tracking task status very easy and transparent. It’s your main job to evaluate the contribution and value of each team member so don’t underestimate this aspect.

Among the most widely used tools, it’s possible to name Jira and Asana. They are very user-friendly and even if you don’t have prior experience using them, it won’t be a problem to learn its sleek interface features and use them with comfort.

Hire Self-Managed People

A self-managed professional is a person who doesn’t require constant supervision and direction from an authority team member. They have an exceptional ability to work autonomously and provide excellent results while taking full control of their actions and outcomes. They are reliable, independent, and self-motivated.

The best way to hire top-performance and well-organized people who can self-manage their workflow is to conduct interviews in person. Yes, it will take some extra time and resources to fly to another country but it will enable you to meet and select the best candidates. You will be the one accountable for the future success of the remote collaboration.

As an option, you can make soft skills and personal aptitude tests as part of your recruitment process. It will take only a few extra minutes from a candidate, but it will help you evaluate their personal skills and ability to perform well while working remotely (individually or within a team).

Build Workflows for the Remote Development Team

The last but definitely not the least tip in this remote team management recommendation is to build workflows for your overseas employees. Probably you understand that people who gather in another continent cannot start doing an impeccable job right away after signing a contract.

To boost the working process you have to come up with your procedures for a remote team. You can use your own approach or rely on a classic Agile method that will help you set up and build effective workflows for new team members.

6 Mistakes In Remote Team Management And Possible Solutions

Knowing the tips for managing a remote development team is not enough for a successful collaboration with partners. In addition, it’s also crucial to acknowledge what outsourcing mistakes businesses can make while managing remote workers. So here are some pitfalls to avoid and to learn from.

1. Inability to clearly communicate expectations

While forming a team, it’s the biggest mistake not to invest time in defining and clearly communicating your goals and expectations. It’s crucial to share your future product vision and mission as well as to prepare the relevant documents that will serve as a guide to your remote employees.

2. Team micromanagement

Some managers don’t invest enough time supervising remote workflows, and some make the opposite mistake of micromanaging the team. Even though you cannot see your team doesn’t mean they require constant supervision on your part. This will create unnecessary stress and tension. The recommendation for an effective remote development team is to define the main KPIs, use management tools wisely, and focus on more important business tasks.

3. Ignoring time-zone differences

If you opt for a remote team of developers you should understand that most likely you will have to collaborate with people all over the world. Some managers neglect this aspect and don’t adjust their workflows to a new overseas team. It’s crucial to take into account time-zone differences and schedule video meetings and overall communication accordingly. Schedule emails for the working hours of your developers so they don’t get lost and you get answers more quickly.

4. Keeping your communication solely digital

When collaborating with software engineers remotely, many business owners think that holding a meeting online once per week and exchanging emails is enough for having a fruitful collaboration. However, that’s not true. Your remote team is still a team and you have to nurture your relationship. Create team-building opportunities and try to visit your team as much as possible during  your partnership to build trustful relationships and boost team spirit.

5. Inconsistent feedback

Another very significant mistake that managers make is giving inconsistent feedback. Taking into account different locations, you should prioritize regular meetings where you will give clear and constructive feedback to make sure all efforts are aligned with business goals and desired quality of services is maintained.

6. Not using management tools

Some employers neglect the importance of using quality remote work tools. They are essential for assigning tasks, tracking progress, managing task completion, etc. Management tools significantly boost performance and productivity.

In-House vs. Remote Software Development Team: Pros & Cons

If you still hesitate and don’t know which format, remote or in-house, will be suitable for your business then take a look at this table that will help you to see clearly all pros & cons of each option for your dedicated software development team.

Basically, a remote form of collaboration will be perfect for growing companies without software development expertise that wants to have a cost-effective partnership to successfully digitize their business.

Not all companies can afford to have an in-house team as it involves a wide range of extra expenses starting from hiring and training, ending with expenses on hardware, office space, payments for vacation, and insurance. The in-house format is suitable for businesses with enough resources and who need to constantly work on their product to improve and scale up.

If a company can take into account our best practices on how to effectively manage a remote custom software development team it’s possible to make the most of this collaboration and achieve top-notch results.

Intellectsoft Is a Trusted Software Development Partner

If you have a software project in mind and are looking for a trusted and reliable software development partner then consider collaboration with Intellectsoft.

For more than 14 years already, we operate in an outsourcing software development market and offer top-notch services to our clients all over the world. We have successfully finished more than 300 projects in various industries.

Our domain expertise includes experience with fintech, healthcare, hospitality, and construction. Our best software engineers possess various technical as well as soft skills and knowledge to become a perfect match for projects of different complexity and length.

We can offer you unique access to a remote company team software development that will be at your disposal and will help you to achieve desired results.

Intellectsoft has vast professional expertise. Our team offers a wide range of services to meet all your business needs and implement your ideas into reality.

In addition, check out our most prominent client cases to see what solutions we have built for international companies across industries.

Don’t hesitate to reach out and discuss potential collaboration with Intellectsoft.

The post 7 Tips for Effective Composition and Management of a Remote Development Team appeared first on Intellectsoft Blog.

Unfortunately, the notorious events in Ukraine that started in February 2022 after the beginning of the full-scale war between Ukraine and Russia made their own effect on the IT outsourcing market.

In the last decade or so, Ukraine has been quickly growing in popularity as a software development outsourcing destination among the world’s leading companies compared to other countries. As its software outsourcing market keeps expanding, more and more IT-focused organizations, technology startups, and fully-fledged Research & Development (R&D) centers of global companies emerge in Ukraine.

During the past 6 months, the situation in the country destabilized the market a little bit but versatile Ukrainian professionals adapted quickly to the new reality and wouldn’t let the circumstances undermine our international image as the top outsourcing destination in the world.

In this article, you will find the freshest information that will show how the market of IT outsourcing services has changed in Ukraine after the Russian invasion. You will be able to get familiar with the latest salary updates for software developers as well as will get first-hand priceless tips on how to hire Ukrainian software engineers and what are the possible risks. Let’s get started!

Ukrainian Software Development Talent Pool

Software development in Ukraine is growing and enhancing year by year. On the territory of Ukraine, there are approximately 5000 IT companies.  The number of dedicated Ukrainian software developers in 2022 has reached 240k. It’s worth saying that this number grows 25-30% annually.

The country is becoming a popular destination for software development outsourcing due to its beneficial and promising technical environment, effective education, and devoted employees.

100 out of Fortune 500 corporations already have offshore development teams in Ukraine.

20% of the world’s IT leaders choose Ukraine over other popular outsourcing destinations in Europe (Poland, Hungary, Romania, etc.).

The following aspects influence the decision to work with the Ukrainian IT market:

• Qualified and experienced professionals
• Lower salary rates
• High-quality of delivered products and solutions
• Convenient time zone
• Easy communication

It is no surprise that companies like Google, Samsung, ABBYY, NetCracker, eBay, Skype, etc. employ engineers to work on their projects.

Risks of Outsourcing to Ukraine in 2022  

Needless to say, the great advantages of hiring dedicated developers in Ukraine carry some risks as well. Ukraine is one of the biggest destinations for IT outsourcing, but there are still some overarching risks that should be considered when recruiting Ukrainian developers, especially after the Russian armed invasion.

• Work disruption

Taking into account the situation in the country, there is a possible risk of disrupted telecommunications and energy supply networks. In addition, access to the Internet might also be occasionally interrupted.

Nevertheless, these risks are mitigated by IT companies. Most companies have relocated their specials overseas or to safe regions, but the probability that something might go off track is always present, and not only in Ukraine.

• Possible violation of deadlines

Again, the war in Ukraine undermined the emotional condition of many employees. It goes without saying that there are certain project deadlines and clients expect everything to be done on time but sometimes there could be possible delays as personal factors always play a significant role.

However, companies including Intellectsoft implemented our best business continuity plans to keep the processes smooth and deliver results in a timely manner.

• Team composition alterations 

Generally, the team composition is discussed at the beginning of the collaboration between an offshore vendor and a client. During the discovery phase, an outsourcing partner defines the number of people who will work in the software development team in Ukraine including developers, designers, and project managers.

These are people who are going to work on a project to build the requested software. And many business owners are concerned about the potential mobilization of specialists.

It’s crucial to mention that this outcome is unlikely. Only if the employee has their own desire to stop working, your team can be possibly recomposed to substitute the missing specialist with the required qualifications.

Even though Intellectsoft experiences a lot of pressure because of the war between Ukraine and Russia, we still make it our priority to follow our mission and put effort into digitizing businesses and implementing their solution ideas into reality.

We do all possible to support in all possible ways our software developers and other employees as their well-being is the basis of an effective business. As we have mentioned before, we have ensured a safe working environment for our colleagues.

During the past months, we were able to deliver all the planned tasks and our clients stay happy with the results we deliver and don’t plan to stop our partnership.

To make it possible, we invested a lot of resources to improve the emotional well-being of employees through psychological training. Everyone can work in a remote way from any place in the world so everyone stays productive and comfortable.

Intellectsoft also makes everything possible to make our own contribution and we regularly support the Armed Forces of Ukraine to stimulate victory.

Why Is Ukraine Good In Software Development?

Outsourcing software development in Ukraine is a major IT trend thanks to its highly skilled developers with outstanding ingenuity and problem-solving skills, cost-effectiveness, and a favorable geographical position. The main cities of Ukraine boast well-established tech centers, seasoned developers, and a constant influx of new talent, all thanks to its excellent level of technical education.

10 Reasons to Hire Developers in Ukraine

In this section, let’s explore the many reasons why Ukraine has become an attractive country for IT outsourcing and why world-famous companies recruit Ukrainian developers for their important projects:

1. Extensive talent pool

A vast talent pool is a major reason why software development outsourcing is booming in Ukraine. After the U.S. and India, Ukraine has the highest number of IT employees.

In 2021, there were approximately 200,000 tech employees in the Ukrainian IT market and in 2022 this number has grown to 240,000.

What’s more, the software developers pool in Ukraine is expected to cross the 200,000 mark in the coming years. According to SkillValue, Ukraine holds the eighth spot on the list of the world’s top countries with highly skilled programmers, with an average score index of 91.26%.

2. Skill diversity

Apart from general college or university education, Ukrainian software developers pay much attention to self-education and always keep up with the latest industry trends. You can find here specialists who use the following languages in coding:

• JavaScript
• Java
• C#
• Python
• PHP
• C++
• TypeScript
• Swift
• Kotlin
• Ruby

These languages are among the most popular ones.

Software companies that offer their services to outsource usually have experience working for companies that come from various industries, including eCommerce, Healthcare, FinTech, Retail, Hospitality, Game development, etc. They have all the necessary resources to complete projects of any complexity level and provide suitable solutions.

3. Reasonable rates

Ukraine is one of the most cost-effective IT outsourcing countries in the world across different software development categories. Compared to neighboring countries like Poland, Belarus, and the Czech Republic, Ukraine offers more affordable outsourcing rates and a more diverse tech talent pool.

If you want to hire a highly skilled software developer while saving a significant amount in development costs, Ukraine is a great choice. Ukrainian developers charge between $25-$50 whereas developers with the same skill sets in North America or Western Europe will cost a project at least $100 per hour.

4. Convenient time zone

Ukraine’s time zone is one to two hours ahead of most European countries. This makes Ukraine a convenient destination for nearshoring as well as offshoring. European clients can work and communicate comfortably with Ukrainian developers due to insignificant time differences.

If the client company is located in the U.S., Canada, or Australia, they can still get in touch with the developers without any impact on their own working schedule. Simply put, Ukraine’s location allows for better monitoring and easy project communication and control as compared to other outsourcing destinations like India, the Philippines, or Vietnam.

5. English proficiency

English is not widely used in Ukraine, but many people are fluent in it, and the number only keeps increasing. Approximately 80 percent of software developers in Ukraine have an Intermediate or higher level of English.

Also, it is worth mentioning that the vast majority of software development companies in Ukraine offer free in-house English lessons that help their employees improve their English skills and vocabulary on a regular basis. So, the level of English of Ukrainian developers lifts the language barrier and enables them to work on any international project.

6. Education

Every year, over 36,000 students graduate from local universities in Ukraine with IT-related degrees. They are obsessed with technical innovations and technologies including Ruby, Python, C++, C#, PHP, and JavaScript.

Additionally, the World Economic Forum has listed Ukraine among the top 10 countries worldwide for producing around 130,000 graduates annually in engineering and tech-related fields. In Ukraine, students are offered various educational opportunities to join the tech community. In collaboration with local IT companies, regional IT markets frequently launch educational programs at universities and colleges.

7. Culture fit

It seems that every nation can find a common language with the Ukrainian developers as they are tolerant, all-rounded, and have excellent communication skills.

As Ukraine is situated in the central part of Europe, it combines western and eastern values that give the way for easy communication.

8. R&D centers 

Nowadays there are over 100 R&D (Research and Development)  Centers in Ukraine and their number keeps growing.

Ukraine is one of the largest R&D partners in the USA. The main areas of expertise are connected with Big Data, AI, eCommerce, Cloud computing, telecommunications, etc.

9. Fertile environment for startups

Taking into account the above-mentioned info, Ukraine has a comfortable environment for a startup ecosystem. 500 new entrepreneurs appear each month that offer challenging ideas and projects, complex tasks, and a chance to contribute to product development.

Startups attract talented engineers who can use their knowledge and ideas, receive investments, and close profitable deals.

The list of the top Ukrainian startups includes the following companies: Grammarly, Petcube, Clickky, Kwambio, Augmented Pixels, SolarGaps, GitLab, TripMyDream, Cardiomo, etc.

10. Quality

Quality is another advantage you get when you work with local IT services.

Offshore teams consist of experienced, skilled, and educated employees who do their best to suit customers’ requirements and deliver products or solutions of the greatest quality. No wonder Ukraine ranks among the top countries for international outsourcing.

Ukrainian Software Development Hubs

Leading IT companies in Ukraine are located in big cities. The biggest IT hubs are Kyiv, Kharkiv, Lviv, Dnipro, and Odesa. They host not only big, medium and small outsourcing companies but also startups, R&D centers, and other IT-related organizations.

Let’s take a closer look at every city that contributes to the progress of the IT industry in Ukraine:

• Kyiv. The capital and most populous city of Ukraine, Kyiv has the biggest number of IT experts (40 percent) in the country. Kyiv, together with Lviv, is home to almost half of Ukrainian developers. It is said that 43 out of the 50 biggest Ukrainian IT companies have their development centers in Kyiv. Kyiv is one of Ukraine’s fastest-growing cities and has the highest level of business activity among Ukrainian cities. Major global companies have their offices and R&D centers situated in Kyiv

• Kharkiv. Kharkiv is the second largest city in Ukraine and has a long-established engineering tradition, which includes building software systems. The country’s important business hub has a well-developed IT outsourcing industry with over 25,000 IT professionals and almost 450 active tech enterprises.

• Lviv. A big and beautiful city located near the borders of Europe’s developed countries, Lviv is one of the most popular cities among Ukrainian software developers and IT outsourcing companies. Of 800,000 people living in this city, over 20,000 work in the IT industry. There are around three hundred and seventeen IT companies in Lviv that offer software development services to clients located in Western Europe, the U.S., UK, and many other countries. Also, a lot of conferences focused on the IT field take place in this city.

• Dnipro. Another big IT hub in Ukraine is Dnipro. It is home to nearly 12,000 IT experts and over a hundred and seventy software development companies. The city boasts a highly educated and experienced IT talent pool.

• Odesa. The southern city of Ukraine offers great opportunities to tech-savvy people who also want to work in close proximity to the sea. What is surprising is that Odesa offers higher salaries to software developers than other Ukrainian cities, making it a quite popular destination for IT talent. It is estimated that the number of IT professionals in Odessa has grown from 6,000 to 10,000 in recent years.

10 Steps to Hire Developers from Ukraine 

Following are the 10 steps that should be performed to hire top Ukrainian software developers. If you have a big project or plan to scale, it is better to delegate the hiring duties entirely to a trustworthy outsourcing partner.

1. Select a company

Make a primary analysis, and then narrow down your list to 2-3 options. Select a company based on client reviews and what your partners/associates have to say. Top managers usually have many connections and can easily acquire an informative overview of a range of potential IT partners.

2. Inquire about the chosen vendor

Before the commencement of communication, it is important to find out as much as possible about your vendor. This includes inquiring about the vendor’s how many years the vendor has been operating in the industry, pricing, procedure for candidate selection, skills, etc. If several vendors fit your initial requirements, find out the information regarding their services and prices and compare them.

3. Provide enough project/job details

Try to provide as many details as possible regarding your project or position you need to fill. The more details, the better the outcome.

4. Set up a dedicated team structure

If you have an approximate team structure for your project, discuss it with your partner. In reality, you may need more or fewer developers for your project.

5. Familiarize with your recruiter

Once the negotiation stage ends and you sign a contract with the chosen company, you get a recruiter for your project. To know that you and your recruiter are on the same page and can develop a long-term work relationship, you need to communicate your requirements/preferences to them to get an effective result.

6. Check your email frequently

Knowing that the Ukrainian IT market is growing fast, most of the candidates have numerous job offers to choose from. So, once you have contacted the recruiter, you need to check your emails regularly. The candidates’ resumes or any questions asked by the recruiter may need to be reviewed/answered as quickly as possible so that the candidate is not hired by any other organization before you make a decision.

7. Interview candidates

Enlisting an IT recruiting company has its own benefits. If you work with an IT outsourcing provider, you will have a recruiter assigned to your project. In any case, a recruiter arranges a fitting schedule for you and your candidates to conduct an interview. You can then determine the duration of the interviewing process, completion criteria, etc.

8. Provide feedback

Needless to say, both the recruiter and candidate expect to receive feedback from you. If anything goes wrong, the recruiter should know what needs to be adjusted.

9. Recruit developers

Before you make a decision, double-check whether a candidate fits the position but don’t take too long as the candidate may accept the offer from another employer.

10. Get started

Once you hire the right candidate for your project, it is time to introduce him to the rest of the team. Like the in-house staff, do the briefing, share the responsibilities, and introduce the working toolkit.

Average Salaries for Software Developers in Ukraine

The average salaries of software developers in Ukraine range from two thousand dollars for junior positions to more than five thousand dollars for senior-level positions. The salary depends on the level of expertise, technologies, demand, and location. Let’s take a look at average monthly/yearly salaries.

Consider Intellectsoft Your Trusted Software Development Partner

There is a very high chance that hiring a Ukrainian from a reliable outsourcing partner may be the most effective and impactful move your business has made in years.

Intellectsoft is a trusted programming service that has operated in the market for more than 14 years already. Our main goal is to help companies across various industries digitize their operations and achieve exponential business growth through technology implementation.

Our company has a big number of professional engineers who have extensive experience and possess a wide range of technical skills to fit your needs and build a software solution that will transform your business’s future.

We have collaborated and successfully delivered more than 300 projects for our clients throughout the globe. Intellectsoft works in such industries as healthcare, fintech, construction, hospitality, and others.

Our team has been working on both short- and long-term projects of different complexity. Of course, we have encountered a few challenges as well such as time zone differences, but with our dedication and professionalism, we are able to make everything possible to ensure smooth communication with a client and ensure high-level efficiency.

We have an extensive talent pool that includes engineers with unique niche skills, and regardless of project size and scope, you can stay cost-efficient.

Each employee brings their qualifications and best practices to the table to deliver the most quality services and support the solution even after its launch. You can hire app developers with specific skills that match your goals.

Take a look at our portfolio to see what solutions we have created for different companies across industries. In addition, get familiar with an exhaustive list of services offered by Intellectsoft.

If you are interested in a long-lasting partnership and want to give life to your software idea, feel free to get in touch with our experts to discuss your idea and start implementing it into reality with Intellectsoft.

The post Hiring Ukrainian Developers in 2022: What are the Risks? appeared first on Intellectsoft Blog.

As outsourcing services are getting more and more sought-for, you have probably stumbled on the words “team extension model” online while looking for software engineers to help you with a project.

The team extension is an outsourcing model that involves expanding your in-house development team with advanced technical skills for the short- or long-term based on your business needs.

This model enables companies to minimize costs related to recruitment and project management of specialists while receiving the best results possible.

Instead of choosing from a limited number of specialists in your region, you can collaborate with an outsourcing partner from Europe, for example, and get access to a vast talent pool and hire the best experts for reinforcing your team.

Therefore, it’s possible to say that team extension is a more efficient model to hire the right software team extension with niche skills quickly — and there is more to it.

This post will guide you through all the essentials, helping you get a clear understanding of the service, including:

• How team extension works
• How it differs from the classic dedicated team service
• Advantages and pitfalls of the team extension services
• How to choose a trusted partner
• And so much more

Now, let’s discern this new way to hire the right IT team extension specialists.

How Does Team Extension Work

Generally speaking, the process of outsourcing IT team extension is pretty simple and straightforward. This type of service is offered by established outsourcing companies all over the world. As you probably know, the top destination for outsourcing software development are several countries in Eastern Europe such as Ukraine, Poland, the Czech Republic, and so on.

As a rule, those companies operate in the IT market for many years or even decades, therefore, they have unique access to a wide talent pool of software engineers with a diverse range of skills, knowledge of programming languages, and other competencies. It gives them a competitive advantage over other agencies and they can search for and compose a team according to your requirements pretty quickly.

Offshore team extension is not only about offering quality services but building long-lasting and trustful relationships with a client and becoming a part of their team to assist them in solving their business problems.

Team Extension vs. Dedicated Development Team

Team extension and dedicated development team are two pretty similar models that exist in outsourcing. However, not all business owners understand what the main difference between them is and how to make the right choice that will be suitable for the company.

Whereas an extended team is a part of your in-house team, a dedicated development team functions as an individual entity and is located on the premises of your outsourcing partner.

The goal of the team extension model is to fill in the skills gaps in the existing team or complement it with some unique technical qualifications missing. At the same time, a dedicated team is built from scratch and consists of all the specialists needed to work on your project from the first steps to product launch.

To sum it all up, the team extension model will be suitable for those businesses that are ready to invest in a long-term partnership with an outsourcing vendor and will be ready to expand the in-house team with external professionals. This collaboration will allow them to achieve exceptional results and will be suitable for big long-term development projects.

Speaking of dedicated teams, this model can be a good choice in case you are not ready to host a new team on your premises and want to get the job done from a distance. In addition, it will be suitable for projects of shorter duration and of less complexity.

Team Extension Benefits

Team extension has four important advantages that we will dive into below.

Flexibility in Proximity

Team extension aims to provide a client with the right developers regardless of wherever the developers and the client are, and negotiate a mode of cooperation: nearshore (in close proximity to the client), onshore (on the client’s premises), or offshore (remotely).

Here, team extension should aim to negotiate the most flexible conditions, with a developer (or developers) flying to work as an onshore dedicated team whenever needed — or work onshore or nearshore while keeping the possibility to work remotely.

Niche Skills

When it comes to software solutions and digital products, many companies want to have an edge over the competition and cater to the demands of modern customers. In most cases, this is achieved through the implementation of the latest technologies.

Whether it is a project with augmented reality, blockchain, or the Internet of Things, team extension helps to find a loyal software developers team that consists of qualified engineers who have the combination of hard and soft skills required for complex projects.

High Scaling Velocity

As companies that offer team extension have at least five years of expertise in software development team extension management, they employ a great number of software developers on a full-time basis. They also have access to a pool of developers — a region in the world that has a very high number of software engineers with a wide range of skills.

Eastern Europe is a good example, balancing cost-effectiveness and code quality. The scale of this talent market and its regulatory framework allows the companies operating in the region to provide highly flexible team extension.

Team extension’s high flexibility also extends to the hiring process, which can be tailored to the client’s requirements, allowing them to tackle the challenges of the ever-changing business environment.

High Loyalty

Fostering a company culture that both makes existing developers stay and always attracts new talents is paramount to team extension. Equally important are career planning and professional management.

As a result, team extension offers an incomparably low attrition level in a team of software developers, allowing them to tackle long-term projects that go on for over a year.

Pitfalls Of Team Extension & Possible Solutions

Despite the valuable benefits that extensive IT services offer, this approach is not perfect. There are a few challenges that business owners have to be aware of in order to know how to effectively overcome them. Down below you will find the most common pitfalls to be prepared for and know what to expect in case of potential collaboration with a vendor.

Searching for a short-term solution

The biggest mistake that companies make while choosing team extension services is to perceive it as a short-term solution to temporarily close the gap in the team. This approach won’t make this partnership successful.

The main way to avoid disappointments and poor results are to build long-lasting relationships and integrate an extended team into your in-house team on a long-term basis. Only this will help you to achieve their peak performance, complete alignment with business objectives, and top-notch results.

Prioritizing costs over value

Despite the fact that outsourcing is a perfect way to reduce software development costs, each engagement model is based on its own pricing. Usually, companies might put the cost over the value that would be potentially offered by a team.

Instead of focusing on expenses, try to shift your attention to the value that an extended team will bring to the table along with their tech skills and competencies.

Setting unclear expectations

Extending a software development team means you will have to put some extra effort into making your partnership. No matter how professional your extended team will be, they need you to set clear goals, expectations, and deliverables and explain your core business objectives so they can deliver the best possible results.

Take your time and define what exactly you expect from each of your new team members, and develop detailed documentation that will serve them as support while working on your project.

Treating your extended team differently

Extended team members are a valuable part of your company. However, not all business owners remember the fact that they are part of a team and they have to be treated the same.

In order to ensure their peak performance, it’s important to make sure they have the same working conditions as other team members, they are involved in some extra office activities like corporate parties. Your attitude will define the level of their engagement and by motivating them you will ensure quality results for your business in the future.

Not embracing cultural differences

If you decide to extend a software development team it’s paramount to remember that your new software developers have a different cultural background which you should also take into account.

However, rather than paying the low cost for and inviting specialists from Asia who have a different mentality and language barrier, you can pay a bit higher price but invite professionals from Eastern Europe who have a more similar mindset and with no exceptions speak English fluently. It will enable you to minimize a cultural gap and find understanding with your team more easily.

Team Extension Structure

Team structure depends on your business needs and objectives, although you should determine the exact reasons why you hire each specialist in your team. In most cases, the effective inclusion of an extended team works when you have urgent, complex tasks and limited resources for hiring new in-house professionals to complete them. In this wide definition, hundreds of smaller reasons and nuances can be your case, such as:

• You need to develop MVP really quickly,
• Your in-house team doesn’t have free resources to manage critical project tasks,
• There’s a need to address the growing scope of the project ASAP,
• You have ambiguous goals you cannot achieve with your current team.

The key principle for hiring an extended team is to turn it into an integral part of your current project team. In practical terms, that means smart empowerment and supplementation.

If you can identify all the problems and gaps, try finding each specialist on a freelance platform. However, it’s always easier to hire an online vendor who will do all the necessary audit, hiring, and management work over your dedicated team.

If you need the checklist to start, here’s the typical structure of a dedicated team that we advise our clients:

• Front-end engineer,
• Back-end engineer,
• QA,
• UX/UI designer,
• DevOps engineer,
• BA,
• PM.

Is This Dedicated Team Model More Cost-Effective?

As team extension offers immense flexibility, the client has a lot of space to be efficient with their budget. Opportunities include hiring an engineer with niche skills to work as part of an existing developers team solely for a short-term task (or solving a particular problem).

Ultimately, there might not be a great difference in budget costs between the usual dedicated team approach and team extension for most projects. Still, that is not what the service aims to achieve in the first place.

The key difference between team extension and the classic team extension services lies in higher efficiency at key stages, and the focus on loyalty.

Who Would Hire a Dedicated Team with Team Extension?

The key industries that look for this new dedicated team approach are healthcare (among them a lot of pharmaceutical companies) and hospitality and tourism. The first needs reliable partners to deliver near-faultless software for patients and internal usage, as well as implement new technologies.

Meanwhile, hospitality and tourism companies need to continuously deliver highly streamlined software solutions. For example, today’s guests expect mobile to be part of the hotel experience and expect a hotel’s level of comfort extends to its mobile app.

At the other side of the reception desk are the employees, who need effective digital tools to deliver the services efficiently. Interestingly, a lot of startups also seek team extension services, to succeed with large-scale projects.

How to Choose a Trusted Team Extension Partner

Since the task of hiring a dedicated team becomes harder with the extra requirements for a team extension, switching to higher speed and effectiveness requires proper knowledge. We recommend referring to an expert who has access to all the valuable resources on the market and can assist you in finding true specialists for your task.

There are 4 basic principles for hiring a dedicated team with team extension. In short, you should check that the new team members are an ideal project fit and possess deep expertise in their field. For you, there are requirements for total control over the situation and a clear definition of the project goals.

Ensure that the people hired fit your project perfectly

Since team extension works on a project with the maximum speed and effectiveness, careful preparation for its inclusion is critical. Before hiring, ensure the chosen specialists can dedicate their full attention to your tasks, without switching between several projects.

Moreover, we recommend meeting each new team member in person. Since you’ll be working side by side for several hot months, mutually pleasant integration is a must.

Check the professionalism of a dedicated team

During the project implementation, you’ll face many times how things go wrong. But you can reduce the level of uncertainty and pressure by finding the right people who possess deep expertise. They can address all these challenges and bring your overall project’s effectiveness to a new level.

Establish direct control over a dedicated team under team extension

Never transfer the reins of power to your team situated in another office! The team extension model presupposes that you are a full owner of the project still. Thus, be ready to manage the constant flow of technical improvements, edits needing your attention, and various types of strategic and tactical decision-making.

Moreover, your responsibilities will include possessing control over the development process, effective team communication, and performance evaluation. In short, the team’s increased effectiveness doesn’t mean you’ll have less work — and you should embrace that responsibility.

Clearly define project goals and criteria

To measure the speed and effectiveness of a dedicated team under team expansion, you need a clear vision of your project and where it leads. Moreover, determine the roles of each team member to avoid ambiguity and their low effectiveness. In practical terms, that means setting milestones for the project and creating the assessment plan for each new project member. Don’t hesitate to use the SMART approach to goal-setting and direct discussion with your extended team members.

For the best result, look for software development companies that have been working in IT for well over five years. Many of them offer the team extension model. The service offering might slightly differ from company to company, but the main promise should be the same.

In general, team extension has the perfect structure to fit a startup with several ambitious projects, an established business that manages long-term projects with complex tasks, and a digital agency that aims at expanding. And it doesn’t work that well when you have limited funds, small project scope, or high quality is not your priority. In these cases, you won’t be able to maintain the extended team management and enjoy the advantages of its speed and effectiveness.

If you are looking for some extra workforce for your business to implement your ideas and develop innovative software to boost your growth, find out more on our Team Extension page to get familiar with the full list of services and benefits you might get while collaborating with Intellectsoft.

If you are ready to hire and lead a team of developers, do not hesitate to get in touch with us. Our software engineers have been helping startups, SMBs, and Fortune 500 companies for over 10 years.

The post Software Team Extension Outsourcing appeared first on Intellectsoft Blog.

IT outsourcing strategies are key enablers of the sustainable competitiveness of the companies engaged in technology-intensive business. As a result of a successful outsourcing experience, the company can reap the benefits of enhanced dynamic capabilities, market-oriented innovation, strategic flexibility, agility, and increased efficiency.

The cooperation between an outsourcing company and a business will result in the development of dynamic capabilities that are related to knowledge management routines such as learning, sharing, integration, and reconfiguration.

In the article, we will dive into the types of outsourcing, define the term “outsourcing strategies”, their advantages and disadvantages, as well as will showcase the best practices for developing a well-performing outsourcing strategy. Let’s get started!

Facts About IT Outsourcing 

• The IT services market has an estimated CAGR of 8.4% and the IT outsourcing market 7.7%
• By 2025, the IT services sector is expected to be worth $1,070.28 billion
• By 2025, the IT outsourcing market potentially will be valued at $ 806.63 billion
• By the end of 2023, IT outsourcing expenses will exceed $1.3 trillion as companies increasingly look for digital transformation partners
• 64% of all companies outsource their entire development process
• 70% of the top reasons to outsource is cost reduction
• Big companies are 66% more likely to outsource than small businesses
• 24% of small businesses outsource to boost their business efficiency
• 78% of businesses feel positive about their relationships with an outsourcing partner

What Are the Outsourcing Strategies? 

Outsourcing means finding and hiring a third-party service provider to deal with certain tasks that are beyond the capabilities of the in-house team. Recently, the practice of working with external resources has grown into a trend as it brings a number of benefits to the outsourcers.

Outsourcing strategies are a plan built on the analyses and assessment of the functions that should be better performed by an external service. It means that the company defines tasks that are hard or impossible to perform with its own resources and starts searching for the companies that have all the necessary tools and qualified staff to deal with the task within the stated time frame.

The same goes for outsourcing strategies, as IT companies work in different directions within the field and might not have all the means to complete certain operations or implement new technologies on their own.

Types of Outsourcing: What Is the Difference?

Over the years, outsourcing strategies have developed and grown into different types that have specific purposes.

Outsourcing can be divided into:

• Onshore – you are looking for third-party services in your own country
• Nearshore – hiring from the neighboring countries
• Offshore – working with distant countries

In addition to this, outsourcing strategies are usually grouped into the following categories:

• Professional Outsourcing: your company lacks mobile app developers, so you decide to outsource the professionals who can fill in the gap and provide their services.
• IT Outsourcing: nowadays, small or large companies in any field have IT needs (infrastructure, software development, maintenance, support, etc.). It’s usually cheaper to contact a third-party IT service rather than build your one to deal with certain functions.
• Multisourcing: this strategy means hiring IT services in combination with other business functions.
• Manufacturer Outsourcing: if you want to produce products under your brand, you might look for a company (manufacturer) that already has all the necessary equipment and is capable of providing you services.
• Process-Specific Outsourcing: means to hire an outsourcing team that specializes in a narrow or specific service.
• Project Outsourcing: you have too many projects, and you cannot complete all of them, so you look for a company that will deal with one or a number.

What IT Services Are Usually Outsourced? 

Before you start building your outsourcing strategies, it’s important to also understand what IT services can be outsourced. It will enable you to request the relevant set of services that will help you achieve desired results within a shorter time frame. The most widely outsourced services it’s possible to name:

• Web development
• Application development
• Custom software development
• Website or app testing
• Application maintenance and support
• Database management
• Infrastructure management
• Disaster recovery
• Data Center management
• Data cloud storage
• Web security

 Primary Advantages of Strategic Outsourcing

The external cooperation brings a number of advantages of outsourcing strategy as the company can build a wide network of competencies linked by outsourcing contracts, from which necessary functions such as raw materials, components, and systems can be outsourced.

The company can build strong relationships and partner with external services to work on certain projects or tasks on a regular basis. It gives a chance to exchange knowledge and experience between the companies, to build tight, professional relationships, and develop managerial and communication skills of both teams.

In addition to this, outsourcing strategies can offer such advantages as:

Reduced Expenses

It is one of the most prominent advantages of outsourcing. It is common practice to be based in the USA or Western Europe but hire teams or individual specialists from Asian countries, India happens to be the most popular one. There are companies that offer their services at a lower price in comparison with the US and EU companies, but they have proven to be of high quality.

Better Efficiency 

Outsourcing results in higher efficiency, as you hire experienced teams who can deal with complex tasks and can provide the most effective and suitable solutions for your company. As they have a good understanding of the field and years of experience, productivity, and efficiency increase.

Focus on Important Tasks 

Outsourcing services will take care of the issue you are facing at all stages of the process. The CEO and managers of the company would be kept in the loop but they will not be required to perform any of the tasks related to the project. Thus, it gives them an opportunity to work on the other important aspects of your company’s development.

No Need to Invest in New Tech Tools 

Outsourcing service takes all the responsibility for the infrastructure and technologies. In most cases, they already have all the necessary tools to work on your task.

Skilled and Experienced Resources 

Outsourcing saves your time spent on recruitment and training of the specialists for the in-house team. Companies that provide outsourcing services have highly-qualified, experienced, and educated experts who will be able to complete the project.

It follows that outsourcing is also time-effective, as you do not have to spend years searching for the candidates and growing the specialists you need to support your business growth and development.

Main Disadvantages of Strategic Outsourcing

Though advantages of strategic outsourcing are prevailing, it still has a few disadvantages that you need to keep in mind as well. Among the top challenges that companies encounter while outsourcing are data security concerns, disaster recovery issues, as well as potential problems with data ownership.

In addition, it’s not that easy to maintain communication while outsourcing as usually, you are going to be located in different countries and even on different continents with the big time-zone difference. In its turn, it can create slower response time, potential misunderstandings, as well as a language barrier.

In case you collaborate with a reliable outsourcing partner you will manage to easily avoid these issues. Finding the cheapest vendor is not an option if you want to receive quality services.

Keep in mind that it’s paramount to check the outsourcing service before you have a contract with them. It should be a company with a good portfolio and customers’ reviews. It is recommended to contact previous customers in order to have a better picture of the company and make sure they have a good reputation and provide excellent services.

Strategies for IT Outsourcing: Things to Know

IT outsourcing strategies require the cooperation of several departments (legal, HR, operations, etc.), and the outcome depends on unified work and a clear business plan. Usually, organizations have only one goal for this strategy: to get the best technologies at the lowest cost. But it can lead to failure, and it is essential to take into account the tips listed above.

First of all, it is essential to have clear objectives, and your team should understand them. Another critical issue in external outsourcing is communication. Companies should make it simple and clear for both parties to understand the requirements, terms, and conditions of the cooperation.

Best Practices for Implementing Successful IT Outsourcing Strategies

It cannot be said that there are bad or good outsourcing strategies. The success of outsourcing depends on a number of aspects that every company should think of before hiring external services. Although IT outsourcing strategies described above have different goals, they all have the same structure. Thus, there are certain steps to follow in order to make it successful.

1. Outsource the right things for the right reasons: do not only fall for a cost-driven strategy but make sure that both outsourcing and your business strategies are aligned.
2. Define what you expect: develop a sound business case that outlines the business value of outsourcing and how this initiative supports your company’s objectives. In addition, develop an achievable and realistic plan for the end product you and your outsourcing partner can rely on.
3. Prepare the documentation: in order to make the collaboration between you and an outsourcing partner effective, you need to prepare all the relevant specifications and requirements to proceed with the development right away. At the end of the article, we have prepared a quick checklist that will help you make sure you have all the necessary documents ready.
4. Choose the right vendor: the vendor should suit your needs and be capable of completing tasks of any complexity. Take your time and research the company’s reviews on the Internet as well to see what their previous clients say about them. Also, do not underestimate your in-house staff and make sure that senior management is involved in the process.
5. Pick the best-matching engagement model. There are three main different approaches to collaborating with an IT outsourcing company so research each option. Before you make your final decision, it’s crucial to know what financial resources you are ready to allocate for the development process. Once you know your budget, you will be able to choose the right engagement model that will help you get all the work done that will fit into the budget that is most suitable for your team.
6. Create an effective contract: it should reflect strategic goals and clearly define expectations for the vendor and the company. It’s the legal basis of your partnership so pay close attention to this aspect.
7. Track the process: make sure that you are getting what you have paid for. The reporting on the project’s progress and transparency are extremely important. It would be highly recommended to clearly define your KPIs so you can easily track your progress and make sure everything is done in a timely manner.

These are the aspects that companies should keep in mind in order to outsource external services successfully.

Bonus: Checklist for Outsourcing Efficiency

Before you even consider outsourcing your software development services, it’s important to go through the preparation stage. Make sure you can answer the questions below.

1. Are you and your team clear about the main task or project that you are planning to outsource?
2. Do you have all the documentation ready such as an outline or manual describing in detail your future project? Make sure it contains the following information:

• Specific task/project description
• Main technical requirements
• Description of a customer problem that you want to solve as well as the possible solution
• Expected results
• Overall project budget
• Deadlines
• Technical skills that you are looking for
• Who will be responsible for managing the whole development process and being a contact point with an outsourcing vendor?

Once you have all this information ready, you can establish your collaboration with a software outsourcing company. It will help your partner quickly and easily understand their primary task and start the development process as soon as possible to deliver the quality results you expect.

IT outsourcing strategies: Bottom Line 

As you can see, outsourcing is a very cost- and time-effective option when it comes to software development and digitization initiatives. However, it should not be treated as an easy path to take.

In order to make your collaboration with a chosen IT outsourcing strategy partner, you should take your time for the preparation stage. Having a clear and detailed plan for the process will help you make everything successful and will bring you a number of business advantages.

Don’t hesitate to talk to our experts today to find out more about the topic and how your business or project can start benefiting from it! We have dozens of qualified professionals with relevant experience who can help you not just with defining your IT outsourcing strategies but also be instrumental in building an innovative solution that will ensure your ultimate growth.

The post How to Come Up with an Effective IT Outsourcing Strategy for Your Business appeared first on Intellectsoft Blog.

The IT outsourcing market was valued at $ 526.6 billion in 2021, and it is expected to reach $ 682.3 billion by 2027, registering a CAGR of 4.13% during the 5-year period from 2022 to 2027.

It is no surprise as more and more companies have become interested in requesting development services overseas in recent years.

After entering the international market, the offshore software providers now present various prospective opportunities to the established companies in the US and Europe.

Offshore development services are generally performed in countries where labor cost is much lower than in the country where the services are received, which is extremely convenient for business owners and profitable for outsourcing IT organizations.

If you have decided to outsource your software development, the first thing to do is to define your main remote team management tactics. Despite all the amazing benefits of outsourcing like cost-effectiveness, speed, and top-notch service quality, it is really challenging to manage an offshore development team located miles away from you.

So, in this article, we will teach you how to manage an offshore development team effectively and analyze the best practices for managing offshore resources.

The Importance of Outsourcing Software Development

Outsourcing has become a promising alternative for companies that have already experienced a talent shortage and now want to enhance their business performance.

According to McKinsey, over 87% of organizations either already encountered or expect to face this issue in a few years. For the offshore team of professional developers, it is just a perfect time for offering their services to various companies.

Benefits of Working With Offshore Development Teams

1. Cost-Effectiveness

Both sides will get the benefits: for the offshore development teams, it is a new ground for work, and for the companies — a more cost-effective method for getting talented employees.

2. Flexibility

Outsourcing software development gives you plenty of flexibility starting with the technical skills you want to obtain for your project, ending with the budget for a specialist and your collaboration length.

3. Access to a Wide Range of Skills

Outsourcing gives you unique access to a wide tech talent pool so you can choose professionals with different levels of expertise and different technical backgrounds according to your business needs.

4. Quick Start of the Development Process

You don’t have to waste time searching, recruiting, and training the relevant professionals. Outsourcing enables you to select from different specialists offered by your IT partner so you can start the development process right after signing the contract.

Challenges of Collaboration with Offshore Software Development Teams 

However, there are still some points to consider before starting to cooperate with the offshore development team. Thus, you will be able to get ready for the various challenges while managing offshore development teams and find the best solutions for any issue.

• Time-zone differences. If the development team is located really far away, you can fail in its management;
• Language barrier. Without establishing the right communication, it will be extremely difficult to create an effective workflow between you and an offshore development team.
•  Cultural differences. Asian developers have their own cultural peculiarities that you will have to deal with. If it’s an option, opt for Eastern European software development.
• Poor communication. If main requirements, project details, and daily tasks are not communicated effectively, chances are that the end result won’t be as you expect.
• Remoteness. Not all companies know all the pitfalls of managing offshore development teams located overseas. It creates plenty of challenges so coming up with a management strategy is obligatory before considering outsourcing.

Effective Tips for Managing Offshore Development Teams  

So, what are the main ways for enhancing the workflow and improving the communication with your offshore development team? Here are some effective tips for you on how to manage an offshore development team:

#1 Develop a Clear Product Vision and Explain the End Goal

If you want to get quality results and smooth collaboration between your organization and an outsourcing team, it’s not enough to just assign the task and expect it to be done. Managing remote software development team requires much more involvement and effort. The primary thing to do is to share the general picture of your product and clearly explain your end goal.

The developers need to understand what your company is all about, what is your main vision, mission, and values, what product you want to create, and what user problems to solve with the final application or software.

Once they are aligned with all the important details, software engineers will be able to make more well-informed decisions during the work process and ensure the desired progress and quality.

# 2 Build Detailed Product Documentation

Another important thing that is required in order to make your offshore team management as effective as possible, is creating detailed and informative product documentation. It’s obligatory if you want to create a modern top-notch quality product. It will help software developers to stay aligned with all the requirements, prevent code failure, and will also help you avoid a potential technical debt.

# 3 Set Accurate Deliverables and Milestones

The deliverables and project milestones are the solid basis for your success with offshore development teams. Before the work even begins, you have to invest your time and effort into the research and planning phase.

Defining key performance indicators, milestones and deliverables will help you track the progress and evaluate the project’s success.

# 4 Consider the Key Project Knowledge

The employee onboarding process is one of the main aspects which every company should certainly pay attention to, as it can considerably influence the working performance of your new staff.

By providing all the project knowledge to your team extension members, you will be able to organize the processes more effectively and get the work done much better.

Furthermore, you can create a database for each project, and share it with your software developers. Thus, it becomes much easier for the development team to get started with the new project and run it effectively.

#5 Establish Clear Communication

Needless to say, communication with your offshore team is also critical for performance. However, the language barrier can sometimes make it difficult to present the tasks for your workers, especially for those who aren’t fluent in your native language.

For this purpose, use the specific software targeted at providing clear communication between the company members, like Outlook emails, Skype, or Zoom. That’s a quick and effective way to communicate with your developers and seek clarity where the verbal communication wasn’t clear.

It’s paramount to match your schedules and have regular calls to make sure that everything goes as planned and there are no bottlenecks for your offshore team.

The communication between you has to be as transparent as possible so don’t forget to provide instant and clear feedback to prevent any potential misunderstandings. As a result, you can easily track the progress and always point out the critical issues to the offshore software development team.

Additionally, it is a great option to regularly arrange the meetings for Q&A sessions during the project completion. This tip can greatly improve the workflow performance, so the project will be done much faster and better.

#6 Focus on the Working Conditions Improving

The skill gaps issue is the one every company has experienced at least once in their practices. And this issue becomes even more clear when you manage a team that gets constantly reshaped, as you lose a lot of time, resources, and investments on the employees’ onboarding and orientation.

That is why companies have now realized how difficult it is to find and how important it is to retain qualified and talented workers.

By improving the working conditions, and providing them with professional growth, training opportunities, and fair compensation, you will be able to prepare a professional offshore development team.

Make your company attractive for the new talented employees, and try to build trustful, loyal and healthy communication between the teams, which is a must for a successful partnership.

#7 Use the Defined Tools for Work

The common problem of the offshore development team is that remote software developers can’t understand the project’s core idea and solutions. One of the main reasons it appears — is the inconsistent development environment across the teams.

As a result, you can get the poor quality of software, late detection of bugs, and a list of core integration issues.

To resolve this problem, it is critical for all remote developers to use the defined tools for software development, control, and improvement.

This will help you to make sure all the essential processes are done according to the project plan, and greatly help you to manage an offshore development team effectively.

# 8 Motivate Your Team

Managing offshore development teams and maintaining the good productivity level of remote employees ain’t easy. The last but very important advice is always to motivate your offshore development teams.

Both the in-house workforce and externally hired specialists need the same level of encouragement to achieve top-notch results. It’s even more critical if we are talking about long-term projects.

Choose your own motivation strategy. Whether it’s investing more money on business trips to meet your newly hired staff to add more personal touch, individual video calls with each team member to have strategic sessions, organizing an informal corporate event to let them simply have fun after work, or any other motivation technique that works for your company — go for it and you will have result-driven employees who will work effectively in the long run.

What Are the Hidden Costs for an Offshore Development Team?

For sure, managing a remote team of developers implies huge investments in working resources, time, and costs.

Nevertheless, it is still much more cost-effective to hire offshore developers, as you will get the same, or even better quality of services with paying less money, that is why companies have already been using this model in their workflow.

The additional expenses you should keep in mind usually include

• the onboarding and orientation processes;
• procurement of equipment;
• company database creating;
• offshore workflow organization and management;
• workshops organizing and knowledge sharing, etc.

Though the costs may depend on the company’s specific targets and working processes, more and more companies find these methods really effective for managing offshore development teams.

Having mastered the offshore working processes once, your company will be able to hire talented workers from different parts of the world.

Furthermore, by enhancing the internal workflow processes of your company and the offshore teams, you will significantly increase the quality of the projects done and take your company to the next level of development.

Bottom Line 

All in all, offshore team implementation now has become a useful and profitable method for companies to perform their tasks effectively.

However, there are still some points to consider before hiring the offshore development team as it implies planning and managing the communication, workflow, project targets, knowledge, etc.

But having created a dedicated development team, the companies can actually get a lot of benefits for their development and ROI improvement.

We know how important and challenging remote employee management may be. That’s why we shared our practices on how to manage an offshore development team. Our professional team at Intellectsoft, empower various companies and their workforces with innovative solutions and modern approaches.

So, if you and your organization are looking for an offshore development team, talk to our experts and find out more about the topic and how your business can get the full advantage of collaborating with an offshore team!

The post Golden Key to Managing Offshore Development Teams Effectively appeared first on Intellectsoft Blog.

As the market is overflowing with specialists with various skills and experience, it’s quite challenging to find the matching tech talent. In order to make well-informed hiring decisions, it’s important to understand a few peculiarities when it comes to hiring expert developers.

What should you look for in your future software developer? What skills matter? How to get ready for the interview and what questions to ask in order to assess their qualification and hire an expert? You will get the answers to all these burning questions in this article.

Tips to Make the Process of Hiring a Developer Easier

Let’s start with some tactics that will make you one step closer to recruiting and working with the experts in software development.

1. Identify Your Needs and Standards

Before hiring expert developers, your primary task is to clearly identify your tech talent needs. Most likely, you already know what type of software or application you want to receive.

If you are not sure what programming languages or technologies should be used, then don’t hesitate to get a consulting session with seasoned IT experts who will guide you through the main technological stack that will be appropriate for your case. Based on this info, you will be able to understand what professional you are looking for and what will be your candidate search standards.

2. Check Talent Availability

Software developers are the most sought-after professionals who are challenging to hire. Check your local talent availability and define your time frames to close the deal with the developer.

It’s worth noting that whereas hiring local developers will be very costly and time-consuming, Eastern Europe has already become a top destination for outsourcing software development and for recruiting Eastern European software engineers remotely.

Take a closer look at companies that operate in this region as they have access to thousands of the most experienced specialists who offer their services for the most reasonable price.

3. Prepare the Right Job Description

The well-written job description makes all the difference in the process of hiring expert developers. The job openings are immense and your task is to be as specific and transparent as possible to attract the relevant candidates.

In the requirement field, include what qualifications and experience, degree subject, soft and tech skills you are looking for. In addition, indicate what tools they should have experience with and whether they should have an interest in a particular industry, if applicable.

Don’t forget to give a brief company profile overview so the applicants also understand if they want to work for you and become a part of your team. If possible, provide some essential information about the project itself.

4. Explore All the Options

After you have posted your job description and started receiving applications, you need to carefully consider the career path of each person. While you have your requirements regarding your future developer, you should also stay open-minded and see their potential. Review each application and select the best-matching ones to proceed to the interview stage.

5. Plan the Interview

Depending on your needs, there could be a few interviewing stages. However, you should focus on getting ready for your face-to-face interview. This is a unique opportunity to identify if the candidate is right for the role or not. You should plan your communication in advance. Think of what questions you want to ask and what information you would love to get in the course of your conversation.

To make the process easier and more convenient for you, at the end of the article, we will provide you with a list of the most common questions that you should ask during a job interview with your future developer.

6. Conduct Relevant Technical Test

Before working with the experts, you should conduct the relevant technical assessment to evaluate their skills. This recruitment stage is the crucial screening part as it enables you to see their technical skills as well as problem-solving abilities in a real sample case.

Make sure your test task is related to your business or project and you will easily see if it’s the right match for you. By doing the test task a candidate will demonstrate their approach to solving a work-related challenge so you make a well-informed final decision. If the tech test results are not enough to decide, you can always ask for a referral from a previous employer.

7. Get Some Assistance

If you are not an expert in recruiting specialists, especially in the tech field, you should also consider collaborating with companies that offer a full software developer recruitment cycle for you.

By having a reliable tech partner, instead of wasting your time and resources on finding the right specialist, you will be able to focus on more important business development tasks. And a dedicated partner will take care of all the details and will provide you with their internal workforce or will know how to hire .NET developers or the best specialists with relevant tech experience and skills to work on your project right away.

What Soft and Hard Skills Are Crucial for a Qualified Developer?

Another vital part of hiring expert developers is knowing what are the soft skills and technical qualifications that are integral for a professional who can contribute to the overall success of your project. Here are the ones that you should keep an eye on while communicating with your candidates.

Soft Skills to Consider While Hiring Expert Developers

1. Communication skills

Exceptional communication skills are a winning ticket to a thriving career no matter what your industry is. The field of software development is not an exception. Choose a person who is confident and speaks clearly. It will enable both you and your developer to stay on the same page about the expectations, updates, requirements, and deadlines, and avoid any potential misunderstandings.

2. Time-management skills

Very often, professional developers work under the high pressure of tight deadlines. Therefore, the ability to effectively manage their workload and deliver quality results in a timely manner is essential.

3. Teamwork

A software engineer or any other IT professional is always a person who works in a dynamic team. The process of building a new software solution is all about collaboration with team members from different departments. Therefore, the ability to effectively collaborate with mates is another one to pay attention to.

4. Problem-solving skills

Computer science is all about problem-solving skills. The process of software development is full of challenges and it’s critical to have the ability to solve any potential problem with ease. Finding an effective solution to a problem is a great quality that makes a professional stand out among others.

5. Adaptability 

Software development is a fast-paced environment where drastic changes are inevitable. Adaptability enables a good specialist to easily change the strategy while maintaining the top-notch coding quality.

6. Critical thinking 

A critical thinker will easily assess the problem and will be able to analyze it to come up with an unconventional solution with a little bit of a creative approach. It’s important to have the potential to see the situation from different perspectives and decide on steps to achieve the best outcome.

7. Emotional intelligence

EI including empathy is one of the pivotal characteristics of a mature specialist who can smooth;y integrate into any working environment and become a perfect employee, a great colleague you can rely on, and expect the highest level of professional dedication.

Hard Skills to Consider While Hiring Expert Developers

1. Programming languages

When hiring experts in software engineering and development, focus on what programming languages they are knowledgeable in. Among the most widely used languages, it’s possible to name C++, JavaScript, Python, and others.

2. Cross-platform development

Nowadays, all products created are expected to work seamlessly on multiple platforms and like Mac, Windows, Linux, etc. Therefore, the skills of cross-platform development are highly appreciated and will be a big bonus to the skillset of a specialist.

3. Source control

It helps software developers to easily make changes, track updates, and manage and store their code. Most employers are interested in hiring expert developers proficient in source control. Among the popular tools are Git, Mercurial, or SVN, so check out if the specialist has it listed in their resume.

4. Software testing 

Every experienced developer should possess solid knowledge of testing procedures to ensure that product functions fulfill all the technical requirements. You should hire experts who have a great track record of testing software and an understanding of three core testing methods.

5. Database knowledge

Databases allow individuals to organize and structure information about a certain company. Preferably, a developer should understand how to secure a database and backup all the data to protect the company’s information during unpredictable situations. In order to do that, a professional has to possess a robust knowledge of SQL to operate the database effectively.

6. Text editing software

This particular skill is important for professionals of different levels of expertise: from a beginner to an experienced developer. This is a paramount tool in the daily life of a software engineer as it helps them become more productive and increase their work quality.

7. Cloud platforms

Cloud platforms are extremely popular as they enable running a remote database of a company. To configure this kind of platform, a developer should possess special skills and knowledge related to cloud-based technologies. For example, look for an AWS certification.

Interview Questions to Ask While Hiring Expert Software Developer

As a bonus, in order to help you hire an expert developer, we have prepared a list of questions that you can use to interview your future candidates and decide if they are a good match for your team:

• Why did you choose our company and why do you want to work in this job role?
• What are your professional goals for the next few years?
• What do you like and don’t like about your current team/job?
• How do you keep honing your technical and soft skills?
• In what ways did you positively contribute to a previous company or project?
• Can you share an idea or solution that you believed in and tried to convince others to support it? How did you manage to convince your colleagues?
• What are the main technologies you are interested in and why?
• What is your favorite programming language and why?
•  Can you think of any software or application that you would improve technically? How would you fix those issues?
• How do you usually handle negative feedback from your managers or testers?
• What is the biggest technical challenge you have overcome in your professional career?
• What project management tools are you familiar with?
• Describe the project you have successfully completed and are proud of?
• What was the mistake you made and learned from?
• How do you ensure the quality of your code?
• What new technical skills would you like to learn and why?

Summing It Up

As demand creates its supply, there are thousands of software developers looking for a new technological challenge to tackle. Whether you want to expand your internal workforce or collaborate with a few engineers remotely to build your software, you need to take the process of hiring very seriously.

By implementing the knowledge we have shared in this blog post, you will be able to make the recruiting process as smooth and easy as possible.

If you are looking for experienced software developers to extend your team then don’t hesitate to contact us and we will be glad to assist you and hire an expert. At Intellectsoft, we offer various engagement models to make your collaboration with software engineers efficient while making sure your budget is also met.

The post Extensive Guide to Hire Software Experts: Tips to Choose a Perfect Developer appeared first on Intellectsoft Blog.

Software development in Eastern Europe gained popularity a few years ago. Still, not all people are aware of the full potential of outsourcing, and only few of them know what destinations to look for a good tech company.

If you want to find the top-notch IT software outsourcing company in Eastern Europe then keep reading to discover the list of main tech partners, and get additional information that will make your collaboration as effective as possible.

In What Countries to Look For  Software Development Companies in Eastern Europe?

The digital infrastructure of Eastern Europe is amazing which makes it a perfect choice in case you need to outsource your software development.

Before we dive into the review of software development companies in Eastern Europe, let’s define what are the most popular countries where you can hire the best tech professionals. Among the top destinations it’s possible to name:

• Ukraine
• Poland
• Czech Republic
• Bulgaria
• Rumania

5 Main Pros of Eastern European Software Development Companies

Eastern Europe software development companies have a great reputation and are chosen by businesses all over the world for multiple reasons. Let’s find out what the fuss is all about.

1. Costs of Eastern European Software Development Services

The prices for services of Eastern Europe software development companies are much lower compared to the hourly rate of US-based developers. By choosing to outsource your project, it will be possible to significantly save on development expenses while receiving the desired product of amazing quality.

2. Exceptional Level of Education and Technical Expertise

It’s worth noting that the education offered in Eastern European universities is of high quality and their educational institutions are listed as top-ranked. The majority of software developers hold a bachelor’s or master’s degree in computer science or another relevant subject. Those who did not complete the specialized program can demonstrate their strong technical expertise acquired during post-graduate courses.

3. Large Talent Pool

No matter what experts you are looking for — they will get you covered. Software development companies in Eastern Europe have relevant specialists with a wide range of technical expertise including software engineers and developers knowledgeable in various programming languages and technologies, as well as other professionals like designers, product managers, QA experts, etc.

4. Amazing Communication Skills

In Eastern Europe, most people have a decent knowledge of English, and software specialists are not an exception. Since they have a great level of the language, you will be able to communicate effectively, and finding understanding between you and your future engineers is not going to be an issue.

5. Great Level of Services and Outstanding Skills

Those businesses that have collaborated with Eastern Europe software development companies made sure that they offer a great level of services. With the power of word of mouth, more and more companies request software development from Eastern Europe to get an unprecedented balance of expertise and reasonable prices.

Main Cons of Eastern European Software Development Companies

Whereas software development outsourcing in Eastern Europe has plenty of advantages, its drawbacks are mostly limited. Among the main challenges that you should expect while considering an Eastern European software development partner are the following:

• Difficulties calculating and predicting taxation
• The hourly rates of software engineers are higher than of those in Asia
• Time zone differences can make it difficult to communicate with an outsourcing team if your company is located in North America
• Respectively, managing software developers might cause some other inconveniences
• Employee turnover is high and staff retention is something you will have to work on

Effective Tips for Software Development in Eastern Europe

Here are some extra tips and recommendations that will come in handy before you choose and start collaborating with one of the companies we will review below:

• Do some extensive research before selecting your outsourcing vendor. Consider all pros and cons of partnering with them, visit their website, and pay attention to their clients’ reviews and portfolios.
• Make sure that the country/company you want to work with has a sufficient talent pool. Clearly define your needs to understand if the company can offer you the right amount of tech workforce you might require for future effective collaboration.
• Check the technological infrastructure and internet coverage before signing the contract. Take into account all the downtime risks that can disrupt your businesses and make the most well-informed decision.

The Full List of Top Software Development Companies in Eastern Europe

1. Yalantis
2. N-iX
3. Intellectsoft
4. Andersen
5. iTechArt Group
6.  Itransition
7. The Software House
8. Inoxoft
9. Intellias
10. IBA Group
11. Ciklum
12. Kanda Software
13. Altamira

If you are looking for the best software development in Eastern Europe, down below you will find the list of companies that offer quality services and solid tech expertise.

Yalantis

Yalantis is considered one of the most rated companies and delivers the best software development in Eastern Europe. They have more than 13 years of experience and have tech centers in Ukraine and Cyprus. Among their main clients, it’s possible to name Toyota Tsusho Corporation, KPMG, Zillow, and others.

Yalantis operates in the healthcare, logistics, fintech, real estate, and telecommunications. They have more than 500 specialists on board to help clients build tech innovations, extend their teams, and enhance their existing systems to drive business value and ensure sustainable growth.

The company has extensive experience designing and delivering stable, scalable, and functional digital products of different complexity.

The list of main services offered by Yalantis:

• SaaS development
• End-to-end business solutions
• Digital transformation
•  Mobile software products
• Cloud & DevOps
• BI, Analytics, Big data
• IoT
• Cybersecurity
• High load systems
• UI and UX design

N-iX

This one is one of the top software development companies in Eastern Europe. Located in Lviv, Ukraine, N-iX has been operating in the market since 2002 and offers a wide range of software development services to companies across the globe. The company partners with businesses while helping them to build successful engineering teams as well as software products to solve problems through the power of innovation.

They offer software development in Eastern Europe but have offices not just in Ukraine and Poland, but also in Malta, Sweden, and the US. N-iX operates in a variety of industries that include telecommunications, fintech, manufacturing, logistics, healthcare, and more.

The list of main services offered by N-iX: 

• Full-cycle software product development 
• Development of MVP
• Software architecture design
• Development of native iOS and Android apps
• Cross-platform mobile solutions
• Custom software development
• Open text services
• SAP consulting
• Cross-platform game development
• Game art production
• QA and testing

Intellectsoft

Intellectsoft is a digital transformation consultancy and IT software outsourcing company in Eastern Europe that has been in the market since 2007. The mission of the company is to assist Fortune 500 companies, startups, and mid-sized companies accelerate the adoption of the latest technologies and boost their digital evolution. Intellectsoft’s team leads the development process from ideation to the final product launch and provides ongoing product support.

Intellectsoft became a reliable digital transformation partner for many companies across the world. Its major clients include Guinness, EY, Jaguar, Eurostar, Harley-Davidson, Cirrus Insight, and so many more. The key technologies are IoT, blockchain, and customer services applicable to numerous industries — including construction, healthcare, fintech, and hospitality.

Intellectsoft has been named as one of the highly-rated software development B2B companies in 2021 by Clutch and gained multiple awards from platforms like The Manifest, Inc. 5000, and IT Firms as one of the most highly ranked Eastern Europe software development companies.

The list of main services offered by Intellectsoft: 

• IT consulting
• Custom software development
• Full-stack mobile, web, and desktop application development
• Dedicated teams
• Product engineering
• Architecture
• UX/UI design
• Legacy product re-engineering
• App developers
• QA and testing
• Cyber security
• Web development
• Outsourcing software development services

Andersen

Here is another pretty renowned company that offers software development in Eastern Europe. They have a very strong pool of technical experts with robust expertise who can augment your in-house workforce.

Established in 2007, Andersen provides the unique skills and knowledge of more than 3000+ developers, as well as QA engineers, business analysts, and other software development professionals.

Now, Andersen represents a big and mature organization that excels in helping businesses achieve the best possible IT outcomes while meeting all business needs and sharing their excellent expertise.

Andersen possesses deep knowledge in financial services, logistics, and healthcare industries. The company made its own contribution to projects of the globally-known corporations including Siemens, S&P Global, Ryanair, IHS Markit, TUI, Johnson & Johnson, T-Systems, and others.

The list of main services offered by Andersen: 

• UX/UI design
• Mobile app development
• Web development
• Custom software development
• IT staff augmentation
• Solution architecture
• Project management & analysis
• DevOps services
• Product development services 
• IoT development services

iTechArt Group

This top-rated software development company located in Eastern Europe equips startups with teams of dedicated engineers since 2002. iTechArt Group enables them to scale from MVP to becoming a scalable and promising product.

The key focuses of iTechArt Group fall in the financial services, medical, education, and gaming fields. Their major service lines relate to mobile apps and custom software development. However, it’s worth saying that, unlike other organizations, it also provides CRM consulting and SI services.

This company possesses extensive experience in web, mobile, cloud, DevOps, and emerging technologies. They have 3,500 developers on board who deliver high-ROI and high-performing software solutions and products.

iTechArt Group has partnered with more than 350 large companies, and it’s possible to name ClassPass, Gain Capital (forex.com), Merkle, Barchart, BuildingLink, and many others among their key clients.

The list of main services offered by iTechArt Group: 

• Web application development
• Custom software development
• Mobile development
• QA & testing
• Cloud computing
• UI/UX design and development 
• DevOps
• AI-powered application development
• Blockchain-based application development

Itransition

To your attention is another company that sells software development in Eastern Europe with extensive experience and a big range of professional services.

They have a great reputation as a trusted global software development company with 20+ years of professional experience and presence in the market. Itransition delivers a wide spectrum of software consulting and development services to clients worldwide.

The company has more than 3000 IT professionals with powerful and proven skills. Their employees apply all the latest business knowledge and methodologies to effectively cope with software projects of different complexity and scale.

Itransition has proven its professionalism and has been recognized by many industry authorities and gained multiple awards like The Software 500 by Software Magazine and Technology Fast 500 by Deloitte.

The list of main services offered by Itransition: 

• Custom Software Development
• Software Product Development
• Enterprise Application Integration
• Technology Consulting
• Application Security
• Software Testing & QA
• Maintenance and Support
• Dedicated Development Centers

The Software House

This Eastern European software development organization helps technology-oriented companies scale or build their development team with knowledgeable and experienced professionals while cutting down the costs and assisting businesses in their exponential growth.

The Software House has more than 200 developers on board with various expertise including DevOps, QAs, and designers. The main industries the company operates in are fintech and information technology, and it assists in building custom solutions and adopting innovations for startups and established institutions.

They are recognized by Clutch, Financial Times 1000, Deloitte Fast50, and ComputerWorld Top200 which is a great proof of their reliability.

The list of main services offered by The Software House: 

• Agile development teams on demand
• Full-cycle product design & development
• Product design
• Cloud development
• QA as a service
• Modern software architecture
• Cloud adoption & engineering
• Cloud architecture, migration, maintenance
• DevOps team augmentation

Inoxoft

Inoxoft is an international company with the main focus on software development in Eastern Europe. They have already successfully delivered a big number of amazing software products for international clients.

They have a reputation as a reliable provider of the original software and as an expert at creating customized solutions. The main industries Inoxoft works with include healthcare, fintech, education, logistics, and real estate.

Inoxoft empowers its clients with tailor-made solutions and delivers first-class innovative products to enable organizations, enterprises, and companies to grow faster with a skilled workforce by their side.

Their teams specialize in the world’s best software technologies like Flutter, React Native, Python, .Net, React and Node.js, and many more

The list of main services offered by Inoxoft: 

• Discovery Phase
• Mobile Application Development
• Web Development
• Quality Assurance
• UI/UX Design
• Big Data analysis services
• AI and machine learning services
• Software development services for startups
• IT system and software integration services

Intellias

This is another gem among the Eastern Europe software development companies as it mainly focuses on building digital solutions for Fortune 500 companies. Nevertheless, they also have a great track record of successful collaborations with startups and mid-size organizations.

Intellias is a global digital consulting and software engineering partner that built software products for renowned brands like LG, Kia, and Swissquote Bank. They don’t just showcase exceptional tech skills and expertise in building top-notch solutions but also help clients to increase their IT and R&D capacities.

Intellias has been featured by Inc. 5000, named the winner of a Silver Stevie Award, and ranked the top employer among IT service providers by Forbes.

The list of main services offered by Intellias: 

• Digital consulting services
• AI, data science, RPA, and IoT development
• Software engineering
• Solution operations
• End-to-end software development
• Application development
• Quality control & quality control automation
• Performance engineering
• DevOps
• Cloud and platform adoption
• Service reliability engineering

IBA Group

This software development outsourcing Eastern Europe giant has more than 3000 professionals on board with a headquarters in the Czech Republic and offices in Ukraine, Belarus, and Slovakia. The company serves clients all over the world in more than 40 countries.

IBA Group seamlessly delivers the most advanced and progressive software solutions while applying its diverse skills and expertise. Their robust quality orientation and cross-technology expertise guarantee on-time project completion.

IBA Group addresses the specific business needs of mid-size organizations and large corporations across several industries including banking & finance, IT, logistics, energy, telecommunications, manufacturing, retail, healthcare, and pharmaceuticals.

The list of main services offered by IBA Group: 

• Custom software development
• Mobile app development
• Cloud computing
• SAP services
• Automated testing & support
• Data engineering
• Mainframe services
• IoT, DevOps, Cloud, BI, Big Data, RPA+ML

Ciklum

Ciklum is a global digital solutions company that also offers software development outsourcing in Eastern Europe. The company works with multiple clients of different sizes starting from small businesses to large enterprises. They operate in information technology, retail, financial technology, as well as other domains.

This outsourcing service provider has over 3,500 professionals who build tailored digital solutions and boost the adoption of the latest tech innovations. Among their clients, it’s possible to name Just Eat, Metro, Flixbus, Mercedes Pay, EFG International, Zurich Insurance, Lottoland, and many more.

Ciklum is known for building solutions that have proven market value and for enhancing digitally immature products. In addition to their exceptional tech expertise, they also offer robust digital consulting services aligned to each specific business goal.

The list of main services offered by Ciklum: 

• Digital commerce
• Robotic Process Automation
• Cyber security services
• Application development
• Data & analytics solutions
• DevOps
• Quality engineering & testing
• Managed services

Kanda Software

Kanda is one of the highly-rated software development companies in Eastern Europe. It is a full-service software engineering, digital transformation, and QA partner which specializes in the development of innovative SaaS, mobile, and on-premises solutions.

They possess strong domain expertise and a big number of engineering talent who can share their best skills and practices for creating impeccable solutions.

With 25+ years of presence in the IT  market, Kanda delivered over 3000 products for their clients all over the world varying from big corporations to startups across finance, healthcare, and education sectors.

The list of main services offered by Kanda Software: 

• Custom software development
• Software design, architecture, and prototyping
• Cloud engineering and migration
• Business intelligence solutions
• Data analytics and warehousing
• Legacy software modernization
• Solutions integration
• Digital transformation services
• DevOps services
• ML and AI development services
• Maintenance and support
• Software QA and testing services 

Altamira

Formerly known as GBKSoft, Altamira was founded in 2011 and its talented team aims at bringing innovations to businesses in order to digitally transform their daily operations and improve their internal services.

Altamira operates in the field of healthcare, logistics, fintech, and IoT. They offer a wide spectrum of services starting from custom ERP development or mobile app development to team extension services for worldwide clients.

Throughout their market presence, they have completed around seven hundred projects while maintaining the highest quality of end products.

The list of main services offered by Altamira: 

• Discovery phase
• MVP development 
• Dedicated and extended teams
• Design
• Consulting
• Cloud solutions
• Embedded software development
• BI & Data science
• Machine learning & AI product development
• IoT
• DevOps

Software Development Companies in Eastern Europe: Summing It Up

If you are looking for a reliable partner in software development outsourcing in Eastern Europe, then consider the options from our list. These are the most highly-rated and reviewed companies and you can be certain that collaborating with them will help you achieve your digitalization goals, build the desired software, and boost your business growth through amazing technologies.

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