Outsourcing Software Development

Outsourcing Software Development

1. Risks

   • Late Deliverables
   • Loss of oversight
   • Sharing IP
   • Responsiveness
   • Going Overbudget
   • Developers may be inexperienced

2. Benefits

   • Talent
   • Speed
   • Lower Costs
   • Quality
   • Established Teams
   • In-house team can be focused on other development
   • Recieve app with new tech
     • In house may not be knowledgeable with certain tech
   • Lower headcount

3. Business Value

   • Cost benefits
     • Lower headcount
   • Risk
     • Experienced developers
   • Time
     • Less time until shipping

4. Challenges

   • https://www.reddit.com/r/cscareerquestions/comments/2o3ih7/how_bad_is_outsourcing_in_cs_is_it_huge_problem/cmjp0nv
   • Communication
     • Language barriers
       • Is IT vocabulary standard around the world?
     • Cultural Barriers
       • What does "Yes" mean in country X?
       • Example: Ukraine
         • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=92oo61C_L5g
     • Managing schedules
     • Time Zones
   • Finding the right SW team
   • Sharing resources
   • Handing off
     • Is there "spaghetti code"?
   • Budgeting
   • Much detail needed for success
   • Quality
     • Ensure the team maintains quality
     • Security

5. Best Practices for managing teams

   • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KItTgxJ18cs
   • Clear Goals/Milestones/Deliverables
     • http://www.zdnet.com/article/outsourcing-exec-urges-stop-outsourcing-your-software-development/
     • Agile Development
     • Scrum
   • Handoff
     • Documentation
     • Knowledge Transfer
   • Research international IP laws
   • Code Reviews/Testing