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Working with offshore teams

  • 02-12-2014 8:19pm
    #1
    Closed Accounts Posts: 6,075 ✭✭✭


    I work in an Agile development team. My team also works with an off-shore team. The working relationship has some issues and I'm looking for advice on how to solve these issues.

    The working relationship is very hierarchical. The offshore team seem to look upon my team as the leaders, as opposed to equals. I think ideas would flow better if they saw themselves as equals.

    The code quality from the offshore team is good but not as good as my team. We follow the SOLID principles and the offshore team are struggling with it. They need to be hand-held a little too much. We need more trust in their work.

    We have one member of the offshore team come to my office once per month to integrate better. This has helped.

    Do any of you work with offshore teams and have had issues that you have overcome? Do you have any advice on how teams located separately work well together?


Comments

  • Registered Users Posts: 26,960 ✭✭✭✭GreeBo


    I work in an Agile development team. My team also works with an off-shore team. The working relationship has some issues and I'm looking for advice on how to solve these issues.

    The working relationship is very hierarchical. The offshore team seem to look upon my team as the leaders, as opposed to equals. I think ideas would flow better if they saw themselves as equals.

    The code quality from the offshore team is good but not as good as my team. We follow the SOLID principles and the offshore team are struggling with it. They need to be hand-held a little too much. We need more trust in their work.

    We have one member of the offshore team come to my office once per month to integrate better. This has helped.

    Do any of you work with offshore teams and have had issues that you have overcome? Do you have any advice on how teams located separately work well together?

    Its a well known issue with offshore teams, especially from India.
    Its a hangup from outsourcing model, take exact requirements and deliver upon them, no thought required or desired.

    Getting the over and working integrating into a local scrum team is the best way I've found, also leading by example, being open about issues etc can help to avoid the wall of silence until the last minute which is prevalent.


  • Moderators, Home & Garden Moderators, Regional Midwest Moderators, Regional West Moderators Posts: 16,722 Mod ✭✭✭✭yop


    Same as yourself OP and its not working out well. Incredible handholding required and won't commit (code or to anything) without having an Irish based team member review it, even though the Irish lads could be newer than them! Seem to spend too much time on tasks and then needing 2nd opinions on every turn.
    Found also on outsourcing work if the spec isn't 100% tight then they don't use any level of judgement or experience to make a decision.
    Hard one to call really.


  • Registered Users Posts: 1,127 ✭✭✭smcelhinney


    Hold weekly code reviews over Skype. Use Crucible to evaluate code quality, and pick it apart. Have someone audit source control commits as part of their job on the offshore side, ie. make someone accountable.

    Im a big believer in improvement through empowerment and inclusion. I don't think you can lead an effective team by being authoritarian.


  • Registered Users Posts: 2,790 ✭✭✭John_Mc


    Same feedback as previous posters - it can really add the stress levels!

    It's a cultural thing especially with India. My friend spent 3-4 months there while travelling and said that if you asked someone on the street for directions, they'd point you in a random direction rather than say they didn't know the answer.

    Try dealing with that type of attitude on a tough project with looming deadline and you'll be in a horrible place.

    I think it's a great idea to bring them over one at a time.


  • Registered Users Posts: 1,415 ✭✭✭Merrion


    "We have one member of the offshore team come to my office once per month to integrate better. "

    Perhaps you and some of your Irish team members should go and spend some time in their office - observer what things are like on the ground? As has been mentioned there are some cultural differences with regard to hierarchical deference and you will need to work out how to accommodate these in your process.

    Also - depending on how the numbers stack up - how about each onshore developer has an offshore buddy to foster better communications?


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  • Registered Users Posts: 9,218 ✭✭✭markpb


    Merrion wrote: »
    Also - depending on how the numbers stack up - how about each onshore developer has an offshore buddy to foster better communications?

    We did exactly that and I think it worked quite well. The guys here weren't overjoyed at the thought of it but overall I think it was worth it.


  • Registered Users Posts: 869 ✭✭✭moycullen14


    I'm amazed that people seem so sanguine about off-shore development.

    Offshore development and the open visas for tech workers are thinly disguised schemes designed to reduce the cost of development. This will mean lower wages/fewer jobs in IT in this country.

    There is no shortage of IT workers. What there is is a shortage of people willing to work for low wages.

    My attitude to off-shore development is fine if they can do the work but don't expect me to make them better/more efficient. To my mind, that's like turkeys voting for Christmas.

    Time to show the accountants that there is a bit more to software development than cost. Thinks like communication, initiative, taking responsibility are important and need to be cherished and valued.


  • Registered Users Posts: 1,065 ✭✭✭RoryMurphyJnr


    Merrion wrote: »
    "We have one member of the offshore team come to my office once per month to integrate better. "

    Perhaps you and some of your Irish team members should go and spend some time in their office - observer what things are like on the ground? As has been mentioned there are some cultural differences with regard to hierarchical deference and you will need to work out how to accommodate these in your process.

    Also - depending on how the numbers stack up - how about each onshore developer has an offshore buddy to foster better communications?

    I've done this and it has it's flaws.
    Like when the parish priest arrives, the bone china comes out and the fancy biscuits.
    Once he's gone it's back to chipped mugs and rich tea.

    It can be extremely frustrating working with an off-shore team (I'm in testing) but we've had the same issues. Don't envy you at all


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