PCApps Vs. Offshore Development

Today, most experienced professionals view offshore development as “good from afar, yet far from good.” Depending upon the nature of the project, off-shore developers can either offer significant cost-advantages, or serve as a recipe for disaster. If you are evaluating off-shoring an important project vs. engaging a US-based firm, here are several important considerations:

  • Specification Detail â€” If your custom software project is 100% fully-specified, right down to smallest level of detail, and your requirements leave zero room for judgement or interpretation, then off-shoring can provide a cost-effective alternative vs. paying US engineering rates. If your requirements however are the least bit incomplete or vague, and critical thinking is required, then prepare yourself for a very frustrating (and expensive) experience.
  • Engineering Quality â€” The quality of most off-shore engineering practices is hit-and-miss. Producing a highly-organized code base using proper engineering standards that are readily accessible by new developers, and cost-effective to maintain and extend over time — this is usually outside the skill sets of most off-shore development organizations.
  • Project Communication â€” Effective communication is by far the most critical success factor for custom development projects. Poor, ineffective communication is where most off-shore resources consistently fall down. Expect to take ten (or more) attempts to get something right, due to disconnects in cultural and basic communication skills.
  • Critical Thinking â€” Most foreign cultures do not promote challenging the status quo, or questioning authority. For example, the word “Yes” in many foreign cultures does not mean they agree with you; it does not even mean they understand what you are saying. â€œYes” simply means they heard something bounce off their eardrums, and are simply being respectful by acknowledging your remark. Critical thinking is a must-have for many custom software solutions, and if you need a partner to do what your business needs (not necessarily what you ask for), partnering with a US-based engineering firm is always your best option.

If you have very well-scoped need, with a complete and highly-detailed set of requirements, and a project manager who is available and dedicated to “ride herd” on the off-shore development team, then you may have a good candidate for off-shore development services. However, if any of these conditions are not true, you will likely end of paying more in the long run; or worse, get half-way into your project before the best option is to pull the plug. If you do manage to find the rare high-quality off-shore team, be prepared to say Good-Bye to them at any point during your project, because loyalty to your business is usually not a primary concern outside of the US.

image asset 28
PCApps vs Offshore Development 5

Due to the many advantages that PCApps offers in comparison to off-shore development, we are often able to deliver BETTER SOLUTIONS, on a FASTER schedule, and at a LOWER TOTAL COST.