How do you communicate with the customer in a typical offshore software outsourcing project?

During the initial stages of the project conference calls and management meetings are planned frequently to address pressing project management issues of the software outsourcing endeavor. Later on, the frequency of these meetings can decrease significantly, depending on the size of the software outsourcing project. 

For planning, monitoring, and control we use issue trackers like JIRA throughout the software outsourcing project.

We like to record in electronic format (typed) all the communication taking place during a software outsourcing project. Even on Skype we prefer to type, so that we can transfer into tickets all the relevant information in the Issue Tracker application. The team leader we assign to the offshore software outsourcing project acts as the AROBS spokesperson for that particular project.

Do you usually communicate directly with the end customer?

When working for a software house we rarely communicate directly with the end customer. The foreign partner works on project specifications and speaks with the customer. This is probably the best approach when the end customer is not supposed to find out you rely on software outsourcing to help them.

Is there a way to see the software developers assigned to our projects without coming to your office?

We have a video camera installed in the meeting room that allows you to see the person you speak with. This makes remote interaction in a software outsourcing project resemble closely the on-site approach.

How can I check the status of my offshore software outsourcing project?

We will keep you updated:

• through weekly reports sent via e-mail, phone, or Internet phone;
• by sending you the last versions of the programs being developed. Normally we do this by-monthly for all offshore software outsourcing projects, but we can reduce the time interval between two consecutive "deliveries" if the circumstances require it;
• by means of the time sheet reporting system. Programmers access this system online to record all the time they spend on projects. You can also access the time sheets based on a user name and password we supply to you.

Put our expertise to the test with a small offshore  or nearshore software outsourcing project!