How to Effectively Manage Your Remote Software Development Team?

If software development is hard, managing the remote software development team sitting in some other corner of the world can be even harder. While enterprises had an in-house option earlier, the recent blow of the pandemic has pushed the businesses further to follow the most cost-efficient trend of outsourcing software development projects by contacting the best from top software development companies.

What’s the problem in managing a remote software development team?

There are many risks and concerns that arise when you outsource your project to an offshore software development company. You have certainly fixed the deal with a software development outsourcing service provider in some other country to save a great chunk in your budget. But, you always, in the back of your mind, doubt the flow and process. Here are some common questions that hit your mind is that –

• software development team motivated to work with all dedication?
• Do they follow standard coding practices?
• Are they organized?
• Would they be regular in updating me with milestones?
• Will the final product be aligned with my business objectives?
• Will there be many escalations?

You will be surprised to know that outsourcing to a remote software company is not just your choice. Giants such as Alibaba, Github, Basecamp, and Skype too are sailing in the same boat. Managing a software development team is not a pretty big sum as it just requires some professional approach and practical management skills of yours as a leader.

In this write-up, we shall see the basic factors to build a successful remote team of software development service providers.

You are not doing everything

The best management mantra is to handle people smartly and not with hardship. Get the thought out of your mind that you are doing everything to manage remote team members of software project development requirements. Instead, you are just streamlining the process and appointing someone who is capable to invigilate or look after an organized process drafted by you.

If you are chiefly able to execute agile projects, thinking of building a strong bond with software developers sitting in the offshore company providing software solutions.

How to manage a software development team working remotely?

There is no one-size-fits-all solution to any concern and managing a remote software development team is no exception. Nevertheless, the principles remain the same – you should handle the people remotely the exact way you do it at your office or with in-house employees.

The tactics are the same; however, the only threat here is when the management goes haywire which shall amplify the remote development team working dedicatedly on your software project and throw them into bad shape.

Find the best helmsman – the Project Manager (PM)

A competent project manager shall take off all worries of the project development cycle. You can ask the software development outsourcing company to help you get the one. The PM assures you that the remotely working team members of your software project is focused and dedicated to your project and nothing else.

It is also evident that the PM plays a crucial role in bridging the communication gap between you and the core team of developers selected.

The project manager is the backbone of the team of software developers working remotely as they assure that a standard software development guide is followed while building a digital product. Hence, it can be said that hiring a competent manager for your project before you build a software development team who works remotely on your project is the best bet.

Find the choicest software developers

Extending the deployment of the project manager, you should now opt for the choicest top software developers. One of the advantages of hiring remote developers from a reputed leading offshore software development outsourcing service provider is that it offers shortlisting profiles and lets you choose or build your own dedicated team. You may or may not take the help of the project manager in choosing the best talent on the floor.

How to hire remote software developers’ team for your project?

Competent people are self-motivated and possess professional ethics, the most important characteristics you would expect in the remote software development team. The cream of DevOp engineers shall assure you that they have quick decision-making capabilities, and even if they get stuck, there is the experienced Project Manager to rescue them.

It is beyond any question that a successful team of remote software product development service providers shall have domain experts who are not just technically sound but also high on their patience and perseverance.

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Managing a remote software development team’s core operation

Once you have dedicated resources in the proper place, it is time to think of core operation management. You need to set up the systems and assure the infrastructure that helps you supervise the entire team and associated personnel. You can collaborate with the best custom software development agency to provide you the detail of their workstations and infrastructure/structure.

Depending on the complexity of the project, the computer systems, and database servers vary. An obsolete system shall not work to build a contemporary software tool and, therefore, it is of paramount importance that you survey the systems and workstations they are likely to carry your project on. Here are the factors that make a big difference in managing a remote software development team:

• Sophisticated IT infrastructure
• Control over system access and privileges
• Powerful tool for JIT (just-in-time) communication
• Define and set standards for coding and project management
• Assure that agile management practice is in place
• Regular meetings and managing minutes of it
• Set the right metrics and measurements for the software development life cycle process

While you should try to settle the above-mentioned things, you should avoid micromanagement from your side since that may hinder your efforts to develop a dedicated team of remote software developers as they would feel like losing their freedom. Skilled software programmers always do their best when they have some free hand and empowering them with it means a smooth business.

Another important factor that you should consider while managing a remote team working dedicatedly on your software development project is to avoid process overheads, introducing more and more processes into an already smooth flowing procedure. Unnecessary meetings, reports, and meddling are aspects that have the potential to bring down the enthusiasm of your remotely working software project development team.

Communication is the key

In any software development project at an outsourcing software development company, communication is the key to success. When choosing software engineers or various types of software developers, you should mind their communication skills. Though improved today, the language barrier had been one of the biggest concerns especially when projects were outsourced to third-world countries.

The cultural gap, in some special cases of a software product, must be filled with regular meetings and symposiums. Project-related communication and one-to-one communication should be streamlined so that the work is not suffered and business objectives are clearly understood.

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Another aspect of correspondence is to use the communication tools known to all. Automated tools specific to software project development are available on the market (Skype, Zoom, CRM, Slack, Jira, Figma, Micro, ERP, DeskTime, etc.) that you can either offer or ask your tech partner for a buyer’s access. Document sharing tools should also be kept handy in order to keep the business deal legal and secure.

Virtual meetups help you have a keen eye on remote project development. Following are a few points for your checklist that you should assure that it gets done every time you hold meetings with concerned personnel from the hired software development outsourcing agency.

• Discussion on project development
• Checking on timelines and milestones
• Any escalation should be immediately brought to notice
• Brainstorming and problem-solving sessions
• Introduce new hires, if any
• Discussion on knowledge shift, if any
• Appreciation of key contributors

Business objectives at the center

Best software development team management ensures you that the business objectives are at the center of the entire project. The digital product which is being built at bespoke outsourcing IT firm is the result of an array of processes and smart work.

With every bit of communication, you should remind the concerned persons about the business goals you aim for. Never let any question go unattended from your side because if software programmers are not clear about your concerns, the product shall lose its path and will digress from the purpose. Some entrepreneurs, for this very reason, keep their marketing managers in a loop so to make sure that the objectives defined are met.

Take it personally

Though professional remote team providing software services work on their projects keenly, it is for sure that keeping personal connections always gets you the extra mile. Nevertheless, you need to have clear and distinguished personas of yours – as a buyer and as an amicable person.

While communicating with key members, managers, and a team of software developers you should develop a friendly relationship so that they would have personal attention to your project.

There are a number of ways to hire remote software developers. But, managing a dedicated remote software development team is challenging yet practicable. With the simple above-mentioned steps and tips, you can smoothly handle the bunch of dedicated people working remotely.