Investing in offshore mobile app development has been a profitable business model over the last decade. With this model, many large tech companies now have fast and easy IT solutions. That doesn’t leave small and mid-sized businesses out of the equation; they also get many benefits. However, for growing businesses considering building an offshore mobile development team, there are essential things to know, including the pros, cons, and risks. Read about them in this article and decide whether to invest in one or not.
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What are the Pros and Cons of Offshore Mobile Development?
Outsourcing mobile app development offshore has recorded successes worldwide; however, it also has disadvantages. It is important to understand these things to discover if it is really worth investing in a company. Besides, it allows entrepreneurs to know what to expect and develop strategies to overcome them.
So, let’s start with the advantages.
Pros of Offshore Mobile App Dev.
1. Affordable and Budget-friendly
One of the best things about mobile development offshore is its affordability. Over the past few years, companies that have integrated this approach have spent less on software development. It is cost-effective as companies pay only for the services provided by the offshore team. It leaves them not to worry about the cost of resources and equipment required by an in-house team. And with this budget-friendly approach, entrepreneurs can focus primarily on their goals and objectives.
2. Access to Skilled Labor
Being in a certain location doesn’t always guarantee that you will get individuals skilled in the services needed for app development. Sometimes, those who can possibly handle the task could be residing in another location. That being said, with an offshore team, you get easy access to a large talent pool – from various countries. These individuals have a high level of technical expertise that you may not find among your employees. With an ODC, you won’t have to be restricted to a particular option within your location – you can find outward and find the best of the bests.
3. Saves Time
If there is something else great about an offshore team, they are the easiest way to save time on a project. Companies with IT needs often require several resources and time to execute a project. During this period, there is a lot to cover, and an in-house team might not meet up with the deadline. However, when you hire offshore mobile app developers, you save time and get quality delivery when needed. The only thing the company has to do is to set up individuals to track and monitor the project and report back so they can assess progress.
4. Improves Knowledge of Partnerships and Collaborations
Every business, at a point, needs partnerships and collaborations to survive a competitive market. The level, however, may differ depending on the services provided. Setting up an offshore team is a good way to learn about that. While the team offers their services to the company, you and your in-house team gain more IT knowledge and personal and cultural values.
5. Comfortable Maintenance
Another reason a mobile development team offshore is good is that it allows for comfortable maintenance. Building software is a lot of work, but management and maintenance is another task when it is finally released. At that point, a company would have to hire experts to monitor its performance and develop improvements for the next model. Undoubtedly, with this team, software should run as smoothly as possible.
Cons of Offshore Mobile App Dev.
1. IP Protection Issues
IP issues and data breaches are two common things that scare business owners the most. Regarding the former, there have been existing issues that often discourage IT experts and developers. For instance, an offshore team may decide to steal or use the idea of a company for an illicit purpose. And when that happens, there are consequences for your business. However, a company and its offshore team must sign an NDA or IP protection agreement to avoid IP issues.
2. It Takes Time Putting a Team Together
Another common problem with an offshore initiative is the time to put a team together. Hiring an offshore mobile app development company or partner often seems like the best option because your company doesn’t have to do the recruiting or building. However, there are still problems with this method. It can be tasking and time-consuming, especially if it is a sensitive project requiring limited available experts.
3. Time Zone Differences
Time Zone difference is another significant problem many companies face when outsourcing. Managing a project offshore often means doing things outside your regular work hours. However, some businesses are starting to prioritize setting up a team in a country within a geographic positioning, i.e., a U.S. company with a development team in Canada. Nevertheless, it is a problem for entrepreneurs that cannot afford this.
4. Language Barrier
Like time zone differences, the language barrier is also a problem companies face. Working with an offshore team whose official language isn’t English could be difficult. Simultaneously, this problem with communication would affect productivity and performance.
5. Lack of Transparency
An offshore development initiative may not always be the most transparent because service providers outside your jurisdiction run major activities. You can only expect that the recruited developers perform the duties under a specified timeline or following a designed roadmap. It is one factor that makes an in-house team better. However, a team lead selected by the company could manage this lack of transparency by monitoring activities and giving progress reports.
Conclusion
Learning the pros and cons of offshore mobile development is important to decide whether it would really be good for your company or not. So far, this article has shown its generous benefits despite the existing significant problems. Nevertheless, knowing what these problems are is key to finding solutions. More importantly, it would be best if you considered hiring the best partners in the industry to set up your team in the perfect location favorable for your business.