Why Direct-to-India Outsourcing Fails

Staying stagnant in the world of software development is a recipe for failure. In today's fast-paced tech landscape, leveraging the latest technology is crucial, whether you're launching a new product or upgrading your backend systems. You need cutting-edge tools and frameworks that are. However, finding a developer who understands these technologies and implements them effectively can be a challenge.

India is home to a vast pool of highly skilled and talented developers. The issue isn't a lack of expertise. The real challenge lies in ensuring seamless communication and alignment with offshore developers on what "cutting edge" truly means and how to use it to create a groundbreaking platform for your business. Navigating this can be tricky, but with the right approach, it can lead to exceptional outcomes.

Examples of modern tech adoption are everywhere. Companies like Netflix use Node.js to handle their massive data streaming needs efficiently. Airbnb leverages React to create dynamic user interfaces, while Instagram utilizes React Native for a consistent mobile experience. These companies aren't just adopting new technologies; they're pushing the boundaries and setting new standards.

For businesses looking to stay ahead, it’s about more than just finding developers who are familiar with the latest tech. It’s about finding partners who can innovate and drive your project forward, ensuring that your platform not only meets current standards but also sets new ones.

Cultural Barriers to Outsourced Software Development

Outsourcing software development to India and other similar tech-forward yet still-developing nations can have certain cost efficiencies. However, unless there’s a deep mutual understanding between the outsourcer and the outsourced, those cost savings are quickly offset by inadequate skills vetting and project preparation, scheduling problems, and other communication barriers arising from cultural differences.

Something as simple as different holidays in the US and India can cause unexpected project delays that quickly lead to budget and timeframe overruns. Suddenly finding your developer unavailable—or your developer needing to wait an extended period to receive an answer to a question or review of a deliverable—can also cause bad feelings and further strain the working relationship. Different attitudes towards response time and clarity in terms of deadlines and other expectations can also create significant practical problems and lead to counterproductive team dynamics.

(We actually have a running joke with our development team about the word “sometime.” It might mean today, it might mean next week, it might mean “after everything else is done.” After a good chuckle, we make sure “sometimes” becomes clear in the priorities and project timeline.)

Our Western business perspective isn’t universal, and if you expect software developers in India or elsewhere around the globe to adapt your way of thinking automatically, you’ll be more than a little disappointed in the results.

Software Development Language Barriers Aren’t Limited to Programming Languages
Just like our Western business perspective, our language—especially the specific way(s) we speak it in the US—isn’t spoken consistently all around the globe. Amazing, we know, but true nonetheless. While English skills in India are very high, especially in the software development community, accents and different understandings of vocabulary and syntax can make phone conversations difficult and even emails uncertain.

Choosing the right communication channels is an important part of an effective outsourced software development project. Knowing how to reach out for clarification, ensuring that you are understood and that you understand what you’re being told, is also essential.

There’s more than one English at work in the communications, and you need some interpretive skill on both sides to make it work.

How Zibtek Solves the Software Outsourcing Problem

Instead of direct-to-India outsourcing, Zibtek’s team includes US-based project managers to facilitate communication and ensure deliverables at every step of the development process.

We work with a dedicated staff that is full-time employees of Zibtek in India, building long-term relationships that facilitate communication and enable us to assign the perfect developers to your project without the need for constant re-vetting. We are responsible for the developer's raises and performance plans, enabling us to create the perfect training and quality standards available.

And, of course, we provide continual training to stay abreast of all the latest tech. For lean, agile, rapid development with the hottest coding around, it’s hard to beat outsourcing through Zibtek.

At Zibtek, we offer custom software solutions for businesses of all sizes. Our digital strategy, design, and custom software development solutions have helped a wide range of clients to meet their goals—ask for a free consultation to find out whether we can do the same for your business.