Digital transformation is crucial to the survival and growth of businesses because of the ever-changing and competitive landscape that all organizations need to contend with. However, when you don’t have the talent in place to support these efforts, transformation and modernization efforts can be a struggle. Nearshore staff augmentation can support and accelerate capacity for the development of your project’s backlog and increase the quality of your delivery.
Unosquare is in its 12th year of proven success as a premier software development agency delivering collaborative talent to work on enterprise-level applications. We know what it takes to walk through the process of digital transformation and achieve success. We are 660+ software delivery professionals, distributed through Latin America and the United Kingdom, available to scale up talent in your time zone.
In this post we’ll look at how nearshore software staff augmentation services might be a fit to support your development teams.
WHAT IS “DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION?”
This term is becoming very common, so let’s quickly define it. This is the application of new and evolving technology to improve business processes. When digital transformation is done properly, it can help businesses stay ahead of the competition and achieve sustainable growth.
NEARSHORE VS. OFFSHORE: WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE?
You’re probably already familiar with offshore outsourcing, which is the process of bringing in talent from other countries that are far from your own. Nearshore outsourcing is when a company outsources work to contract workers based in locations adjacent to the client’s country. This is growing in popularity in the US as the benefits are becoming clearer as more companies work with nearshore partners.
BRINGING IT ALL TOGETHER: THE BENEFITS OF NEARSHORE SOFTWARE SERVICES
Now that you understand the difference between these types of outsourcing the question is: why would you choose to leverage nearshore? Here’s a list of benefits of nearshore outsourcing consulting services that your organization can expect.
1. Working in the same time zone
A major pro of nearshore outsourcing is that you can work with a team in the same time zone. Engaging with your outsourcing partner during regular business hours can make the entire process go more smoothly and speed up the progress you make on your digital transformation project.
The organization you choose to work with will be able to walk you through the steps to achieving your digital transformation goals and find the right talent in a way that works with your schedule. This saves time (and headaches) as you work through this type of project.
2. Easier integration and culture fit
Working in the same time zones also means that your internal team and your outsourcing partner have knowledge and experiences in common. These may include cultural similarities, a shared language, and/or technical expertise. This allows the external team to integrate with any existing team members with ease, which has an impact on your bottom line. When teams can work better together, they can ultimately get more work done.
3. Reduced cost
For companies focusing on growth, it can be a challenge if resources for talent are scarce. This is especially true as the costs to attract great talent in-house continues to grow. This causes organizations to try and find a way to reduce operating expenses and overhead.
Nearshore outsourcing allows you to access talent to supplement your team and fill in any skills gaps at a lower cost. This way, you can assemble the team you need to execute your vision on digital transformation at a lower cost.
4. Improved communication
Getting the strategy, expertise (and later, the code) you need is just one part of the equation. Effective communication is critical if you want your project to run smoothly. How the offshore team interacts and how their style fits in with the rest of the people at your organization will have a big impact on productivity.
The way they communicate with your team matters. The good news? When you leverage nearshore augmentation services, you get professionals that are equipped with the communication skills you need to make your project a success.
At Unosquare, we provide bi-lingual talent and direct access to the team members that are augmenting your staff. If you are searching for the right nearshore partner, make sure that they are familiar with Agile software development processes and there are no intermediary stakeholders on their side that would delay or block communication with the professionals working on your deliverables.
5. Availability of quality software developers
In the United States, the market for employees in the tech space is competitive. Both large and small companies have had costs of talent and the lengths they must go to acquire talent increase. Nearshore outsourcing allows companies to acquire talent that isn’t otherwise available.
According to a LinkedIn survey, it can take up to four months to hire the right talent. Then, beyond that, it takes time to onboard new talent in your organization and get them up to speed. It’s important that you have the chance to speak to the talent that you are considering for your team.
Make sure that they are strong technically, of course. You can provide a code challenge or take part in a live technical interview. However, have you assessed them for, at least, some high-level soft skills to see how they will integrate with your team?
Selecting the right talent early will help you make progress on your digital transformation initiatives, see ROI faster, retain your talent, and avoid the sunk costs of training and re-training new team members lost to performance or attrition.
BOTTOM LINE: LEVERAGING NEARSHORE DEVELOPMENT SERVICES FOR STAFF AUGMENTATION
As we’ve shown, there are several different benefits to leveraging nearshore software consulting services. Ultimately, the expertise that you get when you bring another organization into the mix allows you to achieve a faster-time-to-market, which also speeds up the pace at which your company will experience the benefits of your efforts.
What should you look for in a nearshore outsourcing partner?
You know what nearshore consulting services can do for you. Now you may be wondering: how do you choose which company to work with. This is especially challenging when there are a lot of nearshore companies that you can choose from. Below you will find some specific things to look for when choosing a company to work with.
Experience and industry expertise
Focus on choosing a partner that has experience working on similar projects and a track record for meeting expectations. If they’ve had success working on digital transformation with similar organizations in your industry, it’s likely that they will also be able to help you. Ask for professional referrals and case studies on some of their successes.
Strategic skills
Experience in the space is good, but digital transformation requires technical knowledge and a mind for strategy. They both play a critical role. This means that you need to ask about any organization’s approach in both arenas. How will they help you build your augmented staff? What have they done in the past that is scalable and reproducible? The right partner for you will bring this combination to the table.
Communication skills and processes
Look for a partner that can clearly define their process for executing initiatives and communicating with your team. Do they have the tools and systems to give you visibility? Who will you reach out to and who will support your team as you work through the project? Again, Agile project management processes and direct access to the professionals are vital.
Ability to meet your specific needs
It’s no secret that taking on these initiatives is overwhelming. When you invest in digital consulting services, you can be confident that the team that comes in can help you create the infrastructure that will set you up for success.
If you consider all of the aspects above and an outsourcing partner still looks like a good fit, start getting into project specifics. Talk through your goals and your timeline to ensure that the company you’re evaluating can deliver on what you’re looking for. As technology continues to evolve, your company’s needs change too. You want to look for a team that can work to provide the outcome that your organization needs.
LOOKING FOR NEARSHORE STAFF AUGMENTATION SERVICES?
Our proven, repeatable, and scalable Technology Consulting Process enables us to deliver your software applications from discovery to deployment. Each member of our application development consulting workforce that you choose for your team has the specialized skills and experience required to support custom software development – from scoping your project through system design and project management, to delivery.
With Unosquare as your software engineering partner, you’ll access the experience and successful record of over 660 software delivery professionals who have completed over 2,000 projects in the past twelve years. Let us provide the help you need to achieve your digital transformation goals.
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