Managing a development project undertaken by a nearshore firm can be easy if approached in the right way. There are some nearshore development best practices which, when followed, will make the project successful for everyone involved.

Here we describe the four cornerstones of successfully project management in nearshore outsourcing.

Strong Communication Skills

The most important aspect of project management when nearshore outsourcing is communication. A nearshore development team absolutely must have the ability to communicate effectively with their client and the staff they will be working with.

Asking questions and suggesting solutions is key to completing projects on time and in time-to-market. Coordinating tasks, outlining objectives and organizing teams must be achieved with clarity, and the onus is on the nearshore development team to ensure this happens.

This is one of the main reasons why nearshoring is a better option than offshoring, as nearshore development teams will have a high English language fluency along with cultural similarities which are the foundation of good communication. The overlapping time zones of a nearshore firm in Costa Rica working with a US-based client also means that there will be real-time communication, thus no delays in answering queries and finding solutions together.

The closer proximity of a Latin American country to the United States also makes visiting much easier, cheaper and quicker. This allows both teams to really get to know each other, allowing the nearshore firm to get on board with the client company’s business ethic and fully align themselves with their values and ambitions.

Technical Expertise

Managing any kind of project without the talent to execute the tasks competently will end in disaster, so ensuring the nearshore team has the technical expertise required is also vital. Clients considering outsourcing to a nearshore firm should look at the firm’s previous work and understand exactly which skills and software they have available.

Technical talent is also much more than just knowing which buttons to press, but about being innovative and solution-focused. Software development projects always encounter bumps in the road and obstacles that must be circumnavigated, so the technical talent must have the ability to overcome these with ease.

Reliable Security

If the outsourced team cannot guarantee the safety of your intellectual property, then even their technical talent and communication skills cannot compensate. Once again, this is where nearshore is a better option than offshore. This is because there is far closer alignment with intellectual property laws within the Americas than there is in Asia.

Non-disclosure and confidentiality agreements also provide an extra level of security and demonstrate that the nearshore team of developers working with you have your best interests at heart.

Realistic Expectations

A good nearshore development team will be able to assess the requirements of a project and recognize if there are any unrealistic expectations, such as a deadline for a deliverable that is not realistically attainable. These issues can then be communicated immediately rather than discovered later in the project when it is too late to account for them and adjust.

The goals must be clear from the start so both the nearshore development team and the client company accurately understand everything that the project entails and how long each deliverable will take to accomplish.

If you would like to find out more about project management in nearshore outsourcing, please contact our knowledgeable team at +1 800 974 7219 ext. 202 or by completing our online form here.