Utilising new technologies to make outsourcing to South East Asia more efficient
We all know someone who has least once tried to outsource software development to South East Asia...with varying results.
On paper, it's an attractive proposition, get a full application built for under $5,000 and you have your MVP ready to build a unicorn. The reality is usually far from this. Disagreements on scope, delivery timelines and scope creep make the project susceptible to failure.
After hearing or experiences these scenarios first hand, it makes outsourcing a less attractive option in the future.
But it doesn't have to be this way...
Talent across South East Asia skilled up and ready for work. COVID-19 and remote working has help to normalise the concept of distributed teams, with a mix of in house and external agency developers. With organisations of all types having to adapt to a digital offering for the new normal, the demand for remote technical talent will continue to increase as a cost effective solution to complement or even compete with in house local development teams.
How can we utilise modern day technologies help increase efficiency and trust with an organisation over 5,000 miles away?
One way is to create a smart contract between both parties based on clearly defined milestone. Only when all parties agree that the deliverables have met then the funds and code are released. But this only solves one part of the problem.
How are requirements verified as being clear deliverables and how is delivery of code validated and approved as meeting the milestone requirements?
That's where external validators come into the equation. techUK offer software validation and escrow services to validate code to different standards. Therefore, this can build consumer confidence. If the consumer lacks the technical knowledge of validating the code themselves, a neutral expert can bring that expertise. TECHT's approach is to combine these services with smart contract technology to help reduce the chances of a project not reaching it's desired specification.
South Asia is brimming with talent across software development, design and with the evolution of free online education and smart phone adoption, talented developers are emerging at a much faster rate than previous period in the digital age. UK based organisations should start actively consider how they can integrate outsourced talent with their existing infrastructure and still ensure quality and standards or risk be left behind by organisations who can deliver the same results by more effectively utilising a valuable resource.
This article was written by Abrar Akhtar, Founder of Techt.io