Key Factors for Making Offshore Development Work

Inexpensive and technically competent labor in developing countries has made outsourcing some software development and testing activities an attractive alternative. As a result, more and more US-based companies are looking to India, China, and other countries to develop software. The success or failure of an outsource operation and whether or not it is a viable alternative depends upon some key factors important to both the outsourcer and the software provider. Using his personal experiences and others at Hewlett-Packard, Bhushan Gupta discusses the aspects of program management, communications, teamwork, process, interim deliverables, and cultural issues that will make or break an outsourced development project. Find out what types of outsourcer-vendor relationships work and ones that will most likely lead to failure, and get a first hand view of outsourcing at the ground level.

• When offshore outsourcing works and when it does not work
• The processes and protocols for a successful project
• Operational problems to expect and what to do about them