Contracting with a nearshore app developer such as iTexico is one way to get custom apps delivered for your company. Yet there is a tendency to be so detached from nearshore providers that they do not feel as though they are truly part of the client’s success. This can sour the relationship between client and provider rather quickly.
The good news is that souring relationships between companies and their nearshore providers are not inevitable. iTexico clients enjoy very solid relationships with staff at both their Austin, Texas offices and the company’s Mexican subsidiary. Maintaining those relationships really is just a matter of remembering the little things when it comes to nearshore staff.
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Respect Developers Time
Nearshore mobile app developers are real people with real time constraints to deal with. Clients should respect the developer’s time rather than treating it as though it has no value. What does this look like in practical terms? For starters, it means being on time for all scheduled meetings whether they are in person or via teleconferencing.
Respecting developer time also means being careful not to change direction so frequently as to waste the time developers put into certain phases of a project. Decide on a course of action and follow it through to the end. Let developers put their time into actual development rather than having to constantly switch gears.
Treat Nearshore Staff like Your Own Employees
There has been a push in recent years to retain employees by treating them well. Clients should treat their nearshore staff the same way. Nearshore staff, especially when utilized through something like iTexico’s nearshore as a service (NaaS) platform, need to be recognized as individual people with their own ideas, work experience, knowledge, and expertise.
Be Clear about Goals and Expectations
Nothing is more frustrating to nearshore staff than working on a project with no clear-cut goals and expectations. It is nearly impossible for staff to perform at the highest level if they do not know what is expected of them. Being clear about goals and expectations may seem like such a minor thing, but it’s actually one of the most important components of fostering a relationship with nearshore staff.
Express the Good as Well as the Bad
It is very easy to let nearshore staff know when you are unhappy. Anyone can get on the phone or send an e-mail voicing displeasure over the pace of development or implementation of certain features. It takes a lot more effort to contact developers to express thanks for a job well done. Software developers know that compliments are harder to come by than criticisms. As a client, your relationship with your nearshore staff will be made stronger by willingness to express the good as well as the bad.
Make Time for Face-To-Face Meetings
It is a given that one of the advantages of nearshore outsourcing is that it allows for efficient and cost-effective app development in remote environments. But that does not mean that face-to-face meetings are not a good idea. Every now and again, clients should be willing to travel to the nearshore location to meet with project managers and staff in person. Likewise, nearshore staff should travel to the client’s location as well. Such face-to-face meetings help both parties get to know one another as people rather than just business entities on the other side of the phone.
It is the little things that make a big difference in nearshore software development. When clients pay attention to those little things, they make the most of their nearshore partnerships regardless of the size and scope of any particular
