Common Myths About Software Development Outsourcing

We have been hearing a lot about IT outsourcing and hiring a Software Development Company in past few years. Many of us have some understanding about it while some of us have only an idea about it. There are many myths and beliefs about IT outsourcing in the minds of people which are prevalent in the market. In this article I will discuss some of the myths and the facts that will help people know and understand outsourcing in a better way.

Myth 1 : IT Outsourcing is only for Big Business

People often hear about the big contracts for outsourcing which are of the size of millions of dollars. So people start thinking that outsourcing is only for big business houses. But the reality is that any business whether small or big can benefit from outsourcing. Small and medium sized businesses can get IT support services at a much cheaper rate then if they try to resolve their computer and IT related issues in-house. Large businesses too can save lots of money by outsourcing rather than hiring a dedicated IT staff for the same work. By outsourcing, a business can get customized IT service only for the time it is required at affordable costs and it can save the cost of having a permanent staff for that work.

Myth 2: Quality is Less in Offshore IT Operations

Some people think that the quality of Custom Software Development work done by the offshore IT service providers is not on par with the quality of work done by the inhouse team. But this is not true as so many offshore IT service providers have invested lots of money in their cutting edge IT infrastructure and has expert developers and professionals which deliver high quality work. Hence you will get very high quality IT service from a good outsourcing partner. Many of such IT provider has best IT certified engineers and they follow international level quality control practices.

Myth 3: Outsourcing a job Means things will Go Out of Your Control

Some of the organizations are confused between responsibility and control when it comes to outsourcing. They think that the IT outsourcing service provider will take full control over the work which is not true. Actually the IT support provider will only suggest strategies and improvements and the client will retain the overall decision making and control regarding how the business uses and implements the IT services. Hence the IT service provider will support the business rather than control it.

Myth 4: Outsourcing is not cost effective in Long Term

This is one of the most popular belief that outsourcing a work is cost effective only in initial phase and the cost increases in the long run and ultimately becomes costlier than having an in-house team. But the reality is that even if you employee a single employee to do your IT work inhouse in your organization, it will cost a lot each year in salary, insurance, pension and training etc. And if you require a full IT team for your complicated IT system then it will cause much higher expenditure. Using outsourced IT support services you will get all the benefits of a full fledged team of IT experts without having to incur their employment costs.

Myth 5: Communication to an Outsourcing Company is Difficult due to Poor Technical Infrastructure

Some people believe that the offshore IT solution providers don’t have modern communication infrastructure and it will be difficult to do proper communication with them during the project lifecycle. But the truth is that now a days it is not much difficult to install the infrastructure for very good communication. And a superior outsourcing company always makes sure that the communication lines between them and their partners are always of high quality and always open to make sure that the required information is communicated to the right person effectively, efficiently and on time. A high quality outsourcing technical infrastructure comprises of direct telephone numbers, phone and VoIP connections, Email, Chat services, Video Conferencing equipment, online screen sharing facility etc.

Myth 6: Time-Zone Differences can create Problems in Smooth Business Operation

Although upto certain extent there are some issues regarding time-zones in offshore outsourcing model especially in communication but the leading and best outsourcing companies use a balanced mix of synchronous and asynchronous communication channels to overcome this problem.

The important communications are done through synchronous communication channels like telephone call, voice chat, video conferencing, screen sharing etc. While normal communications are done through asynchronous channels like email, offline messaging systems etc. Now a days so many of the outsourcing companies work in night shifts also so that the communication between their professionals and the partner company can take place easily by overcoming the time zone differences. Also while outsourcing the IT work, both parties can agree in the beginning of the work about the frequency and the means of communications which are acceptable to the both. They can also decide about the people who will communicate whenever it requires for a smoother and better work experience.

Conclusion
As we have just discussed there are some myths regarding the outsourcing software development companies which we have tried to sort out. Although many people can give suggestion to hire inhouse team for IT work but it has been seen and experienced that outsourcing the IT work to a specialized offshore company or team is much more cost effective and beneficial in short as well as long run then hiring an inhouse IT staff or Software Developers.