Nick M. Cohen 25/05/2018 #Popular #Tips 9 min readThird Stage Final (continued from Stage 2): Operational Checklist to Manage Dedicated Team Like a Model ExecutiveHow To Face Key Challenges Addressing Drawbacks At Your BestAs for now, a much-publicized way of scaling business operations with offshore development by dedicated team players is on the edge of booming popularity. Meanwhile, the lion’s share of business startups, as well as growing number of established companies, keep looking into European sector of IT outstaffing services as real salvation. Nevertheless, when it comes to setting up successful cooperation beyond the bounds, the full scope of related project management, supervision and guidance usually brings lots of very similar potential challenges and commonplace pitfalls initially running over with traditional way of in-house team building. That’s why below we’re about to brush up on four time-honored management practices which seem to be much overthought or neglected again and again. Tips To Nip Most Of Potential ClashesOn the face of cost-saving direction prioritized by light-headed project managers and thick business proprietors, high quality standards must be always observed as critical factors of success. Of course, driving you commercial growth the way of optimal resource allocation — both regarding valuable workforce assets, and in terms of reasonable cost-cutting balance — is always excellent to get up and go. But, anyway, worshiping budget price would hardly vouch for the good value of your project. We don’t want to see your software product or mobile app quality inevitably falling apart once you deliver another feature or optimization attempt, which all seem quite insignificant. For keeping high production quality standards rationally high, Skywell.Software recommend that you stick to the following (you may also find some useful tips, just check out for Stage One of this story).Don’t Skimp On QA EngineeringTo perfection, consider getting your new offshore crew amended with single QA engineer for every pair of programmers — right from your day one at it. That way, you should give a substantial piece of mind telling every developer that passing through a fairly complete self-assessment of the code before it goes any further is a MUST. Well, there isn’t such thing as excessive thoroughness or, say, unnecessary diligence. Of course, we don’t want to get really caught up in little things. But if you’re going to establish a clear results-driven approach to improving quality performance of your dedicated team — repeated post-implementation reporting and prudent QA reviewing would be never perceived to be unduly or burdensome.Call for Consistency & PredictabilityThe role of predictability and stability in handling effective human resource management is self-evident. While it’s a no-brainer that all developers got their own commitment and different working habits, particularly code writing needs a rational step-by-step style of workflow like nothing else. Your goal as a model executive is to act proactively. Try to emphasise consistency, as it will undoubtedly strengthen your dedicated team as a whole, in line with eliminating a big part of potential issues with bug fixing. In case personnel changes are unavoidable, you will have to bring about accountable technical documentation and see that regular updates are always delivered on time. Just make sure to provide everybody — both your core in-house group and remote one as well — with all necessary tech logs always available close at hand. Rely on Firm Performance StandardsThink of accuracy and rule-based management system as the best conditions for lasting success with minimum hassle. Again, we’re getting back to those matter-of-course side effects like fading motivation, unsound product quality, functionality handicapped with passable glitches, or even principally counterproductive daily grind looming over the whole project. Start with preventive steps to pre-empt possible technical debt. Make sure your developers can readily allocate enough time and get everything in place with code optimization to be held around once a fortnight. Although there are lots of other exemplary worst-case scenarios, nearly everything is still boiled down to non-uniformity. Therefore, consider establishing clear coding standards, in line with making the rest of other vital imperatives systematically documented to be readily accessible for all — and your dedicated team management is already halfway done!Encourage Dedicated Team for Pro-activity & IntegrityHere you should give strong attention to build up pro-activity, openness and transparency among your dedicated team members — pronounce your requirements and project vision right from the very beginning. Take care of your long-term success by making your remote cooperation based on the principles of transparency, responsibility and foresight. Consider the following core ideas to achieve generally higher productivity with your newly obtained offshore developers:Adopt the concept of MVP, with a maximum smooth process of development and fully controllable scope of the project. All you need is to get comfortable with the idea that your product goes live without possessing a perfectly flawless functionality. Just get a clear vision of essential features and keep moving — the rest of cool stuff can be delivered gradually over time.Promote openness and mutual understanding in respect of all project-related issues, without exception. Invite every member of your remote crew to join, when applicable, your in-house crew for extensive estimation process. Possessing profound knowledge and refined practical experience throughout the most specific areas of your project, these highly technical guys will definitely help you get maximum realistic expectations, backed with optimal working productivity and product quality too.Welcome responsibility to make sure your dedicated team members are immediately involved in proactive processes of joint risk management. As a result, you will be able to address the lion’s share of obstacles that may hinder your on-time performance. Just give everybody a piece of mind — feel free to pronounce all potential issues, probable drawbacks, and any rational concerns once you identify them. Probably, you will have to consider appointing a person whose role covers precisely risk management process beyond all.