by Galina Divakova
COVID-19 brought a lot of damage in terms of people's lives, business existence, and any type of development overall. The second wave of the pandemic amplifies the general tension. All the companies are trying to go through the toughest period and not everyone will be able to do so..
When it comes to software development, pandemic gave businesses quite a lot of possibilities of living through tough times. One of those is an offshore software development center.
This article busies itself with the question of why businesses should consider outsourcing software development in the time of the pandemic. This piece of advice can be useful for all the businesses in the niche who struggle at the moment or are seeking new opportunities to grow.
Source: Lean Testing
Cost-Effectiveness
Nowadays, many businesses work in the falling market with clients tending to freeze their consumer activity due to great uncertainty. A smaller number of clients, and consequently, decreased revenues make companies cut off their expenses. At the top of the cost-reduction list usually is the shutting down of all innovations and secondary business activities. Quite often the development process appears to be in this list because of its expensiveness.
But the truth is that only those companies who keep up with their work during the crisis have a chance to survive. Constant improvement and search for new ways of customer satisfaction can guarantee a competitive advantage.
But how is it possible with so little resources available?
In the case of software development, an answer to this question can be to make use of professional engineering consultancy services and hire in software engineers. You could even hire from an offshore outsourcing company. Offshore outsourced employers are definitely cheaper to hire because:
You do not have to spend time and money on managing such employers comparing to an in-house team: outsource companies have their own management who check on the employer’s task understanding, progress, motivation, etc.
Outsource companies hire only professionals who have already completed many projects successfully and, consequently, can do their tasks faster.
You will get access to employees from Asia, Eastern Europe, and Latin America which progress in software development became remarkable. Moreover, due to the lower price of living there, software development rates are not that high as in the USA or Europe.
Access to a Wide Talent Pool
COVID-19 gave us the possibility to think outside of the box. Before the pandemic, we were used to hiring local employees that we accepted through in-person job interviews. Currently, offices are not available and the usual format of interviews as well. So why don't we see it as a chance to look for talent all over the world?
You can find professionals who are impossible to find within your area and, as we have stated before, their wages most probably will be less than ones of the local talent.
Quick Reaction to New Circumstances
In times of crisis, when you need to adapt to the changing circumstances fast, such processes as candidate sourcing and screening, interviewing, and onboarding takes too much time.
Outsource companies have all people interviewed and settled: developers know what to do and are ready to jump into work any minute. Quite literally, some hiring platforms are able to source the candidates in less than 48 hours.
Limited Tasks – Limited Employers
We have briefly mentioned that COVID-19 influenced businesses in a way that companies have unpredictable demand. So the number of tasks for a team can also vary from a very high workload to nothing, as well as income for paying salaries.
In these circumstances, outsourcing your development is a smart and cost-effective decision as you get needed help for a limited amount of tasks. And you work with an outsourcing partner only as long as your business requires it.
Terminating work with your contractor psychologically is much easier than firing your in-house specialist. So in such uncertain times as now, it's better to think twice deciding between hiring in-house or outsourcing.
Conclusion
Software development outsourcing is the perfect solution for businesses in times of COVID-19. Outsourcing companies usually offer cost-effective solutions to solve your problem and are ready to take over a limited amount of tasks. You have a great variety of professionals to choose from due to the possibility of working with offshore software developers, and you do not have to spend resources on recruiting, onboarding, and management when you choose to outsource.
It is too good of a possibility to waste so consider this if you want to keep your business going no matter what. Stay strong and keep safe!
Author
Galina Divakova
Galina is Head of Marketing at YouTeam, a Y Combinator-backed marketplace for hiring remote software developers.