10 tips for proper communication with the outsourcing team

When you decide to work with the outsourced team to develop software, it is important to consider all aspects of work. Here communication is especially included as it helps streamline the development process and quickly resolve any issues.
So, what are usually the most common communication problems? They are:

• the difference in time zones, languages, cultures;
• poorly chosen communication channel and frequency;
• lack of proper control and transparency, etc.

You can avoid and overcome all of these issues and get a high-quality product if you set your communication with an outsourcing company right from the very beginning. Here are 10 recommendations to achieve this goal:
 

1. Use Overlapping Hours for your advantage

Even if you have a huge difference in a time zone with your outsourcing company, you still can find several hours to get in touch. You do not need to count the difference in time zone each time. You can check it on a specialized website and set a specific time when you can communicate with the outsourcing team.

Try to think of a time gap, as it is your advantage. While you will have to schedule meetings in advance, you will automatically thoroughly plan goals, objectives, and questions related to meetings. Moreover, the outsourcing team will be more concentrated on the tasks at hand without any sudden disturbance from your side.
 

2. Schedule the same weekends and public holidays

Here comes the first cultural difference – national holidays. Of course, there are some unified global holidays like New Year. However, there are still celebrations that belong to a specific country or continent, which means the outsourced team will surely have day-offs.

Of course, you can change it to a working day. However, if you want to support friendly and supportive communication, try to include all key holidays in the joint schedule.
 

3. Choose your project management tool

Tools for project management make the lives of clients and outsourced teams so much easier. Imagine your project team would have to call you each day to explain small changes or adjustments they have done. This is not just tiring but also takes a lot of time from project development.

To avoid such hassle, you can use tools Trello or Jira to streamline your development and communication process.  With the help of these tools, you can easily:

• check project progress;
• look through previous stages;
• add new tasks.

All of these actions are done in one platform, without the need to spend a lot of time communicating on small tasks if there is no urgency.
 

4. Sometimes meet your team at video conferences

Regular calls are not enough to maintain good business relations with the team. However, seeing each other face to face even though it is through the camera can make a huge difference. It is much easier to work with real people you see rather than with the voices of strangers.  This way you will improve your connection and quality of performance.

5. Choose only a few communication channels

Of course, it is crucial to find a suitable communication channel for each type of it. However, if there are too many of them you may confuse each other or have problems with important information delivery.

To avoid communication issues, choose one channel for video conferences and calls, daily chats, project management, etc.
 

6. Remember to write down notes during regular or video calls

When you discuss certain aspects of the project development process, you may come up with some conclusions or brilliant ideas. Remember, the brain of a human cannot memorize all things at once. Thus, to recollect all crucial points latter write them down. This will even help improve communication transparency, as you will have written evidence of your meeting.
 

7. Try to communicate with the whole team

When you work on software development, you cooperate with the whole team not only with some of them. That is why try to avoid any tête-à-tête communication.

Tête-à-tête calls may lead to miscommunication and misunderstandings not only between you and the outsourcing team but also inside the team. The person might forget something or explain the task aim differently, which will end in confusion. Thus, share all comments, tasks, and information with all team members or expect project issues.
 

8. Share data and files in one storage

One storage where everyone from the project can easily get excess is a rescue from chaotic file exchanges on different channels. You still send files in chats or e-mails, but remember to duplicate them in storage.

This way, you will streamline the file exchange process and protect the project from possible file losses. Moreover, if you are using cloud technology, you can:

• edit files together;
• see instant changes;
• get access to them from any device.

Such kind of solution is simple but effective and protective of project progress.
 

9. Hold onto rules you have made

Everyone likes to make rules, but not everyone likes to follow them.  However, any ignorance of rules may cause stress in both parties. That is why make set rules clear and simple so that no one could avoid sticking to them. Then try to check rules execution on occasion without any pressure on the outsourcing team.
 

10. Avoid over-communicating

Try not to go to extremes with communication. Over-communicating will do your project no good. When you understand that instead of calling you can just leave a task in Jira or Trello, do it. This way outsourcing team will spend less time on unnecessary discussions and more on urgent tasks.