As in all outsourcing partnerships, especially in nearshoring, communication plays a vital role as an agent of change, as it should.

For organizations who seek to improve efficiency by extending their internal IT team via an outsourcing solution, enhancing communication and collaboration is a top concern, and culture is the starting point.

When researching who will be the right outsourcing partner, it’s expected that key questions arise: can the differences in cultures become a block when combining an in-house team with an outsourced one? It’s no secret that remote teams can help bridge the cultural gap thanks to their many advantages. Yet, these benefits are not without a big risk: partnering with an inexperienced provider with little practice or knowledge with cultural nearshoring.

As important as it is, there’s no step-by-step guide on how to tackle cultural differences when outsourcing. So, what do you need to know?

From the Top…

What Is Cultural Nearshoring?

Cultural nearshoring involves collaborating with teams in neighbouring countries where language barriers are minimal. This proximity enhances communication and reduces cultural differences, fostering similar operational habits.

Objectively, by stripping the communication barrier on how each team approaches their work and communicates, the business itself has a greater chance of creating a cohesive and all-connected work environment focused on optimization and delivery. In other words, with the support of an experienced outsourced team, you’ll be able to turn the out-put knob to a hundred percent.

However, cultural nearshoring has its challenges. Clients and providers must come together from the very start, and recognize that people are the heart of all projects. This means understanding the existent of contrasting workplace culture behaviours.

Understanding your IT Outsourcing Team’s Culture

People from different cultures bear different behaviours and work methodologies. They can differ in languages, processes, and communication styles, among others. Learning how your international counterparts operate becomes critical, as it will put aside any chances of misunderstandings between you and your provider from the get-go.

Although a nearshore approach focuses on adaptability to the client’s work system or practices, it’s important to note that some obstacles are difficult to circumvent. For example, in France, workers are protected by a Right to Disconnect Law, which stipulates that most French professionals are not obligated to reply to emails that come in after hours. This sensible and logical measure was adopted to protect employees from being overworked. Yet, it could be a conflicting issue down the road if an outsourcing client has different standards or work expectations.

In Sweden, coffee breaks, also known as fika, are culturally embedded as they seed productivity. It gives the working force an opportunity to relax. Some companies implement a formal fika with breaks at 9 am, 3 pm, and some, more frequently. There are other working forces who are even encouraged to take midday naps, such as in Japan. The same goes for holidays.

At the end of the day, working with an extended outsourced team might not match completely your specific workplace structure or culture, but it doesn’t mean it won’t live up to your expectations.

To get to know more about how nearshore development can change your internal team, check out our article: Why nearshore development is the best solutions

The Benefits of a Shared Culture

One of the significant advantages, which not only provides an ease of travel to meet your outsourcing partner but brings teams closely together during similar working hours. This means teams can organize immediate meetings for updates or urgent calls to fix a problem. Alongside this, is a common benefit. If both companies share the same schedule, weekly meetings can be secured easily, as opposed to one party having to use time in their early morning or evening to trade information.

It’s no secret that the work culture of each country impacts how companies communicate with each other. As in all business relations, interpreting a message incorrectly can be disastrous, affecting the direction of the project and the business partnership. With nearshoring, working with a partner culturally adapted to different markets and with a high English-proficiency, such as Portugal, makes the work between teams faster, intuitive, and without restraints

The 2023 EF English Proficiency Index ranks Portugal 8th out of 113 countries among the top non-native English-speaking countries, showcasing its very high proficiency and suitability for nearshoring.

Ultimately, shared culture is undoubtedly one of the biggest advantages of nearshoring. Providing smoother and more efficient communication, while ensuring your project is created quicker and with greater quality, with minimal miscommunication dilemmas along the way.

Overcoming the Cultural Challenges of IT Nearshoring

Despite its advantages, cultural nearshoring comes with challenges. Clients and providers must acknowledge the importance of cultural differences from the start. Recognizing and respecting these differences ensures a smoother integration process.

Here are some strategies and insights to help overcome these challenges:

1. Cultural Awareness Training

Investing in cultural awareness training for both in-house and nearshore teams can significantly reduce misunderstandings and foster a collaborative environment. Training should cover key aspects such as communication styles, workplace etiquette, and decision-making processes.

For example, understanding that Portuguese professionals value formal business communication can help set the tone for effective interactions. However, it is important to note that the level of formality may vary depending on the context and the relationship between the parties involved.

2. Effective Communication Channels

Utilize tools like Slack, Microsoft Teams, or Zoom to facilitate real-time communication and collaboration. Regular virtual meetings and updates can ensure that all team members are on the same page. Additionally, using project management tools like Jira or Trello can help track progress and keep everyone aligned.

3. Building Relationships and Trust

Encourage face-to-face interactions through occasional visits and team-building activities. Understanding and respecting cultural differences can help build rapport and trust.

4. Adapting to Local Work Practices

Understanding and adapting to local work practices can mitigate potential conflicts. For instance, in Portugal, it’s common to have a more relaxed approach to work-life balance. Recognizing these practices and integrating them into the project management approach can prevent friction. Allowing flexibility and respecting local holidays and working hours can lead to a more motivated and productive team.

5. Clear Expectations and Deliverables

Detailed project plans, milestones, and regular performance reviews can help ensure that both parties are aligned. This clarity can prevent miscommunication and ensure that the project stays on track.

6. Cultural Integration Programs

Implement cultural integration programs to blend the company cultures of both the client and the nearshore provider. These programs can include exchange visits, cultural exchange workshops, and shared social activities. This integration fosters a sense of unity and shared purpose, enhancing teamwork and collaboration.

7. Monitoring and Feedback

Regularly monitor the progress of the nearshoring collaboration and solicit feedback from both in-house and nearshore teams. Use this feedback to make continuous improvements and address any emerging cultural issues promptly. This proactive approach ensures that any potential problems are resolved before they escalate.

Conclusion

Cultural nearshoring offers numerous benefits, including enhanced communication, reduced miscommunication, and improved project efficiency. By choosing a nearshoring partner with a shared culture and high English proficiency, organizations can bridge the cultural gap and achieve their outsourcing goals.

Ultimately, the success of nearshoring hinges on understanding and adapting to cultural differences. Embracing these differences can lead to more efficient and productive collaborations, ensuring the delivery of high-quality IT solutions.

Incorporating these insights into your nearshoring strategy can significantly improve your chances of success. Stay informed, communicate effectively, and choose the right partners to maximize the benefits of cultural nearshoring.

Ready to leverage the benefits of nearshoring for your IT projects?

Book a brief meeting with our team, at Nearshore Portugal, to learn how we can help bridge the cultural gap and boost your business. Let’s achieve success together.

As the situation continues to unfold, many companies which lack an agile approach, are facing challenges due to the absence of automated or planned processes before covid-19. Factors that are now essential for companies to continue the path towards digital conversion and automation of their processes. However, this also created a unique opportunity for organizations to build better systems to protect against similar situations. Naturally, the unforeseen crisis has brought challenges, but not without its improvements.

In the beginning, most companies were facing hurdles in adjusting to a work from a home plan, partly due to their new introduction to an unknown work methodology, and the demands that came with it. However, the IT outsourcing industry has always succeeded in remote work. Despite the pandemic, IT outsourcing proved to be capable of continuing its software development services despite a completely remote scenario, and this was especially true for the Nearshore Portugal team who continued to support and work together with customers despite the lockdown.

Nearshore IT Outsourcing – The Aftermath

Now, more than ever, the need for an experienced and qualified Nearshore partner is critical as it offers the ability to maintain a high level of control even amid an unforeseen and critical situation. Although Nearshore IT outsourcing delivers key advantages, such as quick travels, greater team engagement, and cultural similarities, one of its major benefits focuses on communication.

At Nearshore Portugal, we know that strong relationships are essential. One thing that was set clear during the pandemic is that well-founded and kept relationships between clients and service providers are a must, especially during a crisis. For Nearshore Portugal, this meant having a well-prepared communications plan with our clients in place before a lockdown, ensuring the continuity of projects, meetings, development, and delivery.

As in any business relationship, communication is key but being available to set your clients’ minds at ease and answering questions is only half the battle. Providers need to have a plan of action for unforeseen situations. Nearshoring is the ace in the whole of outsourcing, and the right nearshore partner can lead to an efficient outsourcing relationship, a mutually beneficial two-way street. After all, outsourcing is about increasing the efficiency of your organization, and for outsourcing partners that provide talent, this means protecting what values the most: people.

New Priorities!

The future of outsourcing will bring a new age of connectivity with a much needed cultural shift. In a way, the pandemic has encouraged action that was already taking place — digital transformation. From night to day, workers from across the globe began working from home and this sparked a critical question: How can we, collectively, guarantee employee health?

A survey performed by Qualtrics in April 2020 found that 44.4% of newly remote workers have stated that their mental health had declined since the outbreak of the pandemic.

The solution to this problem won’t be as simple as returning to the office but rather to how to support people, and this will be a determining factor for talent retention. Companies need to develop wellness support programs to create steps to ascertain employees’ health. At Nearshore Portugal our team is our biggest asset, and we are committed to ensuring each employee health by:

• Providing all members of our team with wellness benefits;
• Implementing steps to guarantee a workspace where employees feel safe,

The Big Picture

Nearshore outsourcing is driving digital transformation, a necessity for businesses of all sizes. Although outsourcing models such as offshoring have advantages, nearshoring has the capabilities of quickly and reactively responding to sudden changes due to its strong communication-based model which, due to the similar time zones with external teams, allows for higher levels of engagement and responsiveness.

The coronavirus phenomenon has shown how seamless communication is critical for a robust partnership that, among many, protects organizations from what lies beyond the horizon, unseen. Regardless of what is to come, one thing is certain, companies need to protect their people.

In a year marked by change, highly-qualified professionals will continue to be a regular, and a sought-after resource. As hiring picks up, companies that fail to invest in their people’s wellbeing will struggle to retain these key professionals. For outsourcing companies who decide to start a new year focused on investing in their talent pool, they won’t just be setting a new standard, they’ll be leading it!

If you liked this article, don’t get to check out: The Future of Office Work: Is it Finished?

Get to know more about us!

In the context of nearshore outsourcing, it’s clear its effectiveness in enhancing collaboration, scalability, and performance. Every day, organizations struggle to optimize their operations to gain faster development cycles. Otherwise, they risk losing ground to a competitor due to a lack of specialized talent. Working with someone who can deliver what you need is rare. Luckily, there’s a solution. We call it Nearshore Portugal!

How can nearshore outsourcing improve your time to market? This is what you need to know!

From the top

In a competitive market, organizations should focus on reducing their time to market. This means decreasing as much as possible the duration between developing the product and putting it on the market. Businesses that become faster and more responsive to customers’ needs and demands can quickly become ahead of their competitors and evolve to top leaders.

In order to achieve this, changes must be made and new procedures acquired. It all comes down to a collaboration methodology. In other words, workflow efficiency. An optimized approach that becomes a time to market accelerator and this is how!

Communication Experts

As in any business, especially in the IT industry, staying agile is a must. In other words, communication is crucial for agile software development. This means being accessible whenever you need your team at any given moment of the workday so if potential issues or unforeseen adjustments happen, it can be dealt with immediately. In contrast, this isn’t possible with offshoring.

If your team is based in India and you’re in Germany, there is a big-time zone difference that will compromise communications, schedules, and team efficiency. Offshore doesn’t just compromise any type of Agile principles, it eliminates them altogether.

Of course, an Agile approach doesn’t exclusively focus on improving collaboration. It allows for faster and efficient work methodologies. With Agile, QA and developers test the software at various stages of project development instead of at the end of the project while building new features and testing. Naturally, this is massively improved when there are expertise and a shared time zone. Plus, increased efficiency means less need for resources which equals less investment.

As you might have guessed, all of this decreases delays and improves time to market.

At Nearshore Portugal, we work with organizations across Europe. This gives us a strong cultural understanding of the many enterprises we work with. Allowing us to deliver a custom-made approach to nearshore solutions. More than delivering the talent you need, we focus on augmenting your in-house IT staff. Through specialized developers experienced in the agile way, filling the skills gap in your team. Thus, resulting in greater performance and, once again, faster time to market.

The new Outsourcing

Although outsourcing throughout the years has been about lowering costs, not all providers shifted to new practices. More than just cost-saving, we believe in combining improved processes, augmenting capabilities that only the nearshore approach can deliver. As your partner, beyond being handed tasks or requirements from customers, our approach is about finding a team that works effectively as an extension of your own in-house IT staff. In other words, we don’t just focus on talent, we find the right people for your project. Professionals that combine hard and soft skills needed that adjust to your company culture and goals.

Although no one knows with complete certainty the future of IT outsourcing, some predictions can be made. Better yet, specific tendencies become more visible. With the sudden lockdown across industries due to the COVID-19 pandemic, remote working has shown its many advantages and adaptability. This new adjustment has proven what was already known by many, that remote workers continue to produce at high levels with little disruption, without comprising results, efficiency, and communication. This means customers can gain access to expert developers at competitive rates without having to concern themself with office space, recruitment, and so on.

At the end of the day, the key advantage of nearshore outsourcing is the innovation it can offer. By working with Nearshore Portugal, you’ll gain access to a partner with market experience and the needed knowledge to take your operation to the next level with the support of a seasoned pool of tech talent, fully committed and specialized in the latest technological languages.

If you’re wondering where you can find all your software development, design, cloud, and DevOps needs in one place.. You just did!

Did you like this article? Get to know our Team extension model

Nearshore outsourcing delivers companies with greater performance, faster growth, and a higher response when it comes to time to market. All of this is achievable through specialized talent, and at Nearshore Portugal, as a nearshore development provider, we know all about that. Among the many advantages, the benefits of a similar time zone difference are undoubtedly one of the most well-known assets.

So, is there really that much of a difference in developing projects with a time zone difference?

Agility At Its Best

The Agile methodology plays a crucial role in nearshoring, revolutionizing a company’s efficiency and overall output. With Agile development, developers must work closely together. This means, collaboration with cross-functional teams to continually grasp new knowledge with constant communication. This approach is all about turning the collaboration knob to 11. Making sure there is constant information and feedback between the team and the customer.

Here’s a typical scenario: Imagine you have a team on the other side of the globe, both parties arrange a specific time for a meeting to discuss the project, it’s evolution, and issues. Meetings done, everyone goes home, and the developer from your provider realizes there’s a high probability of disaster concerning a deployment that wasn’t discussed in the meeting. Instinctively, this must be discussed ASAP. Urgent matters of this sort can’t be delayed. Otherwise, the whole process of communication becomes inefficient, and there’s a name for it: Offshoring.

With Agile development, constant communication prevents such situations. Allowing the customer to be well aware of any potential problems, progress, and decisions making needs on the minute. Practically speaking, there’s no beating the efficiency that nearshoring can provide when comparing to the offshore way. 

Nearshore Development More Relevant Than Ever

Organizations worldwide are working at full-speed, preparing for the future economic struggles created by COVID-19. More than ever, companies need to balance their software development projects output, and nearshoring is the solution. According to a study by Statista, 39% of surveyed CIOs and IT executives worldwide expect a decline in their IT budget for 2020 as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. On the other hand, 21% expect their IT budget in 2020 to increase, while 40% forecast no change in the IT budget.

These projections force companies to look at their current situation and evaluate what type of outsourcing solution is ideal. Yes, offshoring can be less expensive but will compromise cost-effectiveness in your teams, collaboration, time to market, and potentially increase delays. On the other hand, nearshoring become less costly over time, has competitive rates, provides expert developers experienced in an agile approach, delivering greater performance with one key advantage: a similar time zone. This means a much larger communication window, proximity, reduced expenses, and quicker travels when you decide to visit your providers HQ

Quality Regardless Of Location

Nearshore development companies have top-class developers and engineers with competitive rates as the ones offered by offshoring companies. With over 10 years of experience and 400 IT professionals, Nearshore Portugal provides customers with seasoned and expert professionals in multiple technologies, experienced in nearshore projects across Europe. Furthermore, Nearshore teams have little cultural barriers. What makes these experts so efficient and adaptable is precisely their different backgrounds. This drives better problem solving, increased creativity, innovation, and new solutions. As a result, building optimal software becomes quicker and less troublesome.

This level of innovation and adaptability are essential trades. Especially in current times where businesses worldwide need resilient, yet flexible and focused professionals to deliver results even with unpredictable lockdowns. With remote working common with nearshore developers, an adjustment comes easier as developers are used to remote meetings with a flex-work approach. This is turn, enables these talented individuals to optimize their environment and workflow to the max.

More than ever, ensuring your business is as agile as possible is key. With leading talent and an experienced provider, organizations can guarantee they project continuity with access to specialized developers.

Is your organization looking for greater innovation and support? We provide a Team Extension, End-To-End Teams, and Project Development services.

Get to know more about our methods at

https://nearshoreportugal.com/how-it-works/

Contact us at info@nearshoreportugal.com, we’re eager to hear from you!

It also comes down to the seasoned talent and their ability to deliver quality work, regardless of location.

Today, what was once thought as a trend, has become for many companies a logical step, if not the next stage in their business as a way to continue competitive while reducing costs and adjusting to possible unforeseen shifts in the market. Partnering with an experienced partner allows businesses to continue on this beneficial path, gaining access to support and skilled labor. However, when deciding to outsource talent, there’s more than just making sure it’s the right fit for your business. It’s important to have the right tools and mindset to efficiently manage a remote team. Knowing what to do and how to do it is crucial as it’s tied with productivity and delivery.

At Nearshore Portugal, over the years, we’ve learned many things about building and managing remote teams. Whether you have a big business or small, with an abundance of resources or limited access to a talent pool, when it comes to being remote, it’s more than possible to scale your business with the right people and with the right nearshore partner.

How can you manage a remote team? Consider this your go-to guide!

When hiring a remote team, take your time

Time is money, but taking the time to hire the right talent will ensure you don’t waste both. When selecting an individual to join your current team or when choosing specific people to build one, there are plenty of things to take into consideration that you won’t find on a resume.

At Nearshore Portugal, we focus on more than presenting talent. We specialize in building teams that harbor the proper skills, and knowledge to fit your company’s culture and goals. However, as in any business partnership, both parties need to be involved. In this case, that means the hiring process. It’s crucial you take an active part in the interviewing process as a means of getting to know who you’ll be committing to. This is the perfect opportunity to asses each candidate in terms of their personality, work methodology and abilities.

Break down your company and project

Explaining who you are and what’s your vision is important. In this stage, it’s essential to describe in detail who are you as a company, goals, and target audience. Besides explaining why you’re different from the competition or why your business will revolutionize the market, it’s critical to make clear in detail what is your project. This will serve as a great approach in providing understanding, and what will be expected from each member of the team in terms of tasks while also pass an important message: that you are engaged with your team, making sure no doubts are left to clarify, providing from the start a stage where everyone has a voice.

Being part of the company

Although part of your team may be a resource from your outsourcing provider, it’s important to make them feel like they are part of your company. This is even more important for those that are remote workers. Let them know you value their efforts, make sure communication is open and daily. Remember, the teams with the best performance are the ones that are passionate about what they do and feel appreciated for their dedication and hard work.

Provide direction

Even with remote workers, if you have the best talent there is, sometimes giving direction is needed and that’s ok. Providing support will show you’re available to guide and offer a helping hand. It also allows you to strengthen what needs to be done to ensure the workflow follows as expected and is delivered in the agreed deadline. In addition, give your team feedback whenever possible. This will allow them to receive valuable insights regarding their performance and progress, opening a window for further improvement.

Face-to-face communication

With a remote team, face-to-face communication is key. Besides being a great tool for collaboration which enhances communication, it becomes the basis of social and work relationships at a distance. In other words, regular live meetings are a necessity if you’re serious about working with a remote team. Keep in mind that this way communication is also a strategic tool as it turns into a time-savor and an efficiency-booster, allowing you to quickly connect to multiple people at the time, follow-up on each task and ensure each goal is being met.

With a remote team, trust goes a long way

Working with a nearshore team is all about trusting its experience in connecting organizations with the right talent. This means trusting the talent itself. By doing this, you’ll bring several benefits to both your project and your organization. Trust will be the guide for dedication, high levels of performance and motivation

As businesses continue to expand, remote teams will grow as well, becoming a strategy for organizations worldwide. With a virtual team at your side, you will gain a valuable alley focused on your businesses and its growth through experienced professionals from a trusted partner. Their success will be your success and it’s all about setting a foundation of engagement, collaboration, communication, transparency, and clear leadership.

Realistically, outsourcing your operation to a provider isn’t difficult. The difficult part is hiring a provider that fits your exact needs, has the correct approach and methodology. With so many details to take into consideration and analyze, your organization’s processes must be handled in the most efficient way. Remember, ensuring the effectiveness of your outsourcing arrangements starts with you.

Make a list

Here’s the scenario: your searching for an outsourcing partner to help you improve different parts of your operation. You find a potential match and explain in what way you need help. However, before approaching your potential outsourcing partner, you must make a detailed list of the operations that you’ll be outsourcing. Not only will this provide you with a clearer perspective of what you will need, as well as a timeline, but it will also ensure a smoother and more efficient manner of communication.

Documentation

Of course, receiving the finished project you’ve been waiting for or seeing results that show improvement of a specific part of your operation is the end goal. Yet, documentation must also be a top concern. This means, before the wheels start spinning, make sure that every part of the service level agreement is documented. At Nearshore Portugal, we document all stages of the project and provide detailed paperwork that outlines accountability and responsibility, specifying explicitly what will be done.

When outsourcing, focus on Communication

In any business, communication is a must, especially when dealing with an outsourcing partner. That’s why our consultants conduct regular conference calls that range from daily to weekly, depending on the clients’ requirements. Much more than standard practice, frequent calls provide important feedback regarding the ongoing project, as well as a platform where issues, doubts or clarifications are raised. The combination of constant dialogue and straightforward information contributes massively to the success of the project.

Clear Objectives

Communication is a must, and having clear objectives is crucial. You must communicate exactly what you need, such as a description of the professional that fits your project. Remember, an ideal partnership is all about an open and detailed conversation. At Nearshore Portugal we focus on delivering the right support for your project through a wide range of IT services, being web development, UX-UI design, cloud and DevOps, mobile apps, and many more. Thanks to our seasoned consultants, experienced in various technologies, such as React, Ruby, Angular, JavaScript, Python, Html5 and CSS, among others, we make sure that all of our services meet your objectives with the utmost quality.

The Right Help

Choosing the right provider isn’t always easy. As in any service, there must be plenty of research, filtering the different outsourcers in the market. Partnering with a company that specializes in exactly what you need can be a make or break decision. Remember, the goal is a company that matches your requirements and overall goals. Resist the urge to hire the first provider you contact. Research the players and run from those that only give half-certainties. How can you tell if you’re talking to the real deal? It’s as simple as scheduling a meeting. So if you have time, we would love to talk to you!

Preparation is the name of the game and finding a company experienced and key areas are essential. This is an opportunity to grow your business exponentially by avoiding common mistakes while having the support of a seasoned outsourcing company such as Nearshore Portugal!

I am Nuno Campos of Nearshore Portugal and this is our Blog!

Being the inaugural post of Nearshore Portugal, it makes a lot of sense that the topic should be: what is Nearshore and what exactly we do?

We can find several Nearshore IT Services definitions everywhere. For example, Wikipedia defines it as: “Nearshoring is the outsourcing of business processes, especially information technology processes, to companies in a nearby country, often sharing a border with the target country. These expect to benefit from one or more of the following dimensions of proximity: geographic, temporal (time zone), cultural, social, linguistic, economic, political, or historical linkages. The service work that is being sourced may be a business process or software development”.

We think these definitions are a bit simplistic and we go way beyond, creating our own model and definition.

At Nearshore Portugal, we offer a complete TAAS (Team as a Service), which gives our clients the best of solutions for their software development. With our TAAS model the client hires a remote team of experts to work with him directly. We handle recruitment, salary negotiations, payroll, workstations etc., but the client has a final say over who gets hired and what profile they should have.

“The client is in control! Teams created, are fully dedicated to their project.”

On top of this, we offer our Training Academy to all our staff completely free and more important, our clients benefit from our Internal Tech Community.

TaaS model is flexible and contrary to the traditional outsourcing model, it allows companies to create the model that works best for them.

They define the tech stack, the working methodology, the team size, allowing also for scaling up and scaling down within certain rules. Again, this is their team, as if they were their employees, but without all the hassle inherent to HR management.

Nearshore Software development allows companies to cut the risks and cultural barriers involved in offshore outsourcing and come with language and time zone proximity, as well as cost efficiency, making companies more agile and focused on what is important: Their business.

So, in the Nearshore Portugal blog we’re going to explore a little bit this nearshore world, as well as create a space to talk and debate about what we love most: technology.

Want to know more about Nearshore Portugal? Drop us a line! We will be glad to help.

From Lisbon to the World, we are here for you!