IT is evolving beyond the ability of many companies to keep up. As a result, companies are turning to a nearshore partner as it offers the ability to maintain a high level of control while transferring the cost of doing business.

But, in a rush to save money, companies often dive into software development outsourcing, quickly select a provider, and consequently, expect that team to produce great software right away. In their rush, they skip the careful evaluation required to determine which software outsourcing company best suits their needs. They don’t properly vet the provider to ensure they get the highest standards and the best service, experience, and quality of work.

Once you decide to Nearshore your IT project and start looking for the ideal Nearshore partner, make sure you choose your provider well.

To ensure that you select the best Nearshore company, we give you some tips to start:

1.  Identify your Top Technical Needs

Determine your top three technical needs and set them as top priorities in your outsourcing criteria. Focus on the technical expertise that makes the most significant positive impact on the overall quality of your software. After that, you need to make sure your nearshore partner can answer your technical needs accurately.

2. Check vendor’s experience

The more experience the Nearshore company has, the better it can solve problems quickly. Find out the vendor’s expertise in delivering services similar to the one you plan to outsource. This expertise could include the number of projects executed, types of clients, technology expertise, and so on. Ideally, the right vendor will bring vast experience from working with on software across different industries.

3. Different time zones lead to slower feedback and lack of productivity

Working with a remote team that is in a nearby country with similar, or a very close time-zone will allow you to communicate more quickly and effectively.

With a time-zone difference of only 1-4 hours, clients can collaborate in real-time with the nearshore team leveraging conference calls, video chats and email communication with little to no delays in response. This proximity dramatically decreases false assumptions and the need for extensive documentation.

Ultimately, this benefit is recognized at the bottom line regarding faster time to market and lower costs for initiatives leveraging nearshore resources.

4. Will the IT staff be working on other projects?

A good IT Nearshore partner will offer you a fully-committed team for your project.

At Nearshore Portugal each consultant works for a single client. This way we can ensure that our client has the full attention of his remote team.

5. Language skills

You’ll need a remote team that speaks your language, or, it won’t be easy to communicate! The level of communication can make or break a project’s success. Language barriers prevent new processes from being implemented, limit the necessary feedback, and hind team effectiveness.

6. Look for extra costs

If you started your quest searching for an outsourcing company to become your nearshore partner, you’ve probably noticed the massive range of prices. Prices depend on location, experience, technology stack, and many other factors.

When deciding based on prices, look at the delivery time. If the most expensive company claims to deliver your product faster, it probably means that you’ll save money with them

7. Culture and Work environment

There are many problems associated with long-distance cooperation such as cultural misunderstandings, different perceptions of time, or even misread body language and implicit assumptions. Specific habits, national holidays, manner, and conventions of conducting business, as well as mentality peculiarities – all these aspects can pose an obstacle to the seamless development process.

The Nearshore partner you choose can mean the difference between a long and profitable business relationship, or a source of delays and wasted work. Invest time upfront evaluating the nearshoring partners at your disposal, to ensure that your decision produces real, measurable results.

Are you considering Software Development Nearshoring? Drop us a line!

Don’t forget to check the following articles as well:

Nearshore Partner: The value behind the price!

Top 5 Benefits of Staff Augmentation!

Focus on goals!

As it is will all organizations, including nearshoring, successful businesses are based on trust and mutual understanding. Although you should trust have what your vendor wants is what’s best for your business, it’s more important to make a decision that you’re familiar with and equally important, which is part of your vision and business needs. Focus on your business/project goals and requirements so you’re Nearshore partner implement their way of working.

When nearshoring, get involved!

Even if your vendor has the experience and expertise needed to deliver great products, you still need to remain involved! Nobody knows better your business than you do, and for that reason, your commitment will have a real impact on the final product.

Choose the right company!

One of the main factors for Nearshore success is the vendor’s choice. It’s important to look for companies with knowledge and experience. Those who will always strive to deliver the best nearshoring software development solutions, according to industry’s best practices.

To learn how to choose your Nearshore partner read our blog post “7 tips choosing your Nearshore Partner”.

More than a tool, communication is key in any business relationship. You should clearly express your needs and expectations to your Nearshore team, only this way can you guarantee that they work with your goals in mind and deliver the greatest service.

Are you looking for the right nearshoring software development partner? Here, at Nearshore Portugal, we have 400of the best IT talents working from Lisbon in top projects around Europe with over 30 technologies. Give us a call to hear more about our very competitive rates and great results!