Managing an outsourcing effort is no easy task, even for veterans of the process. So to make life easier for companies considering a software outsourcing project, the Offshore Outsourcing Best Practices association, a membership organization offering a range of software outsourcing services to companies and service providers, has come up with a few guidelines.

Set a structured timeline: Generally speaking, most companies underestimate how long it will take their outsourcing service provider to fine-tune their customized software. OOBP recommends creating a timeline and devoting the first 20% of it to development of a first version of the software and the rest to finalizing it.

Know what you want: Companies new to outsourcing often fall into the trap of setting lofty project goals and assigning abstract tasks to developers before they have a concrete idea of what their projects entail. Irrelevant or unnecessary steps can overcomplicate projects, wasting the developer’s time and the client’s money. OOBP recommends that companies be specific in assigning relevant, practical tasks to their offshore vendors.

Keep it simple: Companies sometimes believe that complex software solutions are needed to upgrade or create new high-tech systems. However, this is often not the case and OOBP recommends opting for simpler solutions when they exist. Doing so can keep project costs down and simplify communication between the company and service provider.

There is certainly a lot more to consider when offshoring a project, but these simple guidelines can make a world of difference to the project’s ultimate success. — Eugene Goland

Eugene Goland is president of DataArt and chairman of the Offshore Outsourcing Best Practices association.