Developing a product or app from scratch is no accessible business. Business organizations have to take care of everything from technical requirements, staff management, recruitment process, etc. But all this process can be simplified if business enterprises opt for offshore app development.
There are many reasons why offshore app development has become highly popular. The foremost is that it gives a lot of freedom to enterprises to focus on bigger things to expand their market while the offshore app development company takes care of the app development process.
Different stats and researches reveal the same thing. The IT outsourcing market is expected to cross the mark of $425 billion between 2021 and 2026. Another research by Deloitte states that operational effectiveness, consistency, and cost reduction are the three main reasons businesses prefer offshore app development.
Therefore, here in this blog, we will dig in deep and understand the benefits and challenges of offshore app development and how it impacts a business organization in the long run. Moreover, we will also see the factors that business enterprises must consider before finalizing an offshore app development firm.
What is offshore app development: Its meaning and different types
To lay it in simple words, offshore development means that the business organization is wholly or partially transferring the project to a third-party app development organization. So, since here we are talking about an entire project, the business enterprise must hire a mobile app development company instead of going for freelancers.
While developing a mobile app, one requires a team of skilled developers, app development, QA engineer, and more but when you hire from the top mobile app developers you are bound to get the services of all these experts from a single point of contact – your app development partner.
There are three different types of IT outsourcing that are popular in the app development realm:
Nearshore outsourcing
The app development company is in the neighboring country in this outsourcing model. One of the most significant advantages of nearshore outsourcing is that there will be little time difference, and thus it is easier to hire the best app developers and keep track of the progress of app development.
In addition, there will be no cultural or language differences, but businesses working on a tight budget should not consider nearshore outsourcing as this type is expensive.
Onshore outsourcing
Domestic outsourcing is onshore outsourcing, where the IT development service provider is located in the same region as the client. There is no time difference or cultural barriers, issues can be quickly resolved here, and app development can escalate. Moreover, it becomes convenient to monitor the workflow of the IT development partner.
But on the other hand, enterprises do not have many options to choose from as the number of leading app developers will remain truncated in a particular region. Moreover, this IT outsourcing method is expensive as firms also have to pay higher taxes and labor costs.
Offshore outsourcing
As the name suggests, in offshore outsourcing, the app development company will be located in a different region than the client. Over the years, offshore outsourcing has become a popular way of IT outsourcing as it is flexible, cost-effective, and has competitive price sets.
Although, there would be time differences and cultural dissimilarities between the client and the app development service provider. This could cause a hindrance in the workflow and can derail the entire app development process.
What are the different services that can be outsourced?
There are different types of services that business enterprises can outsource. We have created a list of the top services below; let us have a look:
Web development services: Outsourcing web development services will flawlessly increase the product’s operational quality and help it scale ahead in the competition. The end-product will also boost the online presence of your business organization as the offshore app development team will render flexible, elite, and quick solutions.
Mobile app development: Hiring an offshore app development team for mobile app development will do good for your business organization. You don’t have to pay for hardware expenses, sick leaves, office rent, etc. Moreover, as there would be access to a large talent pool, there are more chances that the mobile app development would be more cutting edges with offshore app development services.
QA services: Every app solution needs thorough testing, and for that, the business enterprise has to hire a competent team of QA engineers. Outsourcing in QA remains the best option as they will analyze the app, mobile, or web app without any bias and reduce the burden on the programmers.
UI/UX design: The offshore app development organization will have a team of skilled designers who can turn any complex design into a simple one. As a result, the app interface would be more intuitive and thus enhance the overall user experience of the end customers.
What are the benefits of offshore app development?
The realm of offshore app development has been on the rise, and there are many reasons behind it. This app development method has its fair share of benefits that make life simple for business enterprises. Let us have a look at the top advantages of offshore app development:
- Better access to talent: When a business organization opts to outsource its app development requirements, it gets access to various technical experts at a reasonable cost. This is perhaps the most significant change that mobile app outsourcing renders the business organization. With a broader talent pool, the business enterprise would have the option to select only the best for their project development. With the hiring process being on point, the result would be excellent.
- Quicker implementation and delivery: The time spent recruiting and offshore app development teams are much less than hiring an in-house team. Therefore, quicker recruitment will help speed up the entire app development process. Also, if a business enterprise hires the right offshore app development firm, they would render them a smooth app development experience as these firms are known to punch above their weight.
- Lowers the building risk: Outsourcing app development organizations deliver a dependable final product. Therefore, it lowers the building risk and keeps everyone on the same page throughout the development process. Since everyone from the project manager to the QA team will know everything about the app project and have transparent communication, every step from writing code to debugging will take place in order.
- Access to the latest technologies: The majority of the offshore app development firms are masters in certain sections. They operate with the latest technology stacks according to the business requirements and offer the best requirement for the app project. Moreover, the offshore development team would have certain certified professionals who would add their expertise during the project development and give a competitive advantage to the end product.
Challenges in offshore app development
Along with the high flying benefits, there are specific challenges that business enterprises have to face while opting for offshore app development. Here is the list of top challenges:
- Communication issues: This is one of the common problems that business organizations face while outsourcing their app development requirements. For example, there might be a case where the outsourcing partner would be excellent on the technical front, but their communications skills are below par. Therefore, before selecting the offshore app development company, make sure you have a good understanding of their communication prowess.
- Time zone differences: Time zone is crucial for hiring an offshore IT staff for the app development project. With the client and the vendor in different time zones, the communication process might take longer. Moreover, the enterprise would face a little difficulty in keeping a close eye on the progress of the app development project. Therefore, always hire offshore development firms who keep you updated throughout the development project and ensure that everything remains streamlined.
- Data security challenges: Data leaks have become a significant issue with offshore development firms. Thus, the business enterprise must sign an NDA with their development partner to avoid any mishaps in the future. Moreover, ask your app development solution partner to employ the latest security technologies and policies to keep the data safe.
Final words
The offshore app development provides many opportunities for business enterprises to enhance and grow their horizon. This process saves time and money and allows the organizations to choose from a wider talent pool. Also, businesses can achieve better results with their app product as it will be flexible, reliable, and would be all the ingredients to thrive in today’s constantly changing market.