Offshore mobile app development has become a solution for companies looking to innovate, stay competitive, and respond to market shifts faster. According to the Deloitte survey, 79% of companies worldwide outsource IT software and app development to leverage external expertise and resources for their mobile initiatives.
For most, using offshore mobile app development services is an excellent opportunity to tap into less competitive talent markets, hire experienced mobile app developers at a reasonable rate, and staff the project faster. However, these are just a few well-known benefits of the offshoring approach. Below, we'll discuss some of the lesser-known advantages of mobile app development offshoring and provide tips on how to gain them.
Unobvious benefits of offshoring mobile app development
Most businesses offshore as it's a time and cost-saving development option. However, this approach and partnering with an experienced tech company like N-iX has many not-so-apparent advantages. Let's review how mobile app development offshoring can benefit your project.
Access to industry-specific expertise
If you tap into a new niche or technology in your region, you need experts who already developed similar solutions to avoid costly mistakes. And offshoring is a great way to reach the right talent.
For example, if you want to modernize your finance or banking business and introduce new mobile features, you may hire fintech mobile app developers from Ukraine, Poland, Latvia, or Estonia. These countries are experts in mobile services related to government or fintech solutions. Partnering with tech vendors with the expertise you need will help you create a robust and secure mobile app.
Access to established tech ecosystems and partnership benefits
Another benefit of partnering with offshore vendors for mobile app projects is that you can benefit from their tech ecosystem and partnership benefits.
For example, N-iX partners with hyperscalers like AWS, Microsoft Azure, and GCP. If your mobile project involves cloud integration or you already have some services on either of these platforms, partnering with N-iX can help you launch the project faster and avoid costly mistakes.
Quick project scaling
During the development, you may need additional features or introduce a new technology, so you should look for engineers to implement it. When you partner with experienced vendors offering offshore development services, they can find the needed expert faster because of its vast talent pool of engineers in the region.
For instance, it takes N-iX up to four weeks to extend your development team with an experienced engineer in trendy or niche technology from Europe or Latin America. This way, you don't have to put the project on hold, pay other team members for idle time, and spend additional time getting the team back together.
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Focus on business strategy instead of development
Outsourcing mobile app development to offshore partners allows businesses to focus their resources towards core strategic initiatives, such as:
- Market expansion;
- Product innovation;
- Customer acquisition.
By offloading routine development tasks to offshore teams, businesses can concentrate on driving growth, improving competitiveness, and achieving strategic objectives more effectively.
Ensured compliance with the target market regulations
If you plan market expansion, it's best to delegate offshore mobile app development to the team from the targeted market. These experts know and follow the local regulations and requirements so that you will be better protected from unintentional incompliance. The latter can result in fines, business license termination, and reputation damage.
Various tech support levels
Large companies like N-iX can also provide 1-4 level tech support. When hiring offshore mobile app developers from the same company, you don't need to start a separate hiring cycle for the tech specialists for post-release and maintenance activities. It can save you time and ensure your app's continuous availability.
Read more: The ins and outs of offshore enterprise software development
Shorter staffing time and time to market
In the US, the general time to hire tech professionals is 12-18 weeks. One of the reasons the process takes so long is the tech talent competition the Western markets are known for. This is why tapping into less competitive markets overseas will help you find professionals with the same skills and hire them faster. The result? Faster hiring means a sooner launch of the development project, helping the companies remain competitive in the market race.
Covered HR operations regarding on and offboarding
Another reason development offshoring is beneficial for businesses is that they don't need to have an HR unit to deal with hiring or firing. The offshore tech vendor handles onboarding and offboarding, freeing the company from employing the HR specialists in-house and undertaking the developer management tasks.
These benefits may appeal to businesses from different industries. However, companies should also be aware of the challenges they may face when offshoring mobile app development services. Here's what they should do to avoid them.
Offshore mobile app development challenges and how to deal with them
Effective management of development projects from abroad requires established workflows and processes. Companies without offshoring experience may face various challenges that could complicate the project. Here are a few of the most common challenges and fears businesses have when considering offshoring mobile app development services and how we at N-iX deal with them.
Language and communication barriers
Delegating mobile app development to a team from another country means you'll communicate with them in English. Most companies hesitate to send their project execution overseas because they are unsure about the offshore team's language proficiency. Poor communication in this cooperation may affect the project execution, product quality, and reputation.
N-iX approach: When hiring, we pay as much attention to English language proficiency and communication skills as we do to core tech competencies. It ensures that we employ experienced engineers with a good command of English or other languages to cooperate with our clients and their in-house tech teams.
In addition, we use videoconferencing and project management tools to facilitate transparent communication and foster a shared understanding of project details among all stakeholders. We also offer language training and cultural immersion programs to our teams, promoting cross-cultural communication and enhancing collaboration across diverse backgrounds.
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Time zone differences
Offshore teams are usually located in different time zones, making it difficult for them to collaborate simultaneously. For example, managers could struggle with scheduling meetings and work sessions. This could result in delivery delays and miscommunication, and it could also prevent offshore teams from addressing critical issues in real-time. However, there are plenty of strategies for mitigating these challenges.
N-iX approach: We establish overlapping working hours between our onshore and offshore teams to facilitate real-time communication and collaboration. The tools like Slack, Microsoft Teams, or Zoom help us bridge communication gaps and ensure seamless interaction. Plus, we establish clear communication protocols and expectations, encouraging regular check-ins and status updates to keep projects on track and prevent misunderstandings.
App quality
One of the major concerns of a company considering offshoring is the quality of the application it will receive. Businesses understand that in trying to find better, more cost-effective solutions, they might be spending more if the code quality turns out poor. While this is a valid concern, a few things will help you ensure app quality when you offshore mobile app development.
N-iX approach: We start app development by identifying the client's needs, goals, and deliverables for the projects, depending on the cooperation model. At the start of our partnership, we agree on the tech specifications, delivery models, app features, and tech stack according to the client's brief. All these things are mentioned in our contracts so our clients can be sure they will receive the expected results.
Workflow misalignment
The difference in the business processes and operations of the development units also makes businesses wary of mobile app development offshoring. Misalignment in project requirements, timelines, or priorities may arise, leading to delays, rework, and inefficiencies in the development process. However, the chances of misalignment decrease significantly if you agree on specific terms and workflows before signing a contract with the offshore vendor.
N-iX approach: After signing an NDA and discussing project details, our team shares the workflow strategy that would best suit the project and the stakeholders involved. We discuss that before signing a service-level agreement (SLA) and include the agreed terms in the contract to make sure both parties are on the same page regarding the project execution.
With over 21 years of being among the top outsourcing and offshoring technology companies, N-iX has vast experience in delivering robust mobile solutions to mid-sized companies and global enterprises. Below, we'll share some tips that would help offshore mobile app development with confidence.
Explore the topic: How to minimize risks in software development offshoring
Mobile app development offshoring is an excellent way for companies to develop an application that would feel organic to the target market, save development and operational costs, and ensure compliance with local regulations. But that's if you build an effective approach.
The tips below can help you plan a solid offshoring strategy and reach your business goals.
9 Tips for successful offshore mobile app development
While every company needs a unique approach to app development offshoring, these tips can help you build a solid base for your project. Here are nine things you should consider.
Get expert consultation prior to development
Discussing your project with the experts before the development helps you choose the best option that will help you reach the desired outcome with the least risks. Plus, it can help you assess the long-term perspective on your business strategy.
For example, if you've decided to build a mobile app and expand to a new market, and you are still not sure which platforms to focus on, it would be more feasible to build a cross-platform app with fewer features that could be scaled with less investment when needed. Moreover, you can use the same code to create PWAs, saving you time and money in the long run.
Define the project goals and services you wish to offshore
Each party's clearly defined goals and responsibilities will make project management a breeze. Before signing SLAs, you should clearly define which part of the project you delegate to the tech vendor. It would also be great to agree on the acceptance criteria and add this point to your contract to ensure you'll receive the expected solution.
Start your offshore project right: How to hire an offshore development team successfully?
Define a team composition
Your project may need various experts at every stage. The companies like N-iX can provide you the experts for the specific tasks and for a certain period so you pay engineers for as long as your project needs them. We have various cooperation models for you to choose the best fit for the project.
We recommend discussing the project team composition with experts who have experience in similar projects. They can suggest how to staff your team effectively and save costs wherever it makes sense. That's another reason you should consult the experts before hiring offshore mobile app developers.
Research offshore offers from companies
Plenty of offshore mobile app development companies offer their services, and choosing one may be challenging. To help you make the right decision, we recommend you follow a few criteria when selecting:
- More than 15 years of experience in offshore mobile app development;
- Over 250 employed tech specialists;
- Proven expertise in the required technologies (cloud, Big Data, AI, etc.);
- Strong market reputation backed by testimonials and reviews on Clutch, GoodFirms, etc.;
- Industry recognition and awards from reputable agencies;
- Strong employer brand in the selected region.
You can add other points that are relevant to your business processes and beliefs. For example, if sustainability is important to your organization, you may include it as a selection criterion as well.
Prepare an NDA and agreements
Make sure you have the NDA and SLA drafts in place before disclosing any information to a third party, such as designers, developers, or business analysts. Signing the document before sharing project details will legally protect your company from troubles like intellectual theft, copyright infringement, and unsolicited disclosure.
Key the code on the client side
Ensure that the code resides on your client-side repository from the outset to protect your interests. This can prevent potential issues with the offshoring vendor withholding access to the code and safeguard against any obligations to pay for poor code quality.
Establish a communication plan and cooperation guidelines
Effective communication is the backbone of any successful project. Establishing it beforehand is a must if you want to avoid misalignment, delivery delays, and concealed errors.
You should agree with your offshoring provider on the collaboration strategy so everyone is on the same page regarding communication frequency, schedule, and tools.
Prepare a mobile app development and release plans
Defining the roadmap for development, release, and post-release activities ensures an effective resource allocation, and risk mitigation throughout the development process. It also helps maintain quality standards, facilitates stakeholder communication, and ensures timely delivery of the final product.
Arrange preliminary talks with the selected tech company
However beautiful the website and written communication may be, nothing speaks louder about the company than its actions and business approach during the pre-contract stage. Book an introductory meeting to talk with the experts and ask about the details of cooperation that are critical for your project and business. The N-iX team is always ready to book a session with you to discuss how we can help with your project and boost your business growth.
Why N-iX is your trusted offshore mobile app development partner
At N-iX, we understand the pivotal role that development offshoring plays in driving business growth and efficiency. Leveraging our extensive experience and expertise in the field, we help businesses create a tailored strategy for mobile app development offshoring and reap the benefits from this approach.
Whether your business needs an enterprise mobile solution or a customer-facing application, we're ready to find specialists in the selected region. N-iX has an active pool of candidates in 25 countries across Europe and Latin America. Thanks to the company's strong employer brand, it takes us three to four weeks to find, hire, and onboard offshore mobile app developers.
Our offshore mobile app development services are used by global enterprises and Fortune 500 businesses. N-iX has already delivered over 100 custom mobile solutions for businesses in finance, retail, healthcare, manufacturing, telecom, energy, and other industries. Some of the mobile apps serve more than 5M users.
With our customized solutions and collaborative approach, we ensure seamless integration and delivery of high-quality mobile applications, helping businesses achieve their strategic objectives effectively. Contact us and let's discuss how N-iX expertise in offshoring can help you create robust mobile solutions!
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