Are you struggling to organise your development team and wondering how other companies are doing it? Have you considered offshoring but are unsure about the best practices? Our recent survey, conducted in partnership with Davidson, gathered valuable information on how companies are organising their development teams and using offshoring to maximise productivity and efficiency.
Common team structures and offshore locations
Based on responses from 20 product companies and enterprises across multiple industries, we found that most organisations structure their teams based on products or platforms, with offshore teams commonly located in Asia, particularly in India, Vietnam, and the Philippines. When it comes to which roles are kept onshore versus offshore, technical and product managers tend to stay onshore, while developers and quality analysts are more commonly offshore.
However, the biggest challenge with offshore teams is efficient collaboration between offshore and onshore teams due to time zone differences. This often puts extra work on onshore team members, such as product managers, business analysts, and technical leads, who have to be more prescriptive when supporting offshore team members.
How teams approach development
In terms of development methodologies, more than 70% of respondents follow Scrum methodology, with over 50% complementing Scrum with Kanban. Most teams measure performance using OKRs or outcomes, with larger organisations also incorporating DORA metrics.
Looking ahead, the biggest concerns for software development leaders are costs, productivity, and capacity, with 70-90% of respondents ranking these as their highest concerns. This is not surprising given the steep rise in salaries and scarcity of onshore resources.
Conclusion: maximising productivity and efficiency in your development team
Our survey provides valuable insights into how companies are organising their development teams and using offshoring to maximise productivity and efficiency. While offshore teams can be beneficial, it's important to be aware of the challenges and ensure efficient collaboration between offshore and onshore teams.
By following proven development methodologies and measuring performance effectively, companies can stay ahead of the curve and address concerns around costs, productivity, and capacity.
