Right-Sourcing “Closer to home” – The Advantages
Right-sourcing “closer to home” is a practice that can reap huge benefits. Though an overall advantage of right-sourcing is the ability to create teams across the globe, communication and cultural differences can be problematic.
If a high-speed internet connection is available, software development companies can take advantage of acquiring skilled team members anywhere in the world. However, many projects perform or end negatively due to issues that are not overcome. Many teams do not survive the initial resistance that can occur amongst those from different backgrounds. Long-running communication problems can occur, leading to a loss of efficiency.
Resistance & Right-Sourcing versus Outsourcing
Regardless of where you are, and where you plan to right-source from, you will encounter resistance. People are human and are inherently insecure when competing for jobs. No one wants their job replaced by someone else, regardless of his or her location. The initial job friction makes creating a productive team more difficult. This is where the difference between right-sourcing and outsourcing comes into play – at least where eTestware are concerned. For us, the former is more about providing support and approached in that spirit, can encourage far better results.
Top Tip: Right-Source Locally
What if you can right-source in your regional area or locally? Regional or local teams have fewer cross-cultural differences to overcome. You will save money and experience fewer communication issues.
Building a team with less resistance
Right-sourcing regionally or locally offers distinct advantages over doing so on the “other side of the world”. Either can work well, but using regional or local resources allows you to create a team with less initial and long-term resistance. Why? Because the team works with people in the same general region with comparable salary ranges and daily experiences. It is easier to build a team when the team members come from similar circumstances and share cultural views.
Team members are less resistant because they do not feel replaced by total strangers working for less money. After all, you rely on the internal team for training and support of the right-sourced testing team and how they interact with each other is crucial. QA test planning, execution, and result tracking are more comfortable with team members that understand each other with less effort. Additionally, there’s an increased feeling in the QA team of being the same, rather than one team being above the other. Working regionally lessens the impact of initial resistance to working with the right-sourced testing team.
Fewer communication issues
Another significant advantage of local or regional right-sourcing is that team members have fewer frustrations when communicating with each other. QA teams need to communicate effectively for testing, training, and scheduling test executions. QA team efficiency improves with team members that communicate effectively. One reason is the teams are closer in time zones, so there’s less strain when trying to accommodate team members in time zones 9-12 hours apart. The QA team can communicate with similar time schedules, and members can work their standard hours.
Another reason communication improves is that the QA team comes from similar areas and cultural backgrounds. Essentially team members enjoy similar life experiences and cultures.
Understanding test cases and plans requires similar understanding. If not, you end up with one team executing test cases one way, and another group a different way and entering invalid defects. Editing and updating test cases are also problematic because if a team does not fully understand the application workflow being explained, they will edit out necessary details, and you will end up with diluted or invalid test cases. Right-sourcing regionally or locally improves team communication, resulting in greater productivity and a shared understanding of QA principles.
Reduced costs
Building a strong QA team that shares test execution duties with less resistance and friction saves costs. Less time is wasted trying to “get team members on the same page” and trying to solve communication problems with testing assignments, training, and complex test case execution. Additionally, as previously mentioned, less time is lost in travel or working extended hours to accommodate training and testing needs.
Research your local or regional area for grants, tax reductions, or other incentives offered by local governments to increase or retain job numbers. QA is a high tech job, and there are many areas willing to pay you to keep high tech jobs like QA testing in their region.
Conclusion
Right-sourcing closer to home, i.e., regionally or locally, offers several distinct advantages to right-sourcing across the globe. Communication is typically less problematic, and hiring resources in the same general area reduce the initial friction involved when right-sourced teams are deployed. QA testing is a competitive high-tech job, keeping higher paying, professional jobs in your area may allow you to apply for business incentives. Additionally, it may be easier to retain highly skilled talent when transferring doesn’t mean moving across the world.
Post-COVID, more and more people are working from home. Technology advances allow for this and open up communication avenues that were previously unavailable. However, you must do all that you can to ensure the steps you take will generate more advantages. When opting to right-source, choose your partners in the right way and opt for right-sourcing closer to home.