Offshore Development - The Principles We Need to Stick to

For offshore development, such an understanding has run through between onshore and offshore: onshore is always the decision maker, and offshore must listen to onshore.
For commercial interests, this is understandable. Because if the onshore doesn't do the work for you, the offshore will be unemployed.
For offshore, onshore is really like a customer, like a god. In any case, be sure to make onshore satisfied. Try to meet the requirements of onshore.

Is this idea right or wrong?
From two perspectives: there is a right place, and there is a wrong place.

The right place is that onshore does seem to be a customer of offshore. From this point of view, we really should try our best to meet the requirements of onshore.
What's wrong is that onshore is not our client, we are an offshore development team that cooperates with onshore+offshore. Although our life comes from onshore, the people who work with us are not customers, but colleagues----this understanding is very important. Without this understanding, the principles to be discussed next will be impossible.

Take a simple example. A task requires 5 people * 10 days to complete. However, for some reason, onshore hopes to complete the offshore project within 8 days, but does not want to increase the manpower.

According to the principle of "onshore=customer", then the offshore is only two days away. Let's improve the efficiency and complete this task!
It seems to be good, in fact, this potentially leads to a lot of problems:
1. Offshore may have overtime. Who will bear the cost of overtime? An offshore project manager, or an offshore company?
2. Onshore finds that such a task is completed within 8 days by 5 people, and then it will give you such a cost. For offshore, is it necessary to continue at a loss? If you don't do it, onshore will say: Didn't you do well last time?

Another real example. A group of 3 people, the initial reservation is that these 3 people only do program development, not system maintenance. As a result, after a period of time, I found that there are not many development tasks, so onshore said: "Since you have spare time, let's do part of the system maintenance work."
Offshore people think about it right, so they do part of the system maintenance work. As a result, gradually, these three people took on 80% of the system maintenance work. But in fact, 80% of the work is done by 4 people.

3 people have been working for half a year, working very hard, and every day is very stressful---because of the lack of one person. But because of the strong ability, there is no problem in the system maintenance.
At this time, we wanted to lighten the burden on three people, but we couldn't say anything:
1. Don't do it, it's been half a year, and there is no problem, so it's not good to suddenly say no.
2. Do it, it's too tiring. Want to add someone? There are no problems with 3 people now, why add one more person?

As a result, 2 people were overwhelmed and eventually resigned.

The above are all examples of "onshore = customer". In fact, onshore only thinks about problems from his own standpoint. As the so-called "each for its own master", in the face of interests, who would abandon their own interests and go to fulfill others?

You save a cost for onshore, onshore won't appreciate you, he will think it's normal cost. Things like "human exchanges" are not valid in offshore development.

So, we have to stick to some principles. But what principles are adhered to?

1. The principle of interest
In the face of interests, such as the above costs, we must adhere to the principles. This task is 5 people * 10 days of work, then we need such a cost. If you want to do it in 8 days, then increase the manpower. If you don't want to increase staff, then work overtime, but you will pay for overtime.

In a word, the cost is always 5 people * 10 days, it is impossible to save --- this is the principle we must adhere to.

In eg the work done by the 3 people above. Since the three of them are allowed to do development work at the beginning, they can no longer do system maintenance work. If we need to do system maintenance, then we will recalculate the workload to see if 3 people are enough.

In short, once interests are involved, we must stick to our principles. Once the principles are loosened, chances are difficult to recast later.

2. Principle of Responsibility In
offshore development, we have seen a lot of battles between onshore and offshore. The reason for this is that we all have to safeguard our own interests and divide the scope of our responsibilities. It's fine when there are no problems. When something goes wrong, the responsibility is usually the first. And onshore often does a good job at this point: every time they can successfully shift the responsibility to offshore, and offshore has not thought about this problem in advance, so they have to eat coptis, and can't tell the pain.

As an offshore, if you want to work with peace of mind and be able to quickly and reasonably handle the responsibilities of onshore in the event of an accident, you must have a clear understanding of the principle of "responsibility" in advance.

Still the above example, a task requires 5 people * 10 days of cost. However, the person in charge of onshore must complete it within 8 days. Although he explained various risks and problems, he still believes that his judgment is correct: this task does not need 10 days, 8 days is enough.
In this case, if you don't offshore, you can't do it, so just bite the bullet and do it. The result was not finished within 8 days. Customers will inevitably be blamed. At this time, onshore can put the blame on with a single sentence: Why didn't you think about all the risks at that time? Knowing that there is a problem with such a plan, why not stick to your own position?
At this time, Offshore really had the urge to punch him - of course, this is impossible, and the main thing is to complete the task quickly. Onshore is indeed responsible, but it is difficult for you to refute his accusations against you - especially from the perspective of management. The management will think like this: Your leader's risk management and communication skills are not enough!

What a frustrating job I did, I also worked overtime, and I was accused by the onshore, and it also affected the image in the leader's heart - quit it! Cherish life and stay away from outsourcing! This should be one of the reasons why some people leave the industry.

In fact, when it comes to the principle of responsibility, it exists not only in offshore development, but also in other industries. If you can't handle things in offshore development well, you may not be able to make waves in another industry right away.

Back to the principle of responsibility.
If you have a sense of the principle of responsibility, then when onshore must stick to its own plan, you must let everyone know at this time: "I have reported all the risks in this matter, and of course there are some things that cannot be considered. .But now onshore has to stick to his plan. Something went wrong and it has nothing to do with me." Write an email along this line and send it to as many people as possible connected to the project--- Of course, including the person in charge of onshore, his leader, and your leader.

In this way, everyone knows who is to blame if something goes wrong.

This principle is simple to say, but it is often difficult to perceive when to do what and when to confirm the responsibilities of both parties. It takes time to build up slowly.

3. The principle that onshore is not equal to customers

This is the most important principle. We must always remember: onshore does not equal customers. If onshore equals customers, then we are not doing offshore development.
There are various requirements from onshore, although they are far away in another country or region, although our country has the virtue of "generous", but work is work, and the principles that should be adhered to should be adhered to.
If you treat onshore as a customer, then the above two principles are useless.

The above three principles may not be completely enough, but I think they are at least three principles that must be adhered to.
Sticking to principles can seem like you're being callous and difficult to socialize with. But in fact, if you strictly adhere to your own principles at work, the onshore you work with will gradually admire you, and even the communication between the two parties will become simple and effective.