Is It Possible to Make Software Outsourcing and Agile Work Together?

The possibility of aligning software development and Agile methodology has always been a topic of discussion. The popular myth is that outsourced projects are believed to get on well with only the waterfall approach, but studies have revealed that the combination of Agile and outsourcing is entirely possible and there are many examples where the companies have proven that the two ways of doing things is possible and can make the most of such collaboration. Since both the practices have their own advantages, such integration needs efforts from both the sides i.e. the customers as well as the outsourcing development company. 

Understanding the Agile development: Agile development can be defined as a process that is collaborative, incremental and also flexible. It breaks the development process into various iterations with a certain time frame and consists of stages that include analysis, planning, design, coding and the final testing. The most important feature of Agile development is its flexibility and its ability to adjust to the changes to respond to the constantly evolving and changing market needs. Another inherent part of the Agile methodology is its face to face and efficient communication that includes a good teamwork and discussion leading to better performance of the final product. 

How to make agile and software outsourcing work together:  Best practices:

Reduce risks with hybrid Agile models:

Software outsourcing has some risk elements like if the detailed requirements are not known in the beginning, then the service provider has to bid for the project based on the time and material. The client may not like the contract where the schedule for the completion of the project is not stated. This risk can be eliminated or managed to a great extend with a hybrid Agile model where you do reasonably detailed requirements gathering, which is not as detailed as a waterfall model, but presents a precise set of requirements. Any contractual obligations need to be clearly stated in order to prevent the legal problems in the coming future.

Organizing the work and resources appropriately

Outsourcing may at times bring in problems related to the communication, which is the driving force in Agile methodologies, because of language differences, time zones and etc. Agile methods are best when the stakeholders can communicate face to face, which is an issue with software outsourcing. So, the best practice is to organize the work along the requirement areas or feature sets, so that the outsourcing team is responsible for some specific feature set or standalone requirement. This will of course reduce the problem in communication as the majority of the execution team is located together physically.

Establishing proper communication:

Communication is the core of agile methodology and it is the key to understand the problems and choose the right solution. So, it is very important to have the communication means proper. But there are various methods to maintain a well-tuned and close communication while considering the obstacles related to communication. Instant messengers, phone calls, regular meetings, video conferences and some team building initiatives can erase communication issues and generate more cooperation in the process. 

Signing the agile contracts:

Agile methodology is all about building trust within the team. But building trusted relationship with an outsourcing company for the first time may be difficult. To prevent themselves from damages, there are contracts signed up with the set of requirements and conditions. Many times, your outsourcing contract may lack the flexibility and the possibility of the changes. So, while signing the contact, treat your outsourcing softwaredevelopment partner as not too strict or not too inflexible. Consider a certain level of flexibility and potential changes while signing the contract.

So, to conclude, I can say that if you apply a more agile relevant process while choosing your software partner, then focus more on delivering the value while following a certain process that will help you to minimize the risks.