Quality Assurance in Nearshoring Partnership
How we deliver success?
The most important thing about building a professional relationship is to know and understand where are the partner's pain points and work together on going through them. As an IT service provider with a solid experience, we decided to share with you some of the challenges that companies face when considering a partnership with a nearshore provider. At PLAN A, we believe in collaborating closely with our partners to navigate these challenges and deliver successful outcomes.
1. Communication
Concern: It can be difficult to ensure effective communication with an external IT development team, especially when there are cultural and language differences.
Effective communication is crucial to the success of any software development project. At Plan A, we understand and address the potential challenges that may arise from language and cultural differences. We take proactive steps to bridge any communication gaps between our clients and our team of developers.
To achieve this, we provide highly skilled language professionals who not only possess a strong command of English or other European foreign languages but also have practical experience in international environments. In our HR process, we specifically seek out individuals who are adaptable to diverse cultures and can seamlessly integrate into our clients' existing teams.
Key skills that we look for in potential candidates:
- Technical expertise
- Problem-solving skills
- Communication skills
- Attention to detail
- Teamwork
How we do it:
- Initial screening
- Technical screening
- Behavioral screening
- Cultural fit screening
- Reference checks
To ensure regular and transparent human interactions, we encourage daily stand-up meetings when there is a mix of in-house and dedicated developers or when team members are located in different places. Moreover, we leverage project management tools to facilitate smooth information flow, offering our clients regular updates throughout the entire project lifecycle.
"We make no difference between internal and external engineers."
- Ralf Oetting, Founder and Managing Director of justTRADE
2. Supervision & management
Consern: It is important to monitor the progress of the project and the quality of the delivered work, to ensure that the project is successfully implemented.
To ensure supervision and transparency for our clients, we send regular status reports and updates, enabling them to track the progress of their projects and stay informed about any developments. We utilize a range of communication channels, including email, phone calls, instant messaging, and video conferencing, based on our clients' preferences and the specific requirements of each project.
"Working with Plan A feels like working with a friend."
- Ralf Oetting, Founder and Managing Director of justTRADE
At Plan A, we have established a robust account management process to closely monitor and control our clients' projects, ensuring their needs are met throughout the development phase. This process comprises the following essential steps:
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- From requirements gathering to deployment and support, full spectrum of software development services
- Proven onboarding process to the near-shore team so it can be integrated fully into your company's workflows and maintain the same level of quality as your in-house team
- Dedicated experienced IT project manager who oversees the project
- Regular testing, quality assurance and product demos to ensure that the software we deliver meets our clients' requirements and specifications
- Industry-standard tools and techniques to test our software thoroughly and ensure that it is free from defects and vulnerabilities
"We are all looking in the same direction …"
- Ana Mineva, Co-Founder DGLegacy
4. Data security
Concern: The security of the company's data and intellectual property is critical, and it is important to ensure that the near-shore partner has robust security measures in place to protect sensitive information.
At Plan A, we prioritize the importance of data security and have established comprehensive measures to safeguard sensitive information. We are dedicated to complying with all applicable data protection laws and regulations, not only in the near-shore location but also in our clients' home countries.
To maintain the utmost level of security against unauthorized access, disclosure, alteration, or destruction of data, we have implemented an ISO 27001 security policy. This policy serves as a framework, outlining our security procedures, controls, and risk management processes.
Our range of security measures includes, but is not limited to, the following:
- Physical security:
Our office premises are secured with access control measures, CCTV cameras, and fire safety systems. - Network security:
Secure VPN connections. - Secured Cloud Storage:
Team-wide and organization-wide two-factor authentication, single sign-on through Active Directory, and encryption of data in transit, provided by Ms Teams. - Regular security audits:
We conduct regular security audits and risk assessments to identify and mitigate potential security risks.
In addition, we ensure that our external development teams comply with all relevant data protection regulations, including GDPR in the EU, by implementing data protection best practices.
5. Technological seniority
Concern: It is important to ensure that the external IT development team has the necessary skills and resources to meet the technological requirements effectively and efficiently.
At Plan A, we are fully committed to building expertise across three of the most popular back-end technological stacks in the industry: .Net, PHP, and Java. Additionally, we specialize in front-end development utilizing React. Our team of experts possesses extensive knowledge in domains such as insurance, online marketplaces, and logistics & distribution. We constantly strive to stay ahead of the curve by expanding our knowledge and capabilities.
To ensure exceptional quality, we exclusively recruit highly talented and experienced developers who thrive on new and exciting projects. We foster an environment that encourages them to push their limits and excel in their work. Additionally, we provide ongoing training and development programs to ensure that our team remains up-to-date with the latest advancements in their respective fields. We also organize regular monthly knowledge-sharing events, allowing our team to learn from each other's experiences and insights.
Moreover, we have dedicated tech leads for each technology, boasting extensive industry experience. These tech leads serve as invaluable resources, offering guidance and consultation whenever needed. Their expertise greatly enhances our ability to deliver outstanding results to our clients.
"Beyond providing us with excellent engineers who are vetted, knowledgeable, experienced, responsible, communicative and reliable, Plan A is a responsive, strong partner that we can grow with."
- JB, CTO Ragate
6.Cost
Concern: Fears of hidden fees and expenses, such as taxes and legal fees, as well as concerns over the overall cost of the project compared to in-house development or offshoring options. Companies may also worry about the potential for cost overruns or misaligned pricing structures, as well as difficulties in negotiating payment terms with an external vendor.
Our estimations are clearly calculated based on your requirements and we offer flexible pricing models that fit within your budget, ensuring transparent pricing with no hidden costs, providing full insight into taxes and legal fees in Bulgaria, allowing you to accurately forecast and plan your project budgets.
Plan A's streamlined delivery management approach ensures projects are completed within the expected timeframe, minimizing unnecessary expenses and delays, as we mentioned above you will have full visibility over the development process at any time.
Moreover, by working with our nearshore team in Bulgaria, you can benefit from a cost-effective location that offers competitive rates compared to other European countries. Plan A has a proven track record of successful nearshoring projects, achieving significant cost savings compared to in-house development.
"The ability to find highly skilled developers at a lower cost in Bulgaria compared to Germany was an important factor in the decision."
- Ralf Oetting, Founder and Managing Director of justTRADE
Build your dream dedicated team
If you are interested in learning more about how Plan A can help your company with its software development demands, please don't hesitate to contact us today to schedule a consultation. Let's work together to bring your plan "A" to life!
