How do you navigate the challenges of working with offshore support models? Are there any specific strategies or approaches that you have found effective in ensuring smooth collaboration and communication?
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Director of IT in Insurance (except health)a month ago
It is essential to establish clear communication channels and protocols for an offshore support model to work. This includes setting up regular meetings, using collaboration tools that both sides actively use, and ensuring that everyone is on the same page regarding expectations, goals and timelines.Leveraging technology to bridge the geographical gap is crucial. Tools like Microsoft Teams or Slack among many others can facilitate real-time communication and collaboration, making it easier to coordinate tasks and share updates. Having a well-defined governance structure and clear roles and responsibilities can help ensure that everyone knows what is expected of them and how they fit into the larger picture.
Finally, it is important to be mindful of cultural differences and time zone challenges. Being flexible with meeting times and showing respect for different working styles on both sides of the divide can go a long way in building a cohesive and productive relationship.
CIO in Manufacturinga month ago
Hi !things we experienced in my previous company that were pretty effective :
-during the early months of the work with offshore team, be present (physically), create bonds between the teams. They need to know each other personally. not just virtually. That will help a lot.
- as already mentionned : celebrate the different period of the year (for us it was Europe / US, China, Brazil and India) and we celebrated the end-of year period (not Christmas, but all the celebrations as a whole), Diwali and the Chinese new year...
- have a man in the place to facilitate communications and be aware of cultural biases.
There is 2 possibilities for that: The first one is to have someone from corporate moving to the offshore site. for me this is the least effective. We did the opposite. The support Manager was a corporate role, and as such located in the headquarter in Europe. But it was a Indian guy that was already part of our subsidiary and that came to France as an expat. That made a huge benefit to have him with us. He was totally at ease with Indian culture + being able to deal physically with the corporate and virtually with the offshore partner with less biases than if we have moved a European guy offshore.
Enterprise Architect in IT Servicesa month ago
I believe, Focus on clear communication, cultural understanding and effective collab tools (any tools/Applications).Because strategies that help include setting regular meetings, using shared project mgmt. tools and establishing clear expectations form the start and agreed that to building strong relationships and fostering trust with offshore teams also plays a key role in ensuring smooth operations.
We operate in an agile culture, so frequent stand-ups help keep everyone updated regularly. Even if you don't use agile, you can still incorporate regular check-ins with your offshore team. Time zone management is another critical aspect. Tools like Outlook allow you to set up secondary or tertiary time zones, helping you be mindful of your offshore team's working hours.
Cultural sensitivity is also crucial. Celebrate holidays and important events for your offshore team just as you would for your local team. For instance, if you send out a "Merry Christmas" message, make sure to acknowledge and celebrate the significant holidays of your offshore team as well.
Training and development are vital. We have a program we developed for our offshore team that helps orient them to our business beyond their day-to-day tasks. This training ensures that they are well-integrated and can contribute meaningfully to the company.