Tag: Remote Teams

Security Measures: Why Remote Teams should secure data?

Data Security has become an integral part of remote team software development projects. Read to learn more.

Introduction

In the digital Internet driven era, data security stands as of the most critical concern for an organization, especially those that hire remote teams. The shift towards remote work has come into limelight due to COVID-19 pandemic, thus leading to new data security challenges that businesses need to address quickly.

This article will highlight unique risks associated with remote work environments and provide detailed solutions to mitigate these vulnerabilities, thus ensuring a stronger data protection for the organizations.

Now, let’s first begin by understanding what a Remote Team is.

What is a Remote Team?

Remote team is a group of skilled IT professionals who work together from various geographic locations outside of their traditional office environment. This lets them work from home, a co-working space or any other location with internet connectivity. Remote team comprises tech talents that are spread across different cities, countries or even continents.

This setup can offer various benefits, including increased flexibility, access to a wider talent pool, reduced overhead costs for businesses, and potential improvements in work-life balance for employees.

However, it also introduces several data security risks that organizations must consider. The primary challenge is the lack of controlled environments that are typically found in office settings. Home networks generally have weaker security protocols, making them more susceptible to attacks. Additionally, remote workers are more likely to use personal devices for work-related tasks, which may not be adequately secured.

Are you also facing these concerns while managing remote teams for your software development project then keep reading this article.

Secondly, let’s understand why data security is important in remote software development project

Why is data security important in remote software development projects?

Data security is crucial in remote software development projects for several reasons:

Protection of Sensitive Information:

Remote development often involves accessing and transmitting sensitive data over networks. Ensuring data security prevents unauthorized access and protects intellectual property and confidential information from breaches.

Maintaining Client Trust:

Effective data security measures help maintain trust between the development company and its clients, which is essential for long-term business relationships.

Regulatory Compliance:

Many industries are governed by strict data protection regulations. Secure practices ensure compliance with laws like GDPR, HIPAA, etc., avoiding legal penalties and reputational damage.

Mitigating Remote Vulnerabilities:

Remote environments can be more susceptible to security risks due to less controlled network environments, like home Wi-Fi systems or public internet access points. Robust security measures counter these risks.

Ensuring Business Continuity:

Security breaches can lead to significant downtime and disruption. Protecting data integrity and availability ensures that development projects proceed without unexpected interruptions or losses.

Overall a strong data security is fundamental to safeguarding the assets and reputations of both the development team and their clients, ensuring the smooth execution and delivery of software projects.

Now moving further, let’s identify a few key data security risks in remote settings

5 Key Data Security Risks in Remote Settings

Insecure Home Networks: A majority of internet setups lack proper security measures that corporate networks employ like an advanced firewall and intrusion detection systems.

Using Personal Devices:

Remote team talent would use personal laptops, smartphones or tablets to access any work-related file, which might not meet the company’s security standards.

Phishing Attacks:

As remote tech talent is scattered across different locations, there is a huge risk of phishing attacks, as cybercriminals would exploit the potential lack of communication and verification process.

Data Leakage:

Remote team can lead to increased risk of data leakage, whether through an insecure data transmission or a physical loss of devices.

Lack of Physical Security:

Remote work environments often lack a physical security measure like secure cabinets or surveillance, that are more manageable in an office environment.

Now, further let’s understand a few Effective Strategies to Enhance Data Security in Remote Work

What are few Effective Strategies to Enhance Data Security in Remote Work?

To address the challenges posed by remote work, organizations must implement a multi-faceted approach to data security that includes technology solutions, policies, and employee training.

Secure Network Connections:

Organizations should require the use of virtual private networks (VPNs) to create a secure connection between remote workers’ devices and the corporate network. This ensures that all data transmitted is encrypted, reducing the risk of interception.

Endpoint Security:

Ensure that all personal and company-provided devices are equipped with updated antivirus software, firewalls, and anti-malware programs. Regular security audits and updates should be mandated to protect against new threats.

Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA):

Implementing MFA can significantly reduce the risk of unauthorized access. Even if login credentials are compromised, the additional authentication steps can prevent data breaches.

Data Access Controls:

Limiting access to sensitive data based on roles can minimize the risk of data leakage. Employees should only have access to the data necessary for their specific tasks.

Regular Training and Awareness Programs:

Continuous education on the latest security threats and best practices is crucial. Employees should be trained on recognizing phishing attempts, securing their home networks, and safely handling data.

Now, further let’s understand a few Technological Solutions to Support Data Security.

What are the Technological Solutions to Support Data Security?

In addition to policies and training, several technological solutions can help secure data in remote work environments:

Cloud Security Solutions:

Using secure cloud services for data storage and collaboration can enhance security. Cloud providers often offer advanced security features that individual businesses may not be able to implement on their own.

Data Loss Prevention (DLP) Tools:

DLP solutions can monitor, detect, and block sensitive data while in use, in motion, and at rest, helping to prevent unauthorized data transfers.

Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR):

EDR tools provide continuous monitoring and response to advanced threats on endpoints, offering an extra layer of security by detecting and responding to malicious activities promptly.

Next, let’s understand why building a culture of Security is advisable

Why is Building Security advisable?

Ultimately, the effectiveness of a remote team’s data security measures heavily relies on the organization’s culture. Creating a culture of security involves building an environment where every employee understands the importance of data security and is equipped to take proactive steps to mitigate risks.

Regular communication, transparent policies, and a supportive approach to security can encourage adherence to best practices and prompt reporting of potential security issues.

Now, further let’s understand how Acquaint Softtech can help in managing remote development projects smoothly.

Why Choose Acquaint Softtech for your Custom Software Development?

Acquaint Softtech, based in India, specializes in secure custom software development and IT staff augmentation. We excel in using the Laravel framework to tailor websites and software to meet our clients’ exact needs. If your company is remote and wants to hire remote developers, we can swiftly connect you with the right talent, with a straightforward onboarding process that takes just 48 hours.

What’s more, we offer these remote developer services at an affordable rate of only $15 per hour. We’re also broadening our expertise to include MEAN Stack Development. To enhance security in our software development, we employ leading security tools such as OWASP ZAP, Norton Security, and McAfee Secure, ensuring that every project is fortified against vulnerabilities. Consider hiring our adept MEAN stack developers to bring both efficiency and powerful security to your projects.

Wrapping Up!

As companies are intending to hire remote developers to build their remote team, the importance of using powerful security measures cannot be ruled out. By identifying the risks associated with remote operations and using comprehensive, layered security strategies can protect their critical data against the increased amount of threats of the digital world.

Through a combination of technology solutions, stringent policies, employee training, and a strong security culture, organizations can achieve the resilience needed to thrive in this dynamic landscape.

Remote Team: 7 Eye-opening Practices for Smooth Management

Introduction

Until the last decade, remote working was seen as unconventional. WFH reminds us of parents balancing work and kids, and innovators following the 4-Hour Workweek.

In reality, before the COVID-19 pandemic, about 5% of full-time office-based employees worked remotely. Whereas, nowadays 58% of job holders in the US have the option to work remotely at least part-time. Although we’ve seen businesses calling workers to the office full-time, still remote work is here to stay.

Despite the shift towards remote teams making an impact. yet some instances can pose some operational challenges.

Being an IT Staff Augmentation company we’ve pulled everything you need to know about managing a remote team.

What is a Remote Team?

When a group of IT professionals collaborates & works together towards achieving a project deliverable while sitting in their home. This type of team is termed a Remote Team.

The specialty of these professionals is they work from their house & are available to work in different time zones. Additionally, they would be available all day due to the luxury provided by different time zones.

Building & setting up a remote team might be hard but managing it is even more difficult. Being a project manager & a leader it becomes difficult to manage the remote team.

Why is learning to manage a remote team is necessary?

After the backdrop of COVID-19, businesses re-shifted their focus toward traditional working patterns. However, only some organizations have witnessed a drop in work flexibility which was a perk for them.

Remote work is a core fundamental for the future & it isn’t going out of fashion. So, leaders who are looking to retain talent & create a healthy work environment should embrace remote work opportunities.

This means understanding the challenges of remote work has become essential. Let’s understand a few challenges in length.

5 Benefits of Remote Teams Every leader should know

Remote work does not offer benefits to its employees only, but it provides benefits to the businesses too.

We have mentioned five benefits leaders should know about remote team management.

Access to a wider range of talent

Imagine, your office is in New York & you are in search of a staff to work from the office five days a week. In such a case, your talent pool would be limited to the city only. For a city like New York, providing skilled professionals won’t be difficult. But what about smaller countries or cities?

That’s when the remote work option comes into the picture. Implementing remote work allows you to hire remote developers from anywhere in the world. This is very useful for niches or highly-skilled jobs where qualified candidates are in a shortage.

Broadening recruitment helps create a skilled, diverse team and embraces multicultural benefits.

Ample financial benefits

Going fully remote allows businesses to cut the expense of physical offices, & hybrid models can reduce costs by allowing downsizing. Global Workplace Analytics says firms can save $10,000 per employee yearly by switching to full-time remote work. Furthermore, they would also save on rent & would have to pay less overhead costs.

This is not just it. Offering remote work options also minimizes the dollars spent on hiring new candidates, therefore minimizing the turnover rates.

One report by EY states that 47% of respondents showed their willingness to switch their jobs if they weren’t provided remote work options.

Remote employees seek flexibility

The range of benefits employees receive from the remote work model is huge & that’s what makes it the most popular. 97% of workers desire to work remotely at least for some time in their careers. Due to the impact of the Great Resignation, employees are willing to make drastic changes in their careers.

Remote work can boost productivity

By using the right processes & procedures, remote work can significantly increase a team’s productivity. It was found that remote team members face few distractions as compared to an in-house developer.

Remote workers have a lot of control over their workload, schedule & physical environment. Moreover, it allows each employee to set up their schedule & physical workspace according to their needs.

Reduction in Stress

Many professionals find work as a potential stress – starting from deadlines to challenging clients. But a work-from-home setup can eliminate these stresses by boosting job satisfaction.

A few examples include:

  • Stress caused by daily commuting
  • Migraines caused by office lighting

Challenges of Managing Remote Teams

While we’re champion in providing IT staff augmentation services to hire remote developers, we’re also aware of its challenges. Luckily, with little consideration, a proactive leader can easily overcome them.

Communication barriers

Remote collaboration or remote team management can go wrong if team members lack effective communication skills. A remote employee possessing effective communication skills would pull off his tasks efficiently. However, as a remote environment has employees working in different time zones, team meetings & communication can become a problem.

To tackle the communication barriers, organizations need to build diverse communication channels. Moreover, they should also define various communication tools to streamline the flow of information.

Remote Collaboration

In the absence of proper communication & collaboration remote work will fail. Therefore, virtual teams need their remote managers to put clear guidelines in place to make remote work easier. By using the right project management tools building a smooth remote collaboration becomes easier. Tools like Asana, Wrike & Zoho Projects can make remote project collaborations smoother.

Time zone differences

Setting up a globally distributed team is a wow idea. But one major challenge remote teams face is building collaboration between team members who live in different time zones. In a remote developer work setup, one developer’s 8 am might be another’s 7 pm.

So, when we are scheduling meetings, sharing project updates, etc. can become a headache if not managed properly. But, using good project management tools, and building trust can easily help you attain success in remote work.

Isolation

Watercooler chit-chats are popular in office work. Therefore, no amount of virtual coffee hangouts can replace the buzz. Isolation is one of the biggest challenges remote teams face. Moreover, 81% of US & UK employees are raising concerns about the lack of face-to-face interaction.

Without proper measures in place keeping colleagues connected can be difficult. Encouraging social interactions by conducting virtual or physical team gatherings can help tackle the challenge.

How can you manage remote teams effectively?

After learning the challenges of managing remote teams, let’s dive into understanding how leaders can overcome them. We’ve jotted down seven best practices leaders need to know about effective remote team management.

Let’s understand each of them in detail

Be respectful of other team members’ time

Whether your remote team members work in the same time zone or not, it’s crucial to respect their time. But, this becomes difficult when the team is working across different geographies. In such situations, the organization should look forward to being flexible in scheduling meetings by adjusting the work schedule accordingly.

Measure your team’s effectiveness

The practices that worked with your in-house team might not work with a remote team. Time effectiveness is an indicator that reveals how a team would collaborate & reach its goals.

Measuring KPIs can help you manage remote teams with more effectiveness, as it will help you diagnose the loopholes. Analyzing performance can help you improvise the working patterns to attain effectiveness.

Good Communication is a Key

As we’ve covered above, good communication is vital when managing a remote team. Using the right communication channels, your team members will feel supported both personally & professionally. Doing so will help you tackle loneliness & boost team resilience while facing remote work challenges.

Not to forget, effective communication is key to letting client work move along smoothly. To achieve a smooth communication flow, we recommend you get some measures in place:

Host daily team check-ins

An agile project management team conducts a 15-minute stand-up meeting every day. Doing this allows them to review team progress & raise any challenges they’re facing. Moreover, it will also help in tackling loneliness & will improve workload visibility among teammates.

Set-up Slack Channels

Setting up slack channels to allow teammates to enable non-work related topics. No work talks would be allowed here!

Setting up 1:1 video meetings

You should look forward to scheduling weekly 1:1 video meetings with each team member. Do not keep your dairy because it keeps room for your team members to contact you.

Use surveys

Organizations should use surveys to get an understanding of what is working & what isn’t working. You should allow your team members to answer anonymously; this will allow them to give their honest feedback.

Arrange team-building activities

Companies should conduct virtual team-building activities like quizzes & workshops, webinars & talks to build a sense of familiarity.

Setting clear goals & regularly reviewing them

Being a business it is not possible to control every aspect of the work. That’s when you can define clear goals & expectations to ensure your team members are aware of their role.

Smart goals are great as they will help you make your team accountable without needing to micromanage them. Having clear goals that are achievable by everyone will contribute towards team achievement. Moreover, it is necessary to regularly review the goals as it allows you to address issues effectively.

Building a healthy work culture

Building a healthy work culture means communicating effectively by sharing goals & promoting team resilience. Moreover, it also means investing in employee engagement & team culture.

One of the major pitfalls that leaders face is conflating culture such as corporate discounts & health insurance. Rather, you should try to build a positive culture by:

  • Promoting transparency by leading by example
  • Supporting development
  • Taking out time for your team
  • Paying attention to the mental health of your team
  • Providing them with emotional support
  • Sharing your core values
  • Encouraging a healthy work-life balance

The next strategy is to “Invest in onboarding”

Investing in onboarding

Employee onboarding can be challenging at times, but remote onboarding is quite important. New employees might find it hard to cope with the company culture without thorough information. Being a project manager you should be mindful of the struggles of the remote team members.

One research showed that employees with good onboarding experience are likely to integrate with the company for a longer duration.

While setting up a formal onboarding process remote employees go a long way towards strengthening retention. The process goes as below:

  • A pack that includes a laptop, notebook & thoughtful gift to welcome the remote members to the team.
  • The team should send a welcome email on the first day, to outline what they should expect when they log in.
  • The company should also provide the dates for group meetings to integrate them into the team.

Now, let’s get on to the last practice in the process.

Choosing the right tools

Working in a digital world, we should make sure we provide the right tools to each team member to help them perform their task. Companies are using a variety of tools like project management tools, communication tools, etc. to smoothen the process.

Implementing the above seven practices will help you achieve a competitive edge by cutting the cost of a lengthy hiring process. Remote team members charge based on the working hours so it saves an abundance of dollars flushed towards paying fixed salaries.

How Acquaint Softtech can help you in remote team management?

Acquaint Softtech is a custom software development company. We hold 15+ years of experience in providing IT Staff augmentation services & software outsourcing services.

We aim to help our clients achieve successful project deliverability by turning their ideas into working solutions. Moreover, we also help our clients hire developers using IT Staff augmentation services based on their needs. If software development project management seems difficult we can help you.

Wrapping Up!

Managing people has always been a tough task. Whether it is in a party or a professional space. Similarly, managing teams can be tough. Therefore, we have mentioned the seven best practices to help you manage remote employees efficiently.

The above article covers everything you would require while managing your team. Being a project manager, you can use the aforementioned strategies to achieve a successful project deliverable.

How Much Will You Save If You Hire Remote Developers?

Summary

By hiring remote developers, you stand to gain more significant cost savings. It also means more flexibility, better scalability, and better business focus. Typically, savings come from reduced office-related expenses, flexible engagement models, and access to a global talent pool.

When you outsource, you gain access to a more talented pool of developers with more resources. The remote team will have more experience, skills, and experience of advanced technologies.

Introduction

More businesses are discovering the benefits of remote development every day and are turning to remote developers as a cost-effective solution for their projects. Understanding the potential savings of hiring remote talent is crucial for companies seeking quality while managing budgets efficiently.

One of the main reasons why businesses choose to hire developers is to save money. How much money can you save by hiring remote developers? And what are the factors that affect the cost of remote development?

Remote development is a way of working on software projects without being physically present in the exact location as the codebase, the tools, or the team. It can be done using various technologies, such as cloud computing, virtual machines, containers, or remote desktops. Businesses often relate to it as outsourcing their software development requirements and staff augmentation.

You can learn more about cost-effective remote development in this blog and view tips on hiring remote developers effectively.

Cost To Hire Remote Developer

The cost to hire remote developers will depend on various factors. However, it is much less than attempting to set up an in-house team. One of the main factors affecting the cost is the location of the remote software development agency. The average hourly rate for a remote developer in North America is $81, while it is $31 in Eastern Europe. The hourly rate in Asian countries is a lot lower, like that in India, and tends to start from $15.

Some of the main factors that affect the cost of hiring a remote developer include:

  • Skill level: Highly skilled developers with more experience generally command higher rates. Specialized expertise in specific technologies or frameworks may also impact costs.
  • The complexity and scope of the project: The more complex the project, the more it tends to cost since it requires more time, the use of advanced technologies, additional resources, and a highly talented pool of professionals.
  • The duration and flexibility of the project: Projects that are longer or have more uncertain timelines tend to cost more than projects that are shorter or have more fixed deadlines. This is because longer or more flexible projects require more commitment and availability from the developer and may also involve more changes or revisions along the way.
  • Experience of the developer: Businesses can select many types of remote developers when they outsource to a software development company. This includes entry-level, mid-level, and senior-level developers. At the time, they might choose to hire an entire team for a large-scale project. Hence, this too will affect the cost at the end of the day.

Here are several statistics to help understand this better:

  • The hourly rate for software development for North America is $77, Eastern Europe $58, Latin America $61, Africa $31, and Asia Pacific $28, as per the survey by Regions Overview in 2023.
  • As per global market surveys, outsourcing services will be worth $902,948 billion by 2027.
  • Global spending on outsourcing by the end of 2023 was expected to rise to $731 Billion.
  • Cloud companies are the critical enablers of 90% of companies outsourcing efforts.
  • 70% of businesses outsource their tasks for the purpose of cost reduction, as per a study by Deloitte.

Factors That Ensure You Save

One of the most common questions that businesses face when they need software development is whether to hire remote developer or an in-house development team. This is an important business decision; hence, one should make it wisely. One of the main factors to consider is that outsourcing your software development requirements costs considerably less. Outsourcing eliminates the overheads of having to set up an in-house team, such as infrastructure, equipment, software license, employee benefits, and much more.

Here are some of the factors that ensure you save by outsourcing:

  • It eliminates the need to invest in office space and other resources.
  • You do not pay a constant salary to the employees.
  • The business can also save the need to provide additional benefits like health insurance, taxes, etc.
  • Provides access to global talent for a better outcome, resulting in having to spend less time and money on a specific task.
  • Allows the business to focus on its core tasks, leaving the development to the experts. This is beneficial to your business in many ways, including financially.

Are you curious about the potential savings with Remote Developers?

Research the numbers and explore how significantly reduce project costs if you hire remote developers. Maximize efficiency without compromising quality. Start saving today with remote development solutions at Acquaint Softtech!

Contact Us Today!

How Much SuperFi Saved By Outsourcing To Acquaint Softtech

The SuperFi Finance project was about developing a website and mobile app for people wishing to manage their debt better. The professional developers at Acquaint Softtech came together to deliver cutting-edge solutions using the latest technologies and trends. The same client had already outsourced their previous big idea for a software development project to us and strongly believed in outsourcing their tasks. Their project was a big success, and they managed to save a great deal once again by sticking to their preference to outsource.

The SuperFi Project:

Several studies suggest that the average credit card debt in the UK household is close to 2000 pounds. There are also many people suffering from other types of debt or needing proper guidance on how to manage their debt better. The concept of the SuperFi project was all about solving the common problem of debt for people in the UK. Besides designing a highly appealing website and mobile app, we also integrated tons of features. Some of the features included:

  • Allowing users to manage their credit card debt
  • Tool to calculate time to being debt-free
  • Rewards cashback for timely payment
  • Debt calculation
  • Guidelines and advice to prevent debt and much more

Acquaint Softtech’s contribution:

The decision to outsource the project’s development to Acquaint Softtech saved them a lot of time and effort since we delivered a top-notch solution. Acquaint Softtech is a well-established software development firm in India with affordable rates and delivers quality solutions. Our highly skilled developers with a great deal of experience did not disappoint. The client gained access to our talented pool of professionals and our resources; they worked closely with our team, who helped them build a state-of-the-art solution.

How SuperFi Benefited:

It was a wise decision to outsource instead of attempting to develop the project in-house or hire freelancers for the task. It gave them the advantage of saving over $60K. This excellent business decision for SuperFi meant they did not invest in any additional infrastructure or equipment, and nor did they have any overheads of the employees to deal with. With Acquaint Softtech, they had a highly talented team on their side. They had more flexibility and ease of scaling their operations. They also got a more diverse perspective besides the overall financial gain. They launched their application in a timely manner, which was widely accepted by all.

Benefits To Hire Remote Developers

Good software plays a big role in the success of any business. Some of the benefits of hiring remote developers include the following:

Cost savings:

Remote developers can reduce the overhead costs of hiring, training, and maintaining an in-house team. They also tend to charge lower rates than local developers, as they have lower living expenses and taxes in their countries. According to a study by Accelerando, hiring remote developers can save up to 40% of the total project cost compared to hiring local developers. It eliminates the need to spend time and money on training and recruitment as well.

Access to a larger talent pool:

Remote developers can provide access to a wider range of skills and expertise that may not be available locally. They can also help fill the gaps in the existing team or provide specialized knowledge for specific projects. By hiring remote developers, companies can tap into a global talent market and find the best fit for their needs. This often leads to gaining a broader perspective and a successful project.

Increased productivity and quality:

A software development company is the ideal environment for developers to build stunning solutions with access to ample resources. It allowed the business to focus on its main activities and develop better strategies while the remote developers built better and more stunning solutions.

Improved scalability and flexibility:

Remote developers can help companies scale up or down their development teams according to their project requirements and budget. They can also adapt to changing needs and priorities faster than in-house developers, as they have more experience working on different types of projects and technologies. Remote developers can also offer more flexibility regarding working hours, communication methods, and collaboration tools.

Enhanced diversity and innovation:

Remote developers can bring diverse perspectives and ideas to the table as they come from different backgrounds, cultures, and experiences. They can also foster a culture of innovation and creativity as they are more exposed to new trends and technologies in the global market. Remote developers can also enhance the company’s reputation and brand image by showcasing its values and vision to a wider audience.

These are some of the benefits of hiring remote developers for your software development projects. However, hiring remote developers also comes with challenges, such as communication barriers, cultural differences, security risks, and legal issues.

Choosing a reliable and reputable partner who can help you find, manage, and retain the best remote developers for your needs is important. Choosing a reliable and reputable partner who can help you find, manage, and retain the best remote developers for your needs is important.

Acquaint Softtech is a software outsourcing company in India with over 70 professionals. We also have several dedicated teams of developers with expertise in various technologies. The developers here have exceptional skills and keep abreast of the latest technologies.

FAQ

How much can I save by hiring remote developers compared to in-house teams?

Hiring remote developers often leads to significant cost savings. You can save on expenses such as office rent, utilities, hardware, and additional benefits typically associated with in-house teams. Additionally, hourly rates for remote developers from regions with lower living costs might be more budget-friendly compared to in-house salaries, resulting in substantial savings.

How do remote developers contribute to cost efficiency?

Remote developers eliminate expenses related to physical office spaces, equipment, and utilities and often come with more flexible engagement models, allowing businesses to scale resources based on project needs. They can offer specialized skills without the need for long-term commitments, optimizing costs and resources efficiently.

Can hiring remote developers for short-term projects lead to substantial savings?

Yes, engaging remote developers for short-term projects can be cost-effective. Since remote developers often work on a contract or project basis, businesses can avoid long-term commitments, ensuring resource optimization and budget control for specific project phases.

Innovations to maintain project control with remote teams

Introduction

In the globalized business landscape, outsourcing has become a strategic necessity. However, managing outsourced teams presents unique challenges, primarily in maintaining control over projects to ensure quality and timeliness.

Recent research has focused on addressing these challenges, offering innovative solutions to enhance project control. The article highlights the latest findings by exploring how companies can revolutionize & manage development projects with software outsourcing companies.

Let’s first understand what is Outsourcing software development and some challenges of Remote Team Project Management.

What does Remote Project Management mean?

A remote team comprises a group of professionals working together on a project from a remote location. A collaboration of this kind is known as Remote project management.

What are the different ways to hire remote developers?

While building a remote team there are few methods to hire remote developers who possess the specialized skillset.

  • Hiring freelance developers:

The companies can hire freelance remote developers using freelance project portals like Upwork, Fivver, Toptals, Guru & Behance.

  • Using IT Staff augmentation services:

This method of hiring remote developers, allows organizations to hire remote developers from around the globe. Staff augmentation is a cost-effective hiring process as it allows hiring remote developers from a larger pool.

  • Outsourcing Software Development services:

At times, organizations find it difficult to hire remote developers. If this situation occurs, they intend to outsource the development project. When the software development is outsourced it is termed as outsourcing software development services.

  • Job boards:

Job boards, it is a traditional hiring method, where organizations pass their job posters to attract candidates. This is one of the most costly methods of hiring remote developers for software development project management.

  • Social Media Postings:

To meet the need to hire developers with technical skills, companies leverage social media. Giant IT and software development companies post the requirements on social media platforms. The hiring process and candidate sourcing might become a little tough by using this method.

Finding it difficult to hire remote developers?

We at Acquaint Softtech can help you hire remote developers who have an agile approach to project management. If you are finding it hard to leverage IT staff augmentation to hire remote developers then we are your go-to partner.

Hire Remote Developers Now!

Background and Challenges of Remote Teams

Outsourcing is the practice of delegating the work of software development to an external software outsourcing company. Companies that cannot afford to outsource software development choose the option to hire remote developers through IT staff augmentation. Outsourcing has become integral to modern businesses as it allows the benefit of hiring remote developers across different geographies

It offers several benefits like cost savings, access to specialized skills, faster project deliverability, and increased efficiency. Despite being so beneficial, the method has its own set of disadvantages, let’s understand them one by one.

Communication barriers:

This is one of the biggest challenges faced by companies when they hire remote developers. Hiring developers or an outsourced IT staff outsourced company that has efficient communication skills is important.

Communication plays an integral part in achieving effective project management. While hiring remote developers, companies should make sure they leverage the necessary communication tools to smoothen the interaction. Using tools like Slack, Skype, Google Meet and Zoom can be the best tools to smoothen the communication flow.

Cultural differences:

What if the remote team members aren’t able to meet your cultural compatibility? You might not be able to achieve successful project deliverables. Finding an external tech talent that aligns with your culture can help you achieve successful software project management.

Before, finalizing the contract the organization needs to find a team that follows the same work culture and ethics. The processes and procedures should be as identical as possible for a smoother workflow.

Time zone differences:

The differences in time zones can lead to misunderstandings and delays int he project management. A lack of proper face-to-face virtual meetings can highly impact the productivity of the tech stack.

Tools to identify overlapping time can help set team meets for proper project management.

As businesses increasingly rely on outsourcing, finding effective ways to manage these challenges becomes paramount.

Now, let’s understand what the research data about remote teams says, let’s learn all of them one by one.

Research and Innovations in Remote Teams

Modern-day project management has witnessed growth in the adoption of outsourced distributed teams. Recent research has been pivotal in showcasing the advancements in technical innovations.

These advancements are not just technological but also methodological, offering comprehensive solutions for the unique challenges of outsourcing.

Let’s understand them all.

Technological Advancements:

  • AI and Machine Learning:

A recent study of 2022 by PMI shows that AI integration in project management tools improved project success rates by up to 40%. These algorithms are now capable enough to predict the project risks by suggesting optimal resource allocations. AI algorithms can forecast project timelines with a 75% higher accuracy than traditional methods.

  • Advanced Project Management tools:

The use of project management software has been a go-to strategy. A survey of 500 MNCs indicated that companies using advanced management tools experienced a 35% reduction in project delays. This survey also showed a 25% increase in overall productivity.

Features like real-time collaboration, automated progress tracking, and integrated communication channels are central to these improvements.

  • Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR):

VR and AR are emerging as powerful tools for enhancing collaboration. According to a tech trial, using VR for meetings improved involvement by 50% in comparison to regular video calls.

Now, let’s dive deep and understand some methodological innovations in remote teams

Methodological Innovations:

  • Adapting Swift methods:

The traditional agile methods used in software development were effectively used for various outsourced projects. A report by Harvard Business Review showed companies that adopted this method saw a 60% improvement in project adaptability. It also stated an increase of 45% in client satisfaction.

  • Hybrid Project Management:

The method is a blend of traditional and Agile methodologies. Research by Stanford University showed that projects managed with a hybrid approach experienced a 30% higher success.

Now, let’s understand some practical implications of remote teams.

What are the Practical implications of remote project management

  • Global IT Services:

By using AI-based project management, companies achieved 20% increase in project deliverability and a 15% decrease in cost.

  • Manufacturing Industry:

This industry showed a 25% improvement in product quality when they adopted a hybrid project management approach.

  • Creative Industries:

This industry has benefitted by using VR and AR technologies. An advertising source showed a 40% improvement in client approval rates after implementing VR for project presentations.

Now, let’s understand when should organizations opt for working remotely.

When should you outsource any services?

After understanding a lot of things about how outsourcing can help ease up software development processes. Let’s understand when should a company use outsourcing.

The six reasons that show why hiring IT outsourcing is a beneficial idea, let’s brainstorm all of them one by one.

  • Cost saving:

When the organization wants to save costs incurred on buying a physical space or hiring expensive in-house teams.

  • Faster time to market:

Hiring an organization with experience in working towards faster delivery of projects is important. In software development, the timely delivery of projects matters the most.

  • Access to a wider talent:

When the company wants to hire developers with specialized skills from across the globe, they use IT outsourcing. Any company that looks to integrate its existing team with specialized IT professionals would also leverage IT outsourcing.

  • Handle heavy workload:

When a company finds it difficult to handle a complex workload, they tend to hire outsourcing companies. By, using IT outsourcing companies ensure the speedy deliverability of projects within the given work hours.

  • Focus on the core competency:

By leveraging IT outsourcing, companies tend to focus on the core tasks after outsourcing the development work.

  • Flexibility:

When organizations look to scale their team up and down by hiring developers temporarily they use IT outsourcing.

Trends of IT Outsourcing in 2024

Before wrapping up let’s understand some of the latest trends of IT and Software Development outsourcing to watch out for in 2024.

  • Artificial Intelligence:

The first on the list is AI. The AI industry has achieved remarkable growth, making it a spearhead trend in 2024. The AI tools are helping to improve customer experience, optimize operations, and reduce costs. They also provide control of data and processes.

  • Internet of Things:

Next is IoT which stands for Internet of Things, there’s no doubt it will gain a lot of significance in the year 2024.

This increased usage of IoT has connected everything to the internet. The amount of growth IoT brings is a sign that companies will outsource all the complex IoT developments.

  • Cloud Computing:

The third trend in the list is Cloud computing. Accessing other technologies like AI, RPA & ML has become possible with this trend.

Companies are finding it easier to collect, store, and use cloud-based resources & services because of cloud computing. The organizations will seek IT service providers like close engineers and developers who have expertise in cloud infrastructure.

The above three trends signify the growth, every organization would earn by hiring remote employees on hourly rates. Organizations should integrate their in-house team with remote developer teams for effective project management.

You can read in-depth about other IT outsourcing trends in 2024.

Wrapping Up!

Staying up-to-date with all the latest research & innovations is important to maintain control over any outsourced project. As this article highlights, technological advancements & methodologies offer promising solutions to the challenges of outsourcing. The future of project management in outsourced settings looks towards a more integrated, technology-driven approach, promising greater efficiency and success in collaborative approaches.

Remote Teams: Effective Tools for Project Management

Introduction

The Remote work environment has grabbed a lot of buzz. Companies are on the hunt to hire remote developers to build their remote teams. Some companies are even looking to outsource their project development work through software development outsourcing services.

In a remote work environment, having a reliable toolkit of project management tools is important. Having the right tools not only ensures a seamless workflow, but it also ensures effective monitoring of progress & expenses.

Managing projects & dedicated teams spread across different locations & time zones can pose unique challenges. It becomes difficult to handle tasks effectively if a proper approach is not set up.

The majority of individuals i.e., 75% of remote workers find cooperation & collaboration as the most important for achieving job success. They believed that timely communication is important throughout the project management process.

This is when project management tools come into the picture. By using these tools, an organization can achieve effective project management. Using the right tools can help the organization in streamlining the development process.

But, what makes project management successful? Keep reading this article to find out how you can manage your software development project effectively.

Remote Team Collaborations

The success & failure of any organization depends entirely on its team. Having, the right team of developers can help fine-tune the available tech stacks. The same goes for remote teamwork. There are a few traits every company should develop in a team member whenever they hire remote developers.

Action-oriented:

Any action-oriented team can deliver effective results even if they work remotely. A little guidance & consultation can help the remote teams pull off the project successfully. A project manager with the right mix of communication skills & leadership qualities can do wonders in a remote setup.

Trustworthiness:

This is one of the most important traits in remote working. Worrying about whether your team is performing as expected is important. Ensuring that the team is performing as per the expectations will help build trustworthiness in the collaboration efforts.

Communication:

When you are working remotely, it is important to maintain transparent communication. In remote work setup, data is mostly shared through digital mediums, thus it lacks face-to-face interaction. That’s why having efficient professionals with great communication skills is a must.

Now, let’s understand a list of the Top 10 tools to use for smooth project management

Top 10 Tools for Remote Team Project Management

If a project was executed by an in-house team, then it was easy for the project manager to manage the project. But, this wouldn’t have been the case if the organization opted for third-party distributed teams.

We are lucky to have been living in the 21st century, where technology supports instant communication.

We have mentioned a list of 10 tools you can use to streamline your project management.

Zoho Projects

Would you believe us, if we said Zoho allows you to run your whole business? It helps with word processing, spreadsheets, presentations, databases & note-making. It also allows you to perform web conferencing & customer-relationship & project management.

Pros

  • It has the strongest mobile application
  • It has a lower price per user
  • Automation is available with all plan

Cons

  • Limited integration options available in lowe plans
  • Adding the data can be time-consuming
  • No phone-supported

Integration:

It does not have many integrations, but Zoho can integrate well with big third-party platforms like Google & Microsoft.

What is the price of Asana?

Free Plan $0 up to 3 users

Premium plan $5 per user/month

Enterprise plan $10 per user/month

Asana

It is a project management tool for all-sized businesses. Moreover, it enables the user to store files, create dashboards & much more in a single interface.

It has every possible feature for project management, but still managing recurring tasks can be trickier than expected.

Pros

  • It is a feature-rich free plan
  • Provides attractive & easy integrations
  • It suits multiple use cases.

Cons

  • It lacks Bi-level reporting
  • Has higher prices for smaller teams
  • No phone & live chat option is available

Integration:

With more than 200 app integrations possible, Asana makes it stand out from the crowd.

What is the price of Asana?

The Basic Plan of Asana costs $0

Its Premium plans cost $13.49/ per user

Its Business plan costs $30.49/per user

Trello

It uses a Kanban method that includes visual cues to streamline the workflow. Trello will enable the user to create task boards with progress columns. It also helps in moving the tasks based on the status and completion degree of each of the tasks.

Pros

  • It has attractive & customizable Kanban boards
  • It is a part of the popular Atlassian Group
  • Provides a learning curve for new users.

Cons

  • The integrations are necessary for fulfilling complex needs.
  • It may suit large & complex projects
  • No phone support is available

Integration:

Trello can easily integrate with some commonly used communication platforms like Google Meet, Zoom & Slack.

What is the price of Trello?

The Basic Plan of Trello costs $0

Standard plan costs $6 per user

Premium plan costs $12.50 per user

Enterprise plan costs $17.50 per user

Notion

It is a workspace platform that enables the team to build custom dashboards for different contexts. It is best for web designers & engineering teams that value creativity & customization as the core pillars of project management.

Despite a lot of customization options, Notion’s collaboration features are limited for teams that require a constant flow of communication for each recurring task.

Pros

  • Enhanced Free plan
  • Customizable Gantt charts are available.
  • Well-suited for taking notes

Pros

  • Security is strongest only in enterprise plans
  • Lack of advanced project management tool
  • Collaboration features lack improvements.

Integration:

Trello can easily integrate with some commonly used communication platforms like Google Meet, Zoom & Slack.

What is the price of Notion

Free – $0

Plus – $10 per user/month

Business – $18 per user/month

Enterprise – Custom

Hive

It is a project management tool that combines messaging, time tracking & automation with all the standard project management tasks. The best thing about this tool is it updates new features based on user requests generated through the Hive Community Forum.

Pros

  • It provides six work views including the Gantt view
  • Its messenger facilitates easy communication
  • HiveMind Ai capabilities

Cons

  • It lacks built-in resource management
  • Doesn’t allow portfolio level of reporting.
  • Better functionality and features come with more price

Integration:

Hive can integrate with 12 integrations, which is comparatively low compared to other competitors’ offerings.

What is the price of Hive?

The Free Plan of $0

Teams Plans of Hive comes at $18 per user/month

BaseCamp

It is a digital HQ & a project management tool for small businesses. It has a lot of functionality for small businesses but needs more core features for cross-functional collaborations between teams.

Pros

  • It has an easy onboarding process
  • Has centralized message boards
  • Provides powerful basic software management tools

Cons

  • Doesn’t provide Kanban Boards or Gantt Charts
  • Has a limited ability to scale
  • No phone support is available here

Integration:

It has limited integration options available with third-party apps which can provide additional software development & project management features.

What is the price of BaseCamp?

Basecamp $15 per person/month

Basecamp Pro Unlimited $349 per month

Monday .com

Monday .com is a Work Operating system that enables developer-level workflow customization without the need for any coding knowledge. This software offers various templates & tools

Pros

  • It has an engaging & attractive interface
  • Provides a large number of ready-made templates
  • Stronger workflow automation capabilities.

Cons

  • It has limited native-proofing features
  • It has some stability issues reported in the past
  • The display of records can become cluttered & complex.

Integration:

It has limited integration options available with third-party apps that can provide a connection. popular apps like Salesforce, Slack & Google.

What is the price of Monday .com?

Individual Plan $0

Basic Plan $10 per seat/month

Standard Plan $12 per seat/month

Pro Plan $20 per seat/month

Enterprise – Custom

Airtable

Airtable inputs all the utility of spreadsheets into project management by combining it with powerful task management features. By doing so, it stores and displays data, collaborating with the team members & setting up custom automated workflows.

It has lots of useful technical features available for its users.

Pros

  • It has a strong option for data-heavy organizations.
  • Has a familiar UX for all spreadsheet users
  • A customization option is also available

Cons

  • It has a time-consuming learning curve.
  • Has very limited training resources available
  • No proper integration tools available for complex needs

Integration:

It has limited integration options available with third-party apps that can provide a connection. popular apps like Salesforce, Slack & Google.

What is the price of Airtable?

Individual Plan $0

Basic Plan $10 per seat/month

Standard Plan $12 per seat/month

Pro Plan $20 per seat/month

Enterprise – Custom

Jira

Jira originated as a project management tool but now includes Jira Software, Jira Core & Jira Work Management. These tools help companies manage their projects by collaborating with their colleagues to deliver the work.

Pros

  • Provides an advanced search functionality
  • It has a built-in form builder.
  • It has a strong grasp of issue management

Cons

  • It is less suited to IT teams
  • Doesn’t provide native Gantt charts
  • Add-ons need you to incur extra expenses.

Integration:

Jira is a part of Atlassian Group, thus, it provides varied integrations with its sister sites. It’s not very strong with other third-party apps.

What is the price of Jira?

Free Plan $0

Standard Plan $5 per user/month

Enterprise – Custom

Smartsheet

It is a visual-focused project management tool. Smartsheet uses cloud-based spreadsheets & an automated workflow to cater to different teams & contexts.

If you find data handling & technical processes easier, using smart sheets can be invaluable for you.

Pros

  • Familiar with Excel users
  • There are multiple templates available
  • Automation for workflow is available

Pros

  • It provides very limited viewing options
  • Data is not updated in real-time
  • Some add-ons can incur extra expenses

Integration:

Smarsheet has good connections with the best sought-after apps, it also enables additional integration options

What is the price of Jira?

Free Plan $0

Standard Plan $5 per user/month

Enterprise – Custom

Now, let’s understand the features of all the 10 project management tools in detail

Now, let’s understand some of the communication tools to use while managing a software development project

5 Best Communication tools for Managing Software Development Project

Google-Suite

Google Suite or G-Suite is a set of tools used by businesses for collaboration & communication. It’s a combination of various Google tools that you already use for your project management. Tools like Gmail, Google Drive, Google Docs & Google Meet are some of the powerhouse tools available in G Suite.

Integration:

It can easily integrate with Zpier, Gmail, Bitium and Google Calendar

What is the price of a G Suite?

Basic G Suite Starts from $5 per month to $50 per month

G Suite enterprise plan is $25 per month

Free Trial available

Slack

It is a virtual office. Slack is a modern-day communication tool that allows you to create communication channels to keep room for professional & friendly conversations.  It allows you to create project-specific chat rooms to streamline communication flow during the project management process.

Integration:

It can easily integrate with Zoom, Clickup, etc.

What is the price of Slack?

Basic Plan Free

Pro Plan $7.25

Business Plan: $12.50

Zoom

Zoom is the best video conferencing tool for managing remote teams. It also allows you to manage a large group of professionals in one meeting room. As per one report, 94% of business entities have found an increase in productivity by using this video conferencing tool.

Integration:

It can easily integrate with Dropbox. HubSpot CRM, Slack, Zapier, etc.

What is the price of Zoom?

Basic Plan Free

Pro Plan $14.99

Business Plan: $19.99

Skype

It is an enterprise-level communication tool that helps employees connect to anyone from everywhere. Skype allows you the feature to directly call a person on their cell phone.

Integration:

It can easily integrate with Bitium, Microsoft Outlook, Slack, etc.

What is the price of Zoom?

Basic Plan Free

The Basic plan of Skype is Free

Whereas, its premium features can cost €3.49 per month.

Yammer

Yammer brings every IT professional under one social network. It also allows us to connect & communicate faster with each team member.

Integration:

It can easily integrate with GitHub, Microsoft Office 365 etc.

What is the price of Zoom?

Basic $8.25 /user/month

Premium Plan $12.50 user/month

Free Trial Available

Wrapping Up!

Any organization can build a remote team by hiring remote developers for smoother project control. By leveraging software development outsourcing services organizations can achieve cost-effective software solutions. By using this practice, organizations can also reduce costs borne by lengthy hiring processes. Using these services, organizations can scale up or scale down their team based on the project requirements in the long term.