Developers will work anywhere with a computer and an internet connection. But that’s only part of the story.
Software development is not an easy task, especially when you work with a distributed team that has to adapt to changing industry and technology standards.
It takes teamwork, with people from different backgrounds coming together to share ideas and work effectively. This is how you can build robust, scalable software products.
It is your job as a leader to identify the biggest challenges that software developers face when working remotely, and to implement best practices for remote software engineering.
Critical Software Development Challenges and Solutions
Lack of Resources
Although companies have moved from the traditional workplace to remote workers, many have not taken the necessary steps to ensure their employees have access to the tools and technology they need.
Standish Group’s report states that 10.6 per cent of software development projects fail due to “Lack of Resources.”
Many remote software engineers, coders, or testers lack the necessary resources to develop fast and efficient software. To make sure the final product is fully-proof, it’s more than just ensuring that they have a computer and an internet connection.
Poor Communication
Clear communication is essential for building software products that are successful. Clear communication is essential to ensure that your client understands all aspects of the project, communicate expectations with the development team, provide status updates, eliminate any room for assumption and address all communication issues.
When you work remotely, it is ten times more crucial to have a strategy communication system in place.
Clear communication and timely feedback are crucial to determine whether the project is on track. However, it is important to avoid overcommunication. This can affect your team’s spirit, and make them feel less confident in their ability to complete their tasks.
You don’t want to be wasting your time on long zoom calls. Prioritize clear, detailed documentation so that everyone understands and can follow their responsibilities. You can agree on the formats and processes that you will use to keep your documentation current while protecting data security and version control.
Intransparency in the Process
Team leaders and project managers who don’t communicate clearly their expectations or establish clear KPIs are the most likely to lack transparency. Developers aren’t clear on what they should do, which can lead to employee dissatisfaction.
This lack of clarity can lead to confusion. This lack of clarity regarding objectives, project goals, and responsibilities can lead to employees feeling overwhelmed, which could cause trust issues.
Give your employees access to all information in order to ensure transparency. Talk about recent growth and setbacks to inform your team. This motivates them to work harder to bring the product back to life.
Data Insecurity
Remote working allows you to share ideas, innovation, and data online. Remote software development teams can be more secure than working in an office. They also have less network security because they are able to work from different locations. Your company’s data security standards may be compromised.
All members need to be cautious when sharing or accessing data in order to prevent security breaches. Global organizations will continue to be concerned about security and data protection. However, every developer on the team must ensure that they only access the information in a responsible way to maintain the company’s standards.
Delivery delays in projects
People who work remotely have a different atmosphere than those working in an office. Procrastination, especially when working remotely, can prove difficult to overcome, which could have an adverse effect on the project’s deadline.
This situation can be addressed by having a strategy that requires accountability. Developers thrive when they have clear reporting guidelines to motivate them and keep their projects on track.
These best practices will help you avoid future problems in offshore software development.
Remote Software Development Team Best practices
Diverse Development Team
Remote software developers are available with different levels of experience, skills, and expertise. This ensures a broad range of perspectives. Diverse teams bring new ideas and inspiration to the table, and encourage members to think outside of the box.
Brainstorming sessions in heterogeneous settings often lead to new territory and give your development team an advantage over their competition.
Software development can be influenced by cultural differences among your team members. This will help you create a product that is more versatile and caters to different users.
Offer Flexibility
Developers can create their own work schedules to foster a flexible work environment. This encourages work-life balance, and motivates developers to meet their deadlines in order to have more time for themselves.
Flexibility in the workplace increases employee satisfaction and morale. This creates a stronger bond between employees and the company and encourages loyalty and retention.
Rapid Onboarding
A well-designed onboarding process allows new employees to quickly learn their roles. Continuous training and engagement are key to developers feeling more at home within the company.
This encourages members to achieve higher productivity levels quicker than if they had to figure it out themselves.
Conclusion
Many businesses that have a remote workforce of software developers don’t have the best practices to ensure projects are on time and deliver timely results.
It’s important that you know how to motivate your engineers and create a positive work environment. However, it is equally important to find quality engineers to add to your team.
Turing.com is a great resource for hiring qualified remote software engineers in days, instead of months. Turing.com offers a talent pool that includes the top 1% among 700,000+ software engineers.
