Agile Offshore Development : Managing Agile Projects
Though there is an element of mutual collaboration in identifying the “right” processes and methodologies, clients generally prefer Offshore Project Managers and their teams follow their organization’s development paradigms and processes. No arguments here, since the client is going to own the software and solution, right? Well, what if the client’s preferred process is the Agile Software Process?
You may not be alone in wondering if we are talking about the right paradigm here: As more than a few bloggers have commented in the cyberworld: “Agile Offshore - sounds like an Oxymoron.”
As offshoring practices matures, clients are beginning to ask offshore teams to work with processes that go beyond the classic waterfall or SDLC. This is especially true for projects with critical time-to-market pressures or in situations involving specialized product development cycles and where requirements are iteratively evolving.
And this is where it is interesting to see Software Gurus take the lead. I have been an admirer of Martin Fowler’s work and thought leadership, and it is interesting to see him succinctly articulate his experiences in “Using an Agile Software Process with Offshore Development.” Fowler’s essay makes for interesting reading and I will not get into all the points he articulates.
Though the points Fowler raises are probably true for most offshoring projects and not just the ones using Agile processes, there are a few that stand out:
- Have Each Site Send Ambassadors to the Other Sites
- Use Contact Visits to build trust
- Use Short Iterations
- Use an Iteration Planning Meeting that's Tailored for Remote Sites
More practitioners are taking a stand on offshoring agile development. No, I am not talking just about Infosys’s viewpoint. Bala’s article on “Agile Offshore Development: 10 Ways to Make it Work for Your Organization” in Agile Journal makes for an interesting read.
Am I a proponent of using Agile Software Process with Offshore Development? Well, I will just take a leaf from Mr. Fowler’s essay and just state “Among all these differences my point of view is clear: I'm sitting on the fence!” [And no, I did not dwell on Agile processes in my book though I may review the topic for the next edition]
