Developing a software product presents a huge challenge for tech leaders and CEOs, especially for those who have decided to go with remote IT engagements. Finding remote talent that would be ready to put in the hours and do the work well is one part of the equation. Then there is management that falls on the shoulders of company leaders. In this article, we look at managing Java remote teams based on our decade-long experience in this field.
Decide what Competencies You Are Going To Outsource
Tech leaders seek to create remote teams of java software developers to implement a number of solutions. We at Ncube work with companies that need the talent to implement Java EE solutions or build modern applications within Java environments such as Eclipse, NetBeans, IntelliJ IDEA or Android Studio. To develop software based on Java stack one needs to fulfill the following roles:
- A Software Architect
- Java Developers
- QA Engineers
- UX/UI designer
- DevOps
- Product Owner
- Project Manager
Outsourcing part of these responsibilities is a strategic decision. At the same time, it is vital to keep the key elements of business such as ensuring security, marketing, and communication with users at home.
Find A Reliable Supplier Of Java Staff Augmentation
Considering nearshore opportunities, do some research to find out about the most prominent outsourcing companies in the region. Take a look at their portfolios at GitHub and ask for recent Java cases during a kick-off interview. A bonus in favor of the company would be having at least two success stories with Java technology from your industry.
Avoid A Sight Unseen Approach To Hiring Java Solution Experts
Visit Your Software Development Team On Site
After hiring the candidates and setting up a team, the provider is expected to provide IT infrastructure and ensure a comfortable working setting. All administration related expenses are covered by the contract. There is no better way to make sure that these requirements are met other than checking it firsthand. Tech leaders usually meet the new hires before their first working day to walk them through the workflow. Alternatively, a new team member may go to a head office for training and meeting the core team.
Make Sure The Feedback Is Flowing
Geographical distribution never works in favor of establishing a stable working atmosphere. Without a working feedback system, tech leaders risk being the last to know about disturbances inside the remote team. Keep your remote employees involved through regular surveys and tell them about important things yourself. Essentially, instead of having a project manager fill out the surveys for the whole team, ask every team member to fill out the surveys personally and in detail.
Target For Project Manager With Good English Proficiency
Hiring a project manager ensures a high level of control over your remote project and deliverables. If a project manager is going to be your single point of contact, he or she needs to be fluent in spoken and written English. It’s fine for the rest of the team to speak with less fluency – Intermediate proficiency will suffice for everyday communication within the team. Professionals with Upper-Intermediate English proficiency and lower are usually deemed as cost-effective in the field of custom software development services.
Organize Your Work Using A Set Of Tools
Managing a distributed team without knowing what everyone is working on is impossible. To stay in touch and drive results, our teams use:
- Slack as a virtual collaborative space with a special channel for Java developers where they can discuss the benefits of the Java programming.
- Trello for new product features.
- GitHub for project management.
- GoToMeeting, Hangouts, and Zoom for video conferencing.
Additionally, the employees widely use Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides for file management and data storing. For sharing the non-doc type of files like videos or photos, our choices are DropBox, Google Drive, OneDrive, ZohoDocs.
An Afterword From Ncube’s Team
Our experience proves that managing remote teams of Java engineers requires the right people, tools, and processes. But what’s more important – a great deal of understanding between a talent vendor, client and project managers. All tasks, requirements, and expectations need to be clearly communicated and documented. Miscommunication may put your project at risk of delaying product deployment. It’s also vital to discuss deadlines and deliverables in advance to see where the pain points might occur and come up with ways to prevent them.