Return to Archive Runtime - The Software Outsourcing Newsletter for Executives and Investors from Accelerance and Steve Mezak 20 Questions To Determine Your OUtsourcing Readiness Some companies are jumping into software outsourcing before they are ready. They hire a team, maybe the wrong one, and then expect them to start producing software right away. In their rush, they skip the planning, goal setting and careful evaluation of how outsourcing fits into their organization. What does it mean to be ready for outsourcing? Is there a way to measure your readiness? Now you can answer a series of twenty questions on the Accelerance web site to get an idea where you stand. The results will tell you if you are ready to go, should proceed cautiously or seek immediate help. One company I met with recently is already doing outsourced software development from their engineering group. "How is it going?" I asked. "It depends on who you talk to," I was told. The executives of the company thought it was going great. The company was paying less for engineering talent. Board members seemed satisfied. But after further conversation, I learned the engineering department had never really bought into the concept of outsourcing. They resisted working with the outsourced team. Their results were actually less than spectacular. Clearly this was a company not completely ready for outsourcing. Or there is this email I received the other day: We are looking to get started soon. I would like to get a quote from your firm for its services. I need an auction style site to be built that could withstand up to 10 million hits per day. I need to know how fast it can be built and how much it will cost. I look forward to hearing from you... I replied asking for more information about what was needed. At least a few additional details or some sort of specification is required to give any meaningful answer. If you do not have these details, you are probably not ready to outsource. And if you are not ready to outsource, you face the risks of extra costs, huge delays and the complete failure of your outsourced software development. Why do people start outsourcing without planning? There are different reasons. Sometimes it is ignorance. Other times it is an intense desire to get the software developed as quickly as possible. Even if you are not completely ready for outsourcing, you can get help to compensate for areas of weakness. That is the other benefit of the readiness test - just by answering the questions honestly, you can focus on the areas where you need help to minimize your outsourcing risks. The help you need in these areas can come from several different sources. It might be books and articles that describe proven methods for outsourcing. It might be software tools to help you manage outsourcing. Or it might mean hiring additional resources that have outsourcing experience. Wherever you get help, make sure they have real and proven outsourcing experience. A good outsourcing team can provide much of the help you need. For example, the team can collaborate with you when you are lacking a complete specification. You describe the basics of what you need and a series of email conversations can add clarification and detail. Don't get discouraged if you get a low score on the readiness test. Remember that one of the seven deadly dangers of outsourcing is not taking advantage of outsourcing at all. Learn from your test results and make the changes needed to make your outsourcing risk-free. Before you jump into outsourcing make sure you are ready. Take the test and think about your answers. Be honest. Seek out advice and other resources to help with areas where you need improvement. Vision Resources Are you wondering how you will select an expert offshore team to develop your software? Use the Accelerance Vision Resources(sm) outsourced vendor selection service and cut the time of your vendor selection process by as much as 90%. Vision Resources leverages members of the Accelerance's 17 teams in 14 countries around the world. Click here to learn more about Vision Resources Accelerance, Inc. delivers impartial & expert strategies and services for risk-free outsourcing of your software development. Visit our web site at www.Accelerance.com   Until next time, Steve Mezak Accelerance, Inc. Risk-Free Outsourcing www.Accelerance.com 213 Garcia Avenue Half Moon Bay, CA 94019 1-650-712-8990 Contact me by email (c) 2005 Accelerance, Inc. All rights reserved. You are free to use material from the "Runtime" eZine in whole or in part, as long as you include complete attribution, including live web site link. Please also notify me where the material will appear. The attribution should read: "By Steve Mezak, CEO of Accelerance, Inc. Please visit the Accelerance web site at http://www.Accelerance.com for more information and resources on outsourcing and creating great software products."