Why Your Offshore Provider Should Be Participating In Your Next Stand-Up Meeting
In the software development industry, conducting daily stand-up “scrum” meetings is pretty standard. If your provider is truly an extension of your team, it is critical that they are involved. Here are just a few reasons to consider participating in stand up meetings:
Don’t let time zones discourage you from participating
Dealing with team members across the world can be difficult at times but shouldn’t be seen as an obstacle for setting up scrum meetings. Pick a dedicated time that works with everyone’s schedule. Swap meeting times every other week to accommodate different time zones abroad and stateside. One of the challenges often faced when dealing with an offshore company is the lack of technology abroad. Make sure your team is equipped with the needed technology to have a successful scrum meeting. Also leave time in your schedule for a delay based on technology.
Take the opportunity to engage, engage, engage
Scrum meetings are usually pretty short and sweet, but any chance to engage with the people working on your provider is one to take advantage of. You’ll be able to learn about the communication and working styles of team members by continuing to participate in these meetings. The daily interaction will allow you foster a better relationship and strengthen your trust and build better team morale.
Foresee any upcoming challenges or obstacles
Meeting with your provider daily for few days can help prevent any upcoming roadblocks. This is an opportunity to discuss any challenges with analysts that may come up that can be resolved or prevented from happening.
Avoid any unanswered questions
Have questions that need to be answered? Stand-up meetings help avoid assumptions of why certain activities were done by offshore.
Discuss previous day and upcoming workday
To accommodate all time zones its best to discuss what work was done yesterday and what needs to be done during the existing day.
