Agile based methodology in Offshore Software Development Process

It is believed that effective communication plays an important role in the success of any software development process. This belief has given rise to agile software development wherein there is no fixed plan for development. Instead, the developers and clients regularly communicate to decide the next plan of action. As opposed to this, an offshore software development process entails a plan driven approach. It involves much less communication than the agile methodology. The development process is largely based on a plan of action chalked out in the beginning. Software development projects from Europe and North America are now undertaken by development firms based as far as India. While offshore development means significantly reduced development costs, the other benefits of it are less known. It is in the best interest of clients that a certain level of agility exists in any development process. Therefore, integrating some approaches of agile development into an offshore based methodology can help the latter succeed.

• Setup a defined communication protocol: It is usually seen that remote servers are situated in locations where the largest development teams sit. Smaller teams communicate to these servers over the internet. It is essential to set redundant communication channel for back-up when the primary ones fail. A particular communication protocol must be set for the complete development process. This would include documentations structures, strategic location of servers, video conferencing plans and also field visit plans.

• Use of wikis as knowledge repositories: Since face to face communication is not possible on a regular basis, it is essential to bridge this gap by creating effective knowledge repositories. Wikis can be used to share information and also to provide updated on the development process. This is offset the problem resulting from the absence of physical proximity. Most offshore software development centers follow a plan driven approach. As such they require detailed plans and designs for the requirements. Knowledge repositories can help to communicate these plans. Moreover, they can be used by both the client and developers for future reference. The lack of structure of wikis allows the involved parties to create documentation of their own suitable structure. The notification capabilities of wikis can be used to alert all distant parties about any significant changes as well.

• Continuous integration of the completed work: It is a common practice to divide the development process and delegate it to different firms. While this results in faster products with fewer bugs, integration becomes a bottleneck. Having continuous integration is very important for such an offshore software development process. But, multi-site teams may face serious glitches during integration. Therefore, it is important that all the teams use the same code base and interoperable design methodology. It is a must that every development is done keep the future integration in mind so as to avoid future issues.

• Importance of regular bug fixing and code reviews: There might be times when the development output of a team is used as a code base by another. During such times, bug fixing before embarking on the development procedure is important. This makes the developers familiar with the code base, its structure, limitations, capabilities and future scope of enhancement. This in turn results in a better product with no bugs. Having regular code reviews between multi site teams proved to be helpful in building a robust product. Ambassadors from each team can visit their peer teams so that everyone is on the same page. This will bring the aspect of face to face communication used in agile approach into an offshore development process.

In this way, incorporating agility through communication into an offshore software development process helps create a cost effective and successful product.

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Business big data analytics Strategy and Big Advantages of Hadoop

The ways in which business is done has changed beyond description. What drives businesses these days is the ability to maintain data impeccably. Here are some businesses that generate huge volumes of data:

1. The banking industry
2. Search engines and data repositories
3. Stock exchange operations
4. Information storage systems
5. Public utility services like electricity service providers and civic bodies
6. and many others endlessly

Data management is a specialized profession by itself. Storing data in a safe environment is but one of the major problems. But there is more to it than that meets the eye. To be effective data must be retrieval at the flick of a few keys. Designing the database is therefore very critical in any management process. That is the reason why the process must be left in the hands of big data analytics companies. Using multiples of tools they can give users a really rich experience. 

 

To do big data analytics, you need to have a strategy first. Here is a brief idea on how to do it.

1. Planning is important and you need to consider the following aspects: make a list of questions, determine what you need to measure and the strategy for measuring parameters, zero in on the correct research design, find the methods you will use to gather the data, find out what should be extracted out of the data and finally review a testing plan.
2. The next step should be how to use the information derived out of a strategy. You should ensure that all the information you collect can be collated and intelligent conclusion can be drawn. You must be particularly careful with the question part. Only then you will be able to make an intelligent inference.

Here are the benefits of a well thought out strategy:

1. You can avoid data collection failures
2. You will not be overwhelmed by the volume of redundant data
3. You will not be lost in the wilderness in interpreting data

See Also  - How Business Transform with Big data

Strategy – the Importance

Without a strategy you will not be able to meaningfully do an analytics of the data you collect or what you have collected in a computer. For this you need to at least have a brief idea behind what data analytics is all about. There are excellent reading materials available in the internet for this purpose, or better still you can talk to your consultant company.

Before you put a strategy to work, do some research yourself and find out if it meets all the purposes for which you are planning it. There are great tools available for this too. You can consider the big data analytics Hadoop for this purpose. It is one of the better known analytics tool available in the market for doing analytics of big volume data.

The 4 Big Advantages of Hadoop

1. The first and foremost advantage of Hadoop is that it is scalable. So can begin with the minimum and add more as your database begins to grow.
2. Hadoop is highly cost effective. It is unlike the RDBMS in many different ways. If you look at the cost of handling data, it is one of the most effective but costs so little.
3. The next big advantage of the platform is that it is flexible. In short, it has not been made with any particular application in mind. So it is possible to use it for both small enterprises as well as for big companies.
4. The other big advantages are: it is fast than most other comparable platforms for doing analytics; it seldom fails, and finally is among the most resilient of platforms.

What to Avoid When Outsourcing Software Development Projects

While outsourcing certainly has its share of benefits, the stories of software development projects going south are also abundant. This is why it is imperative to choose the outsourcing provider carefully. Here are a few things mistakes to avoid outsourcing software development projects. 

Language Disconnect: If you are planning to outsource the software development project to an offshore location where your language is not native or is not prominently in use, you may have a hard time with communication. It is important for the client and the vendor to be able to communicate clearly in a common language. With the difference in languages, you may find it extremely difficult to communicate your needs and project requirements. Therefore, choose an outsourcing location where your native language is popular.

Difference in the Time Zone: If the outsourced location is in a completely different time zone, collaboration, communication, and interaction may become a challenge. Therefore, it is advisable to hire the outsourcing team located in the time zone closer to your own. This will make sure that the interactions and communications are timely. On the other hand, some outsourcing companies align their work hours according to your working schedule. If that is the case, you can hire them easily for your job.

Differences in the Culture: The difference in the culture may have impact on the timely completion of the project. For instance, if the holidays in the country where you have outsourced your job fall within the time line set for the completion of the project, you may experience delays. Therefore, before choosing the outsourcing location, work out the productivity and schedule details with the vendor. Ask them how will they complete your project by the deadline and still be able to accommodate their holidays.

Unreliable Technical Infrastructure: Large software development projects require a reliable and stable technical infrastructure. The vendor company to which you are outsourcing your project must have the proper internet connectivity, power management system, and a reliable networking setup. If all these requirements are met, you will be more confident to outsource software development project.

Poor Credential Management: The safety of your data and business intelligence is of extreme importance. You will be sharing a great deal of business information with the vendor when outsourcing the software development project. This is the reason why it becomes important to understand the credential management incorporated by the company to keep your confidential information safe. Before finalizing the deal with the vendor, ask them up front about the credential management system they have in place.

Low Quality Workforce: Gauging the quality of the software developers before handing your project over to the vendor is important. Not only will you want your project to be of the desired quality, you will also want it to get completed in time. The higher the experience and expertise of the developers, the better will be the results. 

Low Workforce Strength: Aside from the quality and experience of the developers, you also need to ascertain if the company has the required headcount to ensure the timely completion of the project. If the employee turnover is low, it is unlikely that your project will conclude within the desired timeline.

Insufficient and Improper Analysis of the Operating Model: Going for the outsourcing company offering the lowest cost and promising the best quality may result in undesired results. While cost remains to be the primary factor while choosing the vendor, you cannot afford to compromise on the quality. You will need to strike a balance between cost and quality. A close and detailed analysis of the company’s operating model can help you determine whether it is the right choice.

Tips While Choosing Offshore Software Development Company

Outsourcing to an offshore software development company definitely has its own set of advantages. However, geographical and linguistic differences may pose certain challenges. The good news is that these challenges can be easily overcome by following these important tips.

Save Money but Wisely: Cost-effectiveness is the primary reasons why the software development outsourcing businesses are in demand. While looking around for an offshore company, you might be inclined towards the least expensive one. However, choosing the cheapest company for your project may lead you into spending more in damage control. The expense of maintenance and bug fixing may cost you way more than what you saved by choosing an incompetent company. The company with the lowest price quotes evidently earns the lowest profit margins too. Thus, you may not get the best development team at your disposal. Evaluate the companies operating model properly and identify its strengths and weaknesses. Once you have done the analysis only then finalize the contract for your project.

Take References; Hear Stories: Invest time in hearing the story of the offshore software development company. It will give you a fair idea about their business conducts and professionalism. You will be in a much better position to understand if you can trust them with your project needs. The company that is organized and ethical will definitely have a nice story to tell. But do not end the quest there. Try and learn about the provider from the other companies who have done (or are already doing) business with the provider. The references from other people will help you make a better choice. 

Communication is the Key: Your business needs are known the best to you. The idea is to have a clearly defined channel of communication so that the offshore software development services company is fully in tune with your project requirement. As the service provider is operational in another part of the world, it would rely completely on the inputs provided by you. If the project demands are big, a dedicated project manager at the provider’s end is an absolute necessity to bridge the communication gap. The project goes through several phases of development and testing. The back and forth exchange of information regarding the progress of each phase is extremely crucial. A proper communication channel aids the streamlining of the process.

Go with the company that follows high standards: Identify the industry standards the tips for offshore development service provider follows. Remember that the success of your project depends a great deal upon the industry standards the vendor is adhering to. In the software development process, there is standardization for everything including documentation, coding, and testing. For that matter, the entire development cycle of the project works on the industry norms. The closer the vendor is to the standards, the better are the chances of getting the desirable results.

Always reference the previous work: The type of projects the offshore development company has delivered in the past speaks volumes about their competencies. It also gives you the insight into the type of domains they have created the projects for. The companies with higher experience also have more exposure to the different types of businesses. Although most of the good companies are able to develop programs for all types of businesses, their core competencies may still lie in only limited domains.

Are they technologically up to the task? While the offshore software development company may have experience in your domain, you may still have bigger project demands for which higher levels of technological competencies may be required. Therefore, evaluating the technological prowess of the company before finalizing the deal would be worthwhile.

Benefits Of Using Cloud Computing in business

Cloud computing is an example of a virtualized system, ultimately, it is a natural evolution for data centers that use automated systems management, workload balancing, and virtualization technologies.

Cloud Services offers a number of benefits that your company can take advantage of :

Costs

The cloud promises to reduce the cost, delivery and maintenance of computational power, allowing companies to buy only the necessary computing services instead of investing in expensive and complex  infrastructure.

Low-cost Computers To The User: You do not need a computer to run next generation applications that are hosted in the cloud. As the application runs on the server, not the user’s computer, it does not need many resources on the computers. Thus, we can get lower cost computers, with ability to basically perform the operating system and web browser.

Lower Costs Of IT Infrastructure: The investment that would be made in purchasing ever more powerful servers, may be directed to the hiring of cloud servers and those adequate resources can be easily resized as the business need. It is possible to hire servers that overcome a spike in usage and dismiss them when no longer needed.

Reduce The Cost Of Software: It is no longer necessary to purchase the software, since cloud computing companies charge an amount to provide software as a service. And yet today we have companies that are offering their web based applications for free, which makes it much more interesting than paying the high values of software licensing traditionally charged.

Decreasing Hardware Costs: The cloud providers acquire servers, network equipment, internet connection and many other equipment in large quantities, thus able to negotiate better prices with suppliers and with a much shorter period than most companies.

Lower Investment: When you purchase a server in the cloud, you make a contract in the form of service, like a lease, paying a small amount per month, according to what was contracted. At the end of the contract, you recover your data and return it to the server provider hired. So in addition to not having to face a great investment at the beginning of the service, when the contract ends you are not left with an obsolete  server kept in any room of your company.

Scalability

If you are anticipating an increase in your computing needs (or even if you are surprised by a demand), cloud computing can help you manage this demand.

The cloud allows users to suit their specific needs. Cloud computing is infinitely scalable and enables IT infrastructures to be expanded efficiently without the need to make large capital investments.

Increased Computational Power: When a cloud is contracted, there is no limitation on the computing power of a physical machine. With the new computing model, we can perform tasks that require high performance computing by utilizing the power of thousands of servers in the cloud. In other words, you can perform more tasks in the cloud than you can do on the server.

Unlimited Storage Capacity: Likewise, the cloud offers virtually unlimited storage capacity. Thus, it is not necessary to worry if the disk space is running low. When this does occur, simply allocate more disk to the cloud server almost instantly and continue with your work normally.

Maximizing Resources

Cloud computing relieves the burden on already overburdened IT resources. By changing the non-critical data to the cloud, your IT department is free to work in business-related tasks. You also do not need to add more people and specialized training to handle these tasks.

Moreover, as network outages are a nightmare for IT staff, this burden is discharged.

Less Maintenance Problems: In the case of maintenance costs, cloud computing dramatically reduces maintenance costs of hardware and software. With the need for fewer physical servers in the company, maintenance costs are reduced immediately and as cloud applications are in the cloud, there is no software on computers in the organization to maintain.

Software Updates: Another advantage is that, we no longer need to use older software or pay high fees to upgrade them to a newer version. When an application is web-based, updates happen automatically and are available for the next time you use it in the cloud. In the case of cloud servers, the cost of updating software will certainly be much lower than buying the new version.

Best Performance: With regard to performance, the computer must run fewer applications to provide what a user needs. Thus, with fewer programs allocating memory space, not using hard drive space and not using CPU cycles, you may notice a significant improvement of performance of your computer while performing your daily tasks.

Access

The cloud promises universal access to high computing power and storage resources for anyone with a device having access to the internet network.

For example, you do not need to take your documents with you. Instead, they stay in the cloud, where you can access them from anywhere that has an internet connection. All your documents are instantly available. No matter where you are.

Security

Unlike traditional computing, where a hard disk crash can destroy all your data, a computer with problems in the cloud does not affect the storage of your data. This is because, data in the cloud is automatically duplicated, so that nothing is lost. This also means that if your computer crashes while working, all your data will still be in the cloud. In a world where only a few users make backup of data regularly, cloud computing can keep data safe.

Collaboration

For many users, collaborative work is one of the most important advantages of cloud computing. Several people may have access to documents in a project simultaneously. As the document is edited, the changes appear automatically on the screen of other users who are using the document.

In the next article I will discuss the disadvantages, limitations and potential problems when using the private cloud.