Offshore development: The hidden costs and risks you should know

The shift of software development projects abroad, known as offshore development, attracts at first glance with tempting low hourly rates.

Many companies hope to achieve major cost savings and a competitive advantage. But reality often looks different.

Behind the alleged bargains are often unforeseen costs and major risks that quickly destroy the original price advantage.

This article highlights the shadow sides of offshore development and shows why the decision for no offshore development and teamwork with a local partner is often the more strategic and economic choice.

The illusion of cost savings: Why the hourly rate is not everything

The shift of software development projects abroad, known as offshore development, attracts at first glance with tempting low hourly rates.

For Offshore development: The hidden costs and risks you should know, Our Development Process outlines how we support rollout and delivery.

The biggest mistake in the costing of offshore projects is the sole focus on the developer's hourly rate.

What looks like a massive savings on the paper often turns out to be a boomerang in practice.

The total cost of a project, the so-called "total cost of ownership", is much more than just the pure development costs.

Hidden costs for communication, planning, remedies and legal safeguards quickly increase the overall bill and can completely reduce or even exceed the initial savings.

Hidden cost factors in offshore development

The list of potential falling knits in offshore development is long.

The following points represent the most common and costly challenges companies are experiencing in collaboration with distant teams.

Communication barriers and cultural trenches

Short: A smooth communication is the foundation of every successful software project.

A smooth communication is the foundation of every successful software project. In offshore development, however, this is made more difficult by a number of factors:

• Time and spatial distance: Teamwork across continents and several time zones inevitably leads to delays. Spontaneous agreements are hardly possible, and the asynchronous exchange significantly slows the entire development process.
• Language and cultural obstacles: Even with good English knowledge on both sides, misunderstandings often occur. Cultural differences in working methods, dealing with problems and interpreting needs can lead to considerable friction losses.
• Selective context: An offshore team often lacks a deep understanding of the target market, corporate culture and the specific needs of end users. This leads to solutions that work technically but pass the actual goal.

Increased management and coordination effort

Control of a team at the other end of the world requires a

References and further reading

The following separate references complement the topics in this article:

• Bitkom – German digital industry association.
• German Federal Office for Information Security (BSI).
• European Commission – Digital strategy.
• MDN Web Docs (Mozilla)
• W3C – World Wide Web Consortium.

> "ERP programmes rarely fail on software selection; they fail on unclear process ownership."

— Björn Groenewold, Managing Director, Groenewold IT Solutions

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The shift of software development projects abroad, known as offshore development, attracts at first glance with tempting low hourly rates. Many companies hope to...

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