Plan to Outsource Software Developers to India

Regardless of the many benefits that may be realized, a few challenges are imminent more particularly regarding infrastructure and technology standards. Infrastructure Good infrastructure is vital for software developers in India to work effectively and have maximum output. For offshore software development, good infrastructure more so communication infrastructure is necessary. However, the data communication infrastructure in India is of limited supply and expensive. The challenge in communication infrastructure can be attributed to the department of telecommunication and VSNL which have been the sole ISP until recently (Bhattacharya, 2017). The lack of cloud computing infrastructure means that the team of researchers in India will not have access to many of the recent advances in software development. Moreover, the company will have to store most of its data outside the country which make it costlier and complicated.

Technological Standards Although outsourcing to India has an advantage concerning the availability of technically skilled labour at a relatively cheap cost, there are still issues regarding data security and privacy (Nassimbeni, Sartor, & Dus, 2012 ). Business process outsourcing, Indian service providers, and data centres have not adequately complied with data security and privacy measures. Disagreement between courts on the implementation of law creates a big problem for IT companies. For this reason, it is imperative that a secure file sharing system be established in order to ensure that data transferred between both teams is protected. By the use of restricted authorization and encryption the privacy and security of data will be guaranteed. Moreover, with a secure file sharing system the management of file sharing will be centralized which not only ensures data security but also increases operational efficiency.

The file transfer system to be used should provide operational visibility and permission controls like 256-bit AES encryption or 128-bit SSL encryption for enhanced network and data security. The file sharing system will also ensure that the administrator has the full control over who can access, update, and edit files and folders which reduces security vulnerabilities. Setting up points of contact on each side is paramount to make it easier to keep each side updated. The project manager for the team in India should physically go to India once every two weeks to inspect on how things are going on the ground. Moreover, the project manager will be directly responsible for the success or failure of the project which means he/she will be given all the power necessary to ensure the plan works.

Cultural Issues As a manager, it is paramount to consider the inherent cultural differences that exist between Indian and US workforces. The company will not enjoy any benefits from the offshore outsourcing if the cultural barriers are not adequately addressed. Having intercultural sensitivity, intercultural awareness, and intercultural adroitness is paramount if the North Carolina team is to communicate with Indian based developers effectively (Carbaugh, 2013). The project manager should be equipped with the ability to appreciate that cultural differences that exist between the two teams and be able to grasp self-concept neutrality. The project manager and other involved parties should have the ability to master and understand different cultures including their behaviours which are influenced by that particular culture. Both teams should have the belief that both cultures need to be treated with dignity and as a result, cultural norms, ethos, and values for each will be respected.

Moreover, the team in India should be treated as equals to those in North Carolina. Moreover, beneath the impersonal veneer, great emphasis is placed on a reasonable and quality relationship between the manager and the staff (Dunn, Dastoor, & Sims, 2012). The relationship between the project manager will largely dictate the success of the project in India. In Indian culture, there is a traditional idea of benevolent paternalism which brings the belief that the superiors have not only the right to order and give instruction but also the duty to assist and protect (Dunn, Dastoor, & Sims, 2012). The team in North Carolina is more task-oriented and puts less emphasis on the needs of a good relationship between employees, and thus it is not people oriented as such.