Close Collaboration and Communication Can Overcome the Challenges of Distributed Teams

Published on: September 09, 2022
Last updated: December 08, 2022 Read in fullscreen view

Recommended for you

07 Jul 2024 Top Fintech Companies in Vietnam Driving Innovation Across Digital Banking & Investment 57/133
10 Apr 2022 Agile self-organizing teams: What are they? How do they work? 51/535
21 May 2022 "Fail Fast, Fail Often, Fail Forward" is the answer to Agile practices of software success 34/1028
08 Oct 2024 Vietnam: The Rising Star in Global Outsourcing – Trends and Costs for 2025 32/370
27 Oct 2020 8 principles of Agile Testing 31/1309
01 Sep 2022 Facts Chart: Why Do Software Projects Fail? 29/596
12 May 2021 The Real Cost Between Outsourcing IT vs In-House: A Quick Comparison 27/454
21 Aug 2025 Top 30 Oldest IT Outsourcing Companies in Vietnam 26/126
11 Mar 2024 Why You Should Hire Odoo Developers from Vietnam to Customize Your ERP System 25/126
24 Nov 2025 Top Blockchain Companies in Vietnam 24/65
05 Aug 2025 Why Doesn’t South Korea Outsource Its IT Projects Like Other Developed Countries? 23/111
02 Feb 2026 What Is the Total Cost of Web Development for Small & Medium Businesses? 23/39
03 Oct 2020 Outsourcing Your MVP Development - Streamlined Solutions for future 23/440
12 Oct 2020 The Agile Manifesto - Principle #8 20/496
22 Mar 2022 8 Mistakes Marketing Agencies or Consulting Firms Make When Outsourcing Web Development 20/358
24 Nov 2021 What is the Actual Cost of Hiring Cheap Developers? 19/392
03 Dec 2025 IT Outsourcing Solutions Explained: What, How, Why, When 19/41
03 Dec 2025 IT Outsourcing Solutions Explained: What, How, Why, When 19/41
04 Apr 2024 Unlock Vietnamese-Japanese outsourcing potential 18/244
03 Jul 2022 Manifesto for Agile Software Development 18/276
16 Apr 2021 Insightful Business Technology Consulting at TIGO 18/412
21 Oct 2021 Advantages and Disadvantages of IT Outsourcing 17/357
15 Oct 2022 Project-based team model for one-off and pilot software development projects 16/806
10 May 2021 Project Audit and Second Opinion Services 16/258
11 Mar 2023 Common Pain Points in Software Development Outsourcing 16/260
31 Oct 2025 The True ROI of Software Development Outsourcing for Tech Startups 16/88
25 Sep 2025 A Practical Guide to Secure Online Work for Outsourced Teams 15/90
05 Jan 2022 What Outsourcing Engagement Model is Right For You? 15/322
15 Aug 2021 TIGO Rate Formula - Things the partners should know 15/491
14 Dec 2021 The Top 10 Problems with Outsourcing Implementation and How to Solve Them 15/406
08 Nov 2022 4 tips for meeting tough deadlines when outsourcing projects to software vendor 14/291
07 Aug 2022 Things to Consider When Choosing a Technology Partner 14/283
09 Jan 2021 How can outsourcing enable business agility? 14/202
01 Sep 2019 Outsourcing Software To Vietnam: Facts, benefits and limitations 14/453
07 Nov 2024 Outsourcing Crisis Looming: Will Trump's Policies Transform the Global IT Landscape? 14/176
10 Jul 2025 Building AI-Driven Knowledge Graphs from Unstructured Data 14/163
16 Oct 2024 Building a Software Outsourcing Startup: Strategy Through Two Canvases 13/38
12 Jan 2023 Top 10 Trustworthy IT Outsourcing Companies in Vietnam 13/285
16 Dec 2021 Why outsource Python development of your project? 13/474
07 Jul 2021 The 5 Levels of IT Help Desk Support 13/448
19 Mar 2021 Selective Outsourcing of IT Functions - a new trend in business outsourcing 13/541
10 Apr 2021 RFP vs POC: Why the proof of concept is replacing the request for proposal 12/322
02 May 2021 Outsourcing Software Development: Avoid 8 Mistakes 12/111
01 Mar 2022 Top 5 reasons why outsourcing to Vietnam is a smart move 12/285
06 Oct 2021 Intellectual property issues with outsourcing software development 12/389
01 Mar 2022 Why Does Scrum Fail in Large Companies? 12/266
01 Jan 2023 4 New IT Outsourcing Pricing Models to consider in 2023 11/362
16 Feb 2021 Choose Outsourcing for Your Non Disclosure Agreement (NDA) 11/173
06 Mar 2021 4 things you need to do before getting an accurate quote for your software development 11/679
07 Oct 2020 How To Manage Expectations at Work (and Why It's Important) 11/306
09 Oct 2022 Key Advantages and Disadvantages of Agile Methodology 11/697
10 May 2021 What are things you should look for in a good IT outsourcing company? 11/431
03 Nov 2022 Top questions and answers you must know before ask for software outsourcing 11/292
03 Nov 2022 Top questions and answers you must know before ask for software outsourcing 11/292
01 Jan 2024 Tech Partnerships: Choosing the Right Software Outsourcing Firm in Vietnam 11/181
03 Nov 2021 7 phases of Odoo Implementation and Development: Can they be outsourced? 11/406
01 Jan 2024 Software Outsourcing Questions for 2024 11/157
01 Jan 2024 12 reasons for software development outsourcing 10/175
06 Feb 2026 How Much Does a CPA Cost for a Small Business? 10/16
03 Jan 2023 IT Outsourcing Costs: Is outsourcing really cost-effective? 10/210
01 Jan 2023 Software Development Outsourcing Trends to Watch Out for in 2023 9/321
08 Feb 2022 Software Development: Fixed Cost or Opportunity Cost? 9/468
20 Nov 2022 Agile working method in software and football 9/344
01 Dec 2022 Difference between Set-based development and Point-based development 9/347
21 Oct 2022 Outsourcing Billable Rate 9/270
16 Feb 2026 Education App Development Cost in 2026: Benchmarks and Key Cost Drivers 8/14
09 Jan 2022 How to Bridge the Gap Between Business and IT? 8/178
02 Nov 2022 Frequently Asked Questions about Agile and Scrum 8/399
09 Mar 2022 Consultant Implementation Pricing 8/213
16 Jul 2022 What are disadvantages of Agile Methodology? How to mitigate the disadvantages ? 8/377
02 Mar 2021 Estimate the Cost of Software Development 8/336
04 Jan 2021 VIETNAM AS A BIG ATTRACTIVE DESTINATION IN THE FIELD OF OUTSOURCING 8/311
13 Jan 2023 What are the Hourly Rates in Offshore Software Development? 8/242
08 Aug 2021 Why Nearshore Software Development is better than In-House Development? 8/199
16 Mar 2021 Outsource Data Engineering Services - TIGO Streamlined Solutions 8/251
13 Oct 2021 Why Outsourcing Software Development Services Is Gaining Traction With Non-Technical Leaders? 8/310
21 Oct 2022 Virtual meeting - How does TIGO save cost, reduce complexity and improve quality by remote communication? 8/191
01 Jan 2023 Top 5 IT outsourcing countries in 2023 7/272
01 Jun 2022 How Your Agile Development Team is Just Like a Football Team? 7/224
01 Mar 2023 How do you deal with disputes and conflicts that may arise during a software consulting project? 7/165
01 Jun 2025 10 Sustainable & Unique IT Outsourcing Companies in Vietnam 6/79
10 Jan 2024 Facts Chart: Reasons for outsourcing 6/152
21 Aug 2022 Forbes: IT Outsourcing Hotspot: Vietnam, A Small But Mighty Powerhouse 6/257
10 Mar 2021 The 7 Biggest Mistakes to Avoid Before Outsourcing a Web Development Project 6/237
09 Feb 2023 The Challenge of Fixed-Bid Software Projects 6/214
15 Nov 2023 IT Staff Augmentation Types and the Best Choice for Your Business 6/190
19 Oct 2020 The hidden costs of outsourcing software development 6/449
28 Oct 2022 Expect the unexpected in 2023 - How Outsourcing Can Help? 6/199
17 Oct 2020 How Outsourcing can Improve Time Management for Better Business 6/270
12 Oct 2021 Vietnam outsourcing path - the silk road connecting ASEAN with the developed countries (EU, US, Japan...) 6/302
10 Oct 2022 Should Your Business Go Agile? (Infographic) 6/128
25 Nov 2021 Low-Cost Software Development: Buy Nice or Buy Twice? 6/338
07 Oct 2022 Digital Transformation: Become a Technology Powerhouse 6/244
02 Nov 2023 What are the pros and cons of iIT outsourcing? 5/189
01 Jan 2023 Top Software Development Challenges in 2023 5/298
01 May 2023 Streamline Your Business with Outsourcing 5/193
20 Nov 2022 Software Requirements Are A Communication Problem 5/244
01 Apr 2021 IT Outsourcing to vietnam: Why It Is A Good Choice? 5/292
01 Jan 2023 Why is Vietnam the Top IT Outsourcing Destination of 2023? 5/234
01 Oct 2022 Vietnam is a favorite supply of IT outsourcing services to Japan 5/234
30 Oct 2022 How Much Does MVP Development Cost in 2023? 5/240
28 Nov 2023 Scrum Team Failure — Scrum Anti-Patterns Taxonomy 5/253
17 Jan 2024 What are the benefits and challenges of using multi-sourcing or single-sourcing strategies? 5/187
01 Jan 2024 Hiring Tech Talents in Asia: An Overview of Skills, Costs, and Potential 5/162
01 May 2023 CTO Interview Questions 5/329
01 Feb 2023 [InfoWorld] Is your outsourcer agile enough? 4/193
01 Jan 2024 What The World Is Flat Means to IT Outsourcing 4/166
08 Jan 2024 Outsourcing on an As-Needed Basis 4/158
17 Mar 2025 IT Consultants in Digital Transformation 3/84
31 Dec 2021 Outsourcing Software Development to mitigate the impact of COVID-19 2/320

By Priya Patra, PMP

Outsourcing and Agile? No Problem.

I am an agile evangelist. I believe that by focusing on individuals over processes, agile approaches help to deliver more value to the customer. But some insist agile is a bad fit in an outsourcing environment, where multiple teams from different organizations work together—often in different time zones. According to VersionOne's 11th Annual State of Agile Report, released this year, 51 percent of respondents who outsource software development projects use agile practices for them.

For the others, agile can also work well in outsourced projects—I've seen it up close. Here's how.

Agile approaches can help team members collaborate to deliver value in regular increments.

I was tasked with managing a 25-member team, spread across North America, Europe and Asia, working on an offshored project to build an account receivables platform. Three organizations were involved: the large multinational company that outsourced the project; the service provider handling design, code construction, testing and deployment; and the quality assurance (QA) contractor hired by the provider. And of course, testing involved end users—payment collectors and data entry operators, for example.

The Partnership

Partnerships can be built online, but traveling to the customer's location strengthens the customer-provider relationship. As the development service provider, we traveled to the customer's location to learn about the client's business philosophy, company culture and goals. That helped us to view the project as more than just a task. The same held true for the QA service provider: We placed one test analyst on-site with the customer for two weeks to see the platform in use and understand the end user's pain areas.

But most of the time the team was spread across continents. Given that face-to-face communication is one of agile's core values, we obliged stakeholders to be available for collaboration at least 30 minutes per day (we used scrum), via phone and videoconference calls and instant messaging. A product owner representative was embedded within the development and QA teams to facilitate delivery, and we conducted sprint retrospectives on videoconferences to keep everyone on the same page.

The entire team evolved from a “throw over the wall” mentality to a constant monitoring and guidance approach. Trust and transparency were essential. To ensure there was continuous, parallel and independent verification, we completed on-site visits to the service provider's location.

The Payoff

After two months and four sprints, we launched our first minimum viable product 10 percent under budget; end users were satisfied. One year later, the team is implementing the platform in four of the customer's lines of business.

With outsourced (and especially offshored) projects, the biggest challenge is getting all parties focused on a single goal. Agile approaches can help team members collaborate to deliver value in regular increments. But everyone must commit to the approach from day one.

Patra, P. (2017). Outsourcing and Agile? No Problem: Close Collaboration and Communication Can Overcome the Challenges of Distributed Teams. PM Network, 31(6), 24.

A A A A

[{"displaySettingInfo":"[{\"isFullLayout\":false,\"layoutWidthRatio\":\"\"}]"},{"articleSourceInfo":"[{\"sourceName\":\"\",\"sourceValue\":\"\"}]"},{"privacyInfo":"[{\"isOutsideVietnam\":false}]"},{"tocInfo":"[{\"isAutoNumbering\":false,\"isShowKeyHeadingWithIcon\":false}]"}]

Via

{content}