IT UKRAINE

IT UKRAINE FROM A TO Z
PART 2: THE UKRAINIAN IT OUTSOURCING INDUSTRY
Another potential issue from the client side is that they may be reluctant to share the business background,
i.e. they provide the specifications and technical details but don’t bother to explain the sense of the project.
In such cases the vendor has to navigate while seeing only part of the picture. This tends to increase
misunderstandings and limit the vendor’s ability to come up with recommendations for process and project
improvements.
– How should vendors build relationships with clients to address these issues?
We realize that the main fear people have when they go offshore or nearshore is being deceived in their
expectations. So we keep the process transparent from the very beginning. This means no sales tricks or
mechanical responses, but rather a fair partnership with complete integrity, crystal-clear communication and
pro-active thinking beyond the formal requirements. The right vendor should dive into the problem and treat
the task as if it was their own baby!
Trust is a key aspect. In some cases, good reputation and word-of-mouth can create favorable conditions.
For example, an initial positive impression was created when we were introduced to a major client by an
independent IT consultant whom the client regarded with great respect. But in most cases trust does not
emerge immediately; hard work is required to make this happen. We seek to achieve a level of partnership
where the customer feels free to share their “pains and hopes” – what their business suffers from and what
success picture they imagine. We aim to become part of the customer’s team, thinking together and
improving the business together.
– What are the keys for successful overseas outsourcing?
Proper communication at all levels is paramount. Many project teams today are decentralized across
different locations, time zones and cultural settings. It’s very important to provide each other with reliable
information on progress, priorities, challenges and solutions – and to maintain a clear understanding of the
strategy. Fortunately, there are very minor cultural differences between IT people in Ukraine and the US and
Western Europe. We put significant effort into perfecting communication skills among our teams to ensure
clear, consistent and professional practices. We encourage our team members to share their opinions and
have open discussions of the project in front of others, to speak up and challenge things that they don’t
agree with. At the management level, we make sure there is constant communication with the customer’s
management to obtain feedback, learn expectations and identify any room for improvement on either side.
Another success factor would be proper technical expertise and understanding of the customer’s business.
Yet perhaps even more important is the ability to seamlessly integrate the on-site and offshore teams. I am
not talking about technical means (once these have been established), but about process, work ethic and
true involvement.
Last but not least, methodology can be highly productive only when motivation is in place. This is our forte –
and probably one of our “secret ingredients.”
– Many vendors provide on-site representatives to provide better coordination, which is quite costly
for the clients. Is this a good idea?
This is indeed recommended, but not all the time. In the inception phase, our business analysts, project
managers and development managers work on-site with the customer’s team and stakeholders to grasp the
initial scope and priorities and provide fast turnaround in project planning and staffing. But in later phases
we usually continue off-site. We come on-site again for milestone acceptance, further release planning and
to improve teams’ cohesion.
That said, working only via on-site representatives might be a symptom of significant gaps in culture,
processes and communication between the vendor and the customer.
Mr. Nikolayev can be reached at ask@nixsolutions.com
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