Three Tips for Achieving Offshore Success in 2021

SMC Squared’s Client Director Jessica Parker provides insight on how to create a solid foundation for success when optimizing your offshore team.

Jessica ParkerOne of the fun parts of my role is that it comes with few preconceived notions of what it should be.

As Client Director for SMC Squared, I work to ensure that global enablement is successful for our clients who are implementing digital Global Insourcing Centers (GICs) and manage the GIC Project Management Office (PMO).

See what I mean? Reading that, the average person isn’t going to have any idea what I do.

Let’s focus on the GIC PMO: I help clients build their GIC, build their team, and ensure quality in all aspects.  Based on my experience, here are three key considerations every CIO should keep in mind as you look to building a successful offshore team.

Start with a Strategic Assessment

In order to build a Global Insourcing Center, there is a lot of work that has to happen up front. Partnering with the client, I follow our standard process which includes our Strategic Assessment Model (SAM).

The SAM identifies current best practices, KPIs, tools, development methodologies, management practices, and processes. The SAM document will contain joint learnings and recommendations to enhance operational efficiency for the client in the GIC.

By understanding the organization, business, and team needs and culture, we are able to build a framework for success, which becomes the foundation for the GIC. This is where the client and I really get to know each other and build a strong collaborative working relationship.

One Team, One Goal

With the framework in place, it’s time to build a team. This is not just any old team but one global team, that is, regardless of geographic location all team members are part of a single team with a common set of goals. New team members are recruited specifically for a client’s needs ensuring long term growth and success. Most often, I am working with the client to build teams in multiple areas (for example, mobile application development, data engineering) and each team has different norms and needs.

I work closely with the client managers and our GIC leaders to make sure we all have the same understanding of the roles and skills needed for the team. I work with local client team members to help them understand what makes our GIC model different from the old “outsourcing” models they might be used to. I also ensure we have solid onboarding resources for each team that can be used for onboarding team members in all geographic locations (local or global).

Measure and Communicate Success

So we have a GIC and we have one team. Now what? We need to ensure quality in all aspects, which includes regular communications, reporting, measurements, and metrics.

On a regular basis, client managers, GIC leaders, and I will have check-in calls to make sure we know what’s working, what’s not working, and what we should do differently going forward with a focus on team culture and operations. Status reports contain measurements and metrics that show success and help inform process improvement opportunities.

So what do I do as a Client Director? I’m the local partner driving successful global execution.

Building a global team can be challenging, but it doesn’t have to be. When you identify the right partner you can trust to extend your company culture and initiatives offshore you can achieve success.

Read more about how SMC Squared partners with clients to save an average of 42% on IT talent as they turn to our innovative Global Insourcing Centers. Want to go inside a GIC? Click here.

For more information contact:
Trent Michaels
Director, Business Development
trent.michaels@smc2.com

 

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