A team can help share the burden of a large-scale project. You can work with them remotely on product development in a similar way you would work with an in-house team. The change in setting leads to a few complications but those can be addressed through strong communication and clear instructions.
Welcoming a Team to an Existing Project
It often happens that a company has already started with the product development but midway they realize they need more experts on the job. They can bring in a team of dedicated software developers to either scale up the solution or create full-fledged software from an MVP. Working with a remote team is a great way for a business to improve its product and create a successful solution for all users. We have outlined the steps you need to take to ensure the onboarding process is a smooth transition.
Have Defined Outlines
When you are moving towards product development with a remote team then the first step should be a thorough discussion about the product. You need to define what you expect from the result and state your goals for the project. It is important to make sure all developers, designers, and quality assurance experts are on the same page to prevent any mishaps later on.
During your initial meetings and discussions make sure you have clearly defined the scope and business objectives as well. You can tell them the requirements and seek their advice on how to go about it. Laying it all out on the table will be better for both parties and getting it in writing will give them something to refer to. Provide them with a roadmap and let them know which phase of development you are at, so they know what needs to be done.
Transfer All Data
When you are joining hands with a development team, you have to completely trust them with all the previous data. You should transfer all knowledge during onboarding so product development continues as it should. Assign people on the in-house and remote team to handle the transfer. This could be the CTO, project manager, or scrum master, anyone you trust to make sure the data gets to the relevant individuals.
The data includes all research, prototypes, MVP, and other files related to the project. You have to be straightforward with them and share all the work you have done or attempted to do on the product so far. You can also provide guidelines on the workflow, software development, techniques, tools, and other processes so the work they do is on the target. There are technical documents for QA sessions and demonstrations they will need at some point as well.
Continuing the Project
The first two steps are handled during the initial weeks of the handover and once the product development begins, you will be working on it together. After the expectations and technical details have been decided, they can start working on the project.
