1. Offshore vs. Outsource Offshore – overseas
India
Far East
Eastern Europe
UK?
Outsource - different company
Offshore Testing
November 20, 2018

2. Why Go Offshore? Cost Time Expertise Location November 20, 2018
Many companies go offshore for their test resources
Cost is a major factor.
India is the usual place when we think “offshore”. Companies are now considering Eastern Europe – Poland is often mentioned – especially with the expansion of the EU.
Time both amount of work and ability to work round multiple time zones. Can you get your testing done in Manila or Bangalore whilst the developers sleep in London or NY
Expertise – there may be knowledge of a product. I’ve effectively been part of an “outsourced” team where the developers were in Europe and the Far East but the testing came to the UK because we knew the product. Does offshore just have to be to India? Can a UK test manager for a multinational company, make a case for offshoring the testing to their team?
Location – if your company is moving development offshore, should you also move your testing? Do you want developers and testers located together?
Offshore Testing
November 20, 2018

3. Setting Up The Team Decide what you want Communication Team Leader
November 20, 2018
Setting Up The Team
Decide what you want
Communication
Team Leader
Training
Recruit the team leader. Important that you are involved but doesn’t always work this way.
If you can’t get a team leader then identify somebody early on and train them up. This person must be able to speak excellent English. Written is often less important. (Although you still need it.)
Offshore Testing
November 20, 2018

4. Managing The Team Constant communication Train your team leaders
November 20, 2018
Managing The Team
Constant communication
Train your team leaders
Career structure
Cultural differences
Is managing the offshore team any different to managing a local team?
Still need the same people skills?
Essential to have a team leader who speaks excellent English.
Use IM, regular tele conferences or video conferences
Get people over for training in your systems and processes
Train a trainer
People in India expect to be team leader within 2 years. Can’t all be team leaders. Provide other routes if you want to retain staff – tech specialists, tool specialist.
Expect high turnover.
Reports are that people who have already worked in Europe/US and gone back to India will stay longer.
Cultural differences. Be aware of differences in willingness to challenge developers, willingness to ask questions, especially if they don’t understand (whether this is the language or system).
Offshore Testing
November 20, 2018

5. Working Together What about multi-located teams?
November 20, 2018
Working Together
What about multi-located teams?
Developer in UK – Tester offshore
Training new testers
Pair programming – two programmers
Multi-located teams may be harder to work with. You’ve lost the advantage of a close interaction between the tester and developer. However, Instant messenger and similar allow the two to work together. Same for teams with developers and testers located in different countries, especially if there may be language differences. The written test combined with the requirement can make it easier for the two to work together and can help in training.
If you use pair programming then the “tester” will be a developer. They will be happier retaining their early involvement and thinking about how they would write the code. It’s a discussion point whether this is good or bad.
Offshore Testing
November 20, 2018

6. November 20, 2018
Offshore to UK
In a global company can we sell our team as the “offshore team”?
We can’t compete on cost but what about expertise?
US parent company – test in UK? Why not.
Expertise, excellent English, good time zones
Experience of working as an offshore tester.
Offshore Testing
November 20, 2018