日本語
Due to the domestic IT talent shortage and the need to reduce development costs, offshore development, where systems and software are developed overseas, has gained popularity.
However, while the advantages of offshore development are attractive, some may be hesitant to implement it due to concerns about whether communication can be smooth.
This article focuses on the challenges and causes of communication loss in offshore development.
We will also introduce ways to solve these challenges to ensure successful offshore development.
- Interested in offshore development
- Want to know more about communication challenges in offshore development
- Looking for tips to avoid failure in offshore development
If you have such interests, please refer to this article.
Akira Shimazoe
CEO of Solashi Japan LLC. Engaged in the development and operation of internal systems at Suntory. Founded Yper Inc., serving as CTO and CPO, contributing to product launch and growth.
The Biggest Challenge in Offshore Development is Communication
Communication is a major challenge in offshore development.
According to the "Offshore Development White Paper (2023 Edition)" survey of companies that have outsourced offshore development, the top two challenges were "communication skills" and "quality control."
Source: "Offshore Development White Paper (2023 Edition)" │ Offshore Development.com
When asked what is most important to ensure success in offshore development, the overwhelming majority of companies responded with "communication." It is clear that smooth communication is a key factor in the success or failure of system development.
Source: "Offshore Development White Paper (2023 Edition)" │ Offshore Development.com
Offshore development is not something that is completed simply by outsourcing to an overseas development company.
Like domestic development, or even more so, it is necessary to constantly review the product being developed, monitor the progress of development, and respond to any issues that arise.
If there is any communication breakdown at any stage, it is likely to lead to major problems.
Thus, communication remains the biggest challenge in offshore development.
4 Problems Caused by Communication Loss in Offshore Development
Communication loss refers to mistakes or losses in work that occur due to communication breakdowns or deficiencies.
In offshore development, communication loss is more likely to occur due to differences in language, culture, work values, and business practices between Japan and the outsourcing country.
In this section, we will introduce the four major problems caused by communication loss.
Delivery of Products that Do Not Meet Desired Requirements or Quality
One issue in offshore development is the delivery of products that do not meet the desired requirements or quality.
This problem can occur if product requirements are insufficiently defined, or if instructions from the client are incorrectly translated during the process.
Furthermore, if there is not enough review or feedback during development, deviations from the intended direction of development can occur.
It is important to clearly specify quality levels, priorities, and provide concrete examples. In offshore development, more attention to detail is required compared to communication among Japanese peers.
If communication is neglected, the delivered product may differ significantly from what was expected, so caution is necessary.
Development Becomes a Black Box
Communication loss can lead to the development process becoming a black box.
Offshore development is typically conducted remotely, and the client rarely has the opportunity to visit the development site in person.
Additionally, due to time zone differences, real-time communication may be difficult in some countries.
If regular status checks are not conducted, it may become difficult to understand the actual state of development.
Outsourcing development means delegating development tasks to engineers, but without communication, it becomes hard to know "how far the development has progressed" or "the quality status," leading to a situation where the development process becomes a black box.
Schedule Delays
Projects often do not proceed according to the schedule, and deadlines may not be met in offshore development.
In particular, instructions given in Japanese may not be properly conveyed to the development team, or delays may occur in responses to emails and chats, which are common issues in offshore development.
Due to time zone differences and holidays in different countries, changes in specifications or the handling of issues may be delayed, resulting in schedule slippage.
Exceeding the Budget
It is also possible that the project may require more budget than initially planned.
Exceeding the budget may occur in cases such as:
- When the delivered product requires corrections due to differences from the original expectations
- When numerous bugs or errors occur during testing, requiring fixes
Depending on the contract type, additional development work or resources may be required, leading to extra costs.
As a result, the final cost may end up being higher than domestic development.
If the costs were not clearly defined during the project initiation phase, or if budget communications were not sufficiently handled, it can lead to these problems.
In particular, complex system development or projects involving new technologies are more likely to exceed budget.
4 Solutions to Prevent Communication Loss in Offshore Development
Communication loss can lead to the above-mentioned problems, which are significant issues in offshore development.
Therefore, it is important to take the following measures to prevent communication loss:
1. Set Clear Requirements and Quality Standards
The first step in preventing communication loss is to clearly define requirements, quality standards, and goals from the start.
If these are clearly communicated, there will be no confusion about what is being developed.
In offshore development, it is essential to break down requirements and specifications into concrete details.
For example, it may be necessary to attach visual examples or prototypes to the requirements.
Be sure to communicate expectations, deliverables, and schedules clearly, so that all parties are on the same page.
2. Regular Communication with Stakeholders
Regular communication with the offshore development team is crucial to ensure smooth progress and prevent misunderstandings.
Setting up regular meetings such as video calls or online check-ins helps to ensure that progress is monitored, and issues are addressed promptly.
Ensure that stakeholders on both sides have a clear understanding of the project status, including any issues or concerns, to maintain transparency.
3. Implement a Collaborative Development Platform
Using a collaborative development platform can help keep communication flowing and streamline information sharing between teams.
Project management tools such as Jira, Trello, or Slack can be used to track progress, raise issues, and facilitate discussion in real-time.
In addition to these tools, utilizing cloud-based systems for document sharing can ensure that all project stakeholders have access to the most current information.
4. Establish Clear Roles and Responsibilities
Clearly defining roles and responsibilities for each team member ensures that there is no ambiguity in terms of who is responsible for what.
This will also help identify bottlenecks and clarify where misunderstandings may have occurred.
Setting up accountability frameworks helps teams remain aligned and focused on the successful completion of the project.
Conclusion
Communication is critical to the success of offshore development projects. By addressing the causes of communication loss and implementing the solutions outlined above, businesses can ensure smoother collaboration and better results from their offshore development teams.
Offshore development can still offer significant benefits, but only if proper communication channels and strategies are in place to prevent misunderstandings and project delays.
By taking proactive steps, companies can ensure the successful execution of offshore development projects and gain the advantages of reduced costs, access to skilled talent, and faster time-to-market.
In any case, if project management is not thorough, the organization and team will not function well. This is because the overall progress of the project, including resource allocation, progress, and task management, becomes difficult.
To establish a project management system, effective communication management that involves appropriate information management is necessary.
If rules and methods for information disclosure and sharing are not defined, communication across the development team will become ineffective.
5 Ways to Solve Communication Loss in Offshore Development
Here are methods to solve communication loss in offshore development.
Communication issues are inseparable from offshore development, but with countermeasures, the risk of occurrence can be reduced.
Here are five specific solutions.
Choose a Development Company that Can Assign Excellent Japanese PMs
PM stands for Project Manager, an important position responsible for bridging the client and development sides and overseeing the local development team.
Smooth communication with engineers on the development side will determine the success of the project.
However, the ratio of engineers who can handle Japanese is much lower compared to those who can handle English, and it remains difficult for many development companies to provide Japanese support.
According to the "Offshore Development White Paper" (2023 edition), the percentage of engineers who can fully support in Japanese is 11.1%, while the percentage who can fully support in English is 27.8%.
Source: "Offshore Development White Paper" (2023 edition) │ Offshore Development.com
If you choose a development company that can assign an excellent Japanese PM, accurate transmission of development requirements, proper progress management, and swift response to issues will be possible.
As a result, problems such as quality degradation or schedule delays due to communication loss are less likely to occur.
At the Vietnamese offshore development company "Solashi Co., Ltd", we can assign excellent Japanese PMs. With project managers experienced in business startups, you can proceed with development according to your requirements while ensuring smooth communication.
Additionally, the direction of development engineers and QA engineers is all handled internally at Solashi. If you're interested in offshore development, please feel free to reach out.
Japanese PMs Handle Communication
Looking for an Offshore Development Company
For such individuals, we recommend Solashi’s Vietnam offshore development
Prepare Accurate and Clear Requirement Specifications
Requirement specifications are documents that clearly describe the requirements and conditions necessary for the system or software to be developed.
Before starting development, make sure to clarify the following items and describe them clearly in the requirement specification document:
Items to be included in the requirement specification document:
- Functions, characteristics, and features that the web service or app to be developed should have
- Current challenges
- Release objectives and goals
- Development structure
- Development schedule and budget, etc.
By completing the requirement specification document through discussion between the client and the contractor to avoid misunderstandings, the project will proceed smoothly.
Documents that clearly specify designs, screen transitions, and examples of products or systems you want to reference can also help prevent misunderstandings in specifications.
Choose a Country with a Small Time Difference
When selecting a development country, choosing one with a small time difference makes it easier to communicate in real-time.
It will be easier to handle emergency responses and hold regular meetings, so make sure to consider time difference along with cost and talent when selecting a development country.
The time difference with major development countries is as follows:
| China | Vietnam | Myanmar | Bangladesh | India |
| 1 hour | 2 hours | 2.5 hours | 3 hours | 3.5 hours |
Especially Vietnam is popular as an outsourcing destination due to its 2-hour time difference, being a pro-Japanese country, and its low development costs.
According to the "Offshore Development White Paper (2023 edition)", many companies considering offshore development first consider Vietnam.
*64% of companies did not specify a country.
Source: "Offshore Development White Paper (2023 edition)" │ Offshore Development.com
Vietnam has been actively developing IT talent nationwide, and more companies are now able to handle advanced projects such as AI, blockchain technologies, and core systems, which were previously difficult to manage.
For more information, please check "8 Reasons Why Vietnam is the Best Choice for Offshore Development and How to Choose a Good Company."
In any case, countries with smaller time differences make it easier to collaborate. This ensures faster responses to emergencies.
Communicate with Translation in Mind
Documents and instructions created in Japan should be written clearly and concisely, keeping in mind that they will be translated.
Expressions like double negatives or vague wording in Japanese can be difficult to understand and may cause confusion.
Examples of double negatives:
- Not impossible
- Not unrelated
Examples of vague expressions:
- Normally
- Feels good
- Do something about it
Also, some Japanese-English terms may not be understood by engineers or PMs in the offshore country. Avoid using these terms:
Examples of Japanese-English terms:
- Cost performance (コスパ)
- System integrator (SIer)
- Device (デバイス)
- Computer (コンピュータ)
- Survey (アンケート)
Respectful language, often used in Japanese, can be difficult to translate. For clearer communication, try being more direct and less ambiguous, even if it might sound a little harsh in Japanese.
Maintain Frequent Communication
Frequent communication with the development team helps prevent communication losses.
In addition to using chat tools for daily communication, regularly hold online meetings using web conferencing tools such as Zoom or Google Meet.
At "Solashi Co., Ltd", a company based in Vietnam, we offer flexible communication tools that can be chosen based on your requirements and environment.
Using tools like Slack or Microsoft Teams, you can communicate with your team without adding extra workload, ensuring efficient and frequent communication.
Communication tools available at Solashi:
Source: Extracted from our company's "Company Overview - Web Version".
If you want to proceed with offshore development with smooth communication, please feel free to contact us.
For Smooth Offshore Development, Solashi is the Best Choice
Communication is one of the biggest challenges in offshore development.
Language barriers and differences in work values can lead to issues with quality and deadlines.
If you want to proceed with offshore development with smooth communication, choose a development company with strong Japanese communication capabilities.
"Solashi Co., Ltd" has been actively supporting system development for Japanese clients since its establishment.
Our team includes skilled Japanese PMs and BrSEs who can handle multiple languages, including Japanese. All communication, from the initial consultation to delivery, can be done in Japanese.
We also believe in working together with our clients to continuously improve their systems and services.
At the start of development, we make sure to fully understand the client's goals. During the team building process, we emphasize sharing those goals, ensuring that everyone involved in the project has a clear understanding.
If you're interested in system development with a focus on communication, feel free to contact us.
Akira Shimazoe
Representative of Solashi Japan LLC. Born in April 1989 in Fukuoka Prefecture. Graduated from the Graduate School of Information and Mathematical Sciences at Osaka Prefecture University. Joined Suntory System Technology Co., Ltd., an IT subsidiary of Suntory Holdings, in 2014. Broadly responsible for the development, operation, and implementation of vending machine delivery management, efficiency improvements, and sales management systems. Founded Yper Inc. in 2017, serving as CTO and CPO. Contributed to the launch and growth of the app-linked delivery bag "OKIPPA." Selected for Toyo Keizai's prestigious "Amazing Venture 100" and Forbes' "Forbes 30 Under 30 Asia 2019."
