PROS & CONS OF DISTRIBUTED TEAMS

It takes a lot of effort to think about, develop, and maintain an IT project. Even small-scale projects may require teams that have a range of roles. This requires synchronization, load balance and everything we consider proper management.

Agile distributed software development management is a way to work with professionals from all over the world without being tied to any specific time zone or location.

Let’s look at what remote engineering teams can do for a project. What are the benefits? And what challenges might a distributed team face?

Teams: Traditional vs. Remote vs. Distributed

When at least two people work together to accomplish a goal, it is considered a team. You’re just one man army, otherwise.

No matter what structure you choose, it comes down to mutual trust and consistent communication, personal and business. Although remote management may seem more difficult, the benefits of remote employees are well worth it.

Traditional teams are usually defined as a group that regularly visits a physical space and communicates face-to-face with each other. They also manage workflows on-site.

Remote development teams maintain the spirit of collaboration and willingness to work together in order to achieve business goals. The key difference is that remote developers may not meet in person and may not have any real-world offices.

Remote workers are free to work from anywhere they choose. You can work remotely from your home, a coworking space or a cafe in the local area, provided you do not neglect your direct responsibilities.

When talking about remote work, a distributed team falls under the umbrella of remote software development teams. However, distributed teams have some unique differences. Let’s take a closer look to clarify the issue.

No matter how many people are located, a distributed team of developers can work together as one unit to manage a single project. To avoid feeling isolated and to manage remote staff, the majority of distributed teams use a common communication tool.

Contrary to popular belief, if an employer has his core software development team working 9-to-5 in the office, with a few freelancers from other worlds, these freelancers cannot be considered part of the distributed team. They are just remote workers who live on the fringes.

Let’s suppose that our extraterrestrial freelancers make up more than half of the team. The management will still meet face-to-face to assign tasks. Perhaps such a team could be considered partially distributed. It depends.

However, the purpose behind forming distributed teams is to place all members in a situation where they don’t feel alienated. This is the core principle behind distributed agile development.

You can find more information at Checklist: How do you choose the best Outsourcing Company to handle your IT Project

The benefits of a distributed workforce

Modern distributed agile development practices reflect globalization and bring together international cooperation.

Accessibility improvements

Although geographical boundaries are not a constraint, distributed teams allow for greater access to skilled professionals all over the globe. You can still contribute fully to the project, regardless of where you are located.

Modern communication tools and time management can be used to negate differences in time zones, without affecting the ability to complete the tasks. If you are interested in hiring a distributed development team, don’t hesitate to do so.

Lower expenses

Although the internet has made the world smaller and more accessible, it is still huge. Distributed agile development has the advantage of allowing you to hire developers from countries with lower living costs and thus paying lower service fees. As a last resort, you can forget about your rent, office supplies, or utilities.

Also read Outsourcing vs. In-house: What Real Cost Savings

Creativity & Initiative Boosted

A more vibrant environment is created by the diversity of cultures, worldviews, and other small details. Human nature is to seek out variety and multiplicity.

Furthermore, the ResearchGate experiment suggests that remote team productivity could increase by up to 13%. Remote software development teams offer significant perceptual and emotional benefits.

Employee satisfaction and retention are increased

It is easy to overlook the feeling of being part of something larger than your local office. Contributing to an international project can be a great emotional boost and increase employee satisfaction.

This increases the willingness to remain with the team and the company. This creates stronger personal bonds and a more open and relaxed environment. It also increases confidence in future work activities.

Never-ending workflow

Slowly, strict regulations are disappearing from the workplace. Not least in IT. Employers and potential clients expect the job to be performed to a high standard. They don’t care about your work routine.

The variety of time zones, biorhythms and personalities may prove to be a win in terms of setting up 24/7 maintenance and having a few mates on the team.

Distributed development teams: Challenges to be aware of

Poor communication

It is obvious that managing a remote team of developers requires strong and sustained communication beyond stable internet connections and Google Meets. Remote team productivity is built on synchronization and a clear, convenient schedule.

Poor communication and constant miscommunications can lead to bottlenecks even in highly skilled remote development teams. This could affect the final outcome as well as deadlines.

The greater responsibility rests on the shoulders of distributed team managers. If you ensure that your remote engineering team members understand their roles properly, then everyone will feel equal and everything will be fine.

Vilmate knows that communication is the foundation for any type of productive collaboration. Vilmate doesn’t just discuss remote development, but makes best practices a daily part of our day.

Learn about our core principles for communication: Four ways to build an effective and happy team

Quality of work has declined

It’s a common myth that outsourced workers and freelancers are less skilled than full-time employees. Although there may be instances of poor distributed software development, they shouldn’t be considered a negative.

When assembling a distributed team of developers, it is essential to ensure that each member has the necessary soft skills and technical knowledge. Management of remote teams requires being responsive and attentive, as we have already mentioned.

Each case is unique and requires individual attention. Properly adjusted workflow protocols will ensure the best outcome and allow you to fully utilize the remote team benefits. Don’t delay in hiring a distributed team of developers.

It may be interesting to you: Five Reasons Why You Should Outsource Web Development to Ukraine

Vilmate’s experience with distributed agile development

It’s a great idea to examine real-life examples of agile team building to support your statements.

Let’s take a look at Vilmate’s participation in a project that is a great example of distributed development best practices.

GetCompliant Case

Vilmate began the journey with GetCompliant initially by providing 2 software engineers. They were basically the remote peripheral employees I mentioned earlier.

As the project progressed, and the team was satisfied with its performance, they requested that the staff be expanded. The team now includes 2 web developers and 3 mobile developers, 1QA engineer and 1 project manager. They operate from various parts of Ukraine and other European nations.

This team, with its diverse geographical locations, can be said to be distributed but fully operational. Our remote team productivity is something to be proud of, from development through delivery and management.

Vilmate was able to overcome technological hurdles and add features that prove this.

More details can be found in the case study section: The leading Scandinavian compliance provider

The CEO of GetCompliant also gave solid evidence:

We have been blessed to meet a great technical team and a great partner. Vilmate and I have worked together for many years. They are “our team”, not Vilmate’s, and that is something I love!

Finalize

Remote team management and remote work are becoming as common as visiting offices. Recent events, such as the pandemic and evolution of communication channels, have made distributed software development more popular than ever.