Know All About Offshoring, Onshoring & Nearshoring Outsourcing Models

The ‘Why’ of expanding your software operations is obvious. 

But the how – brings about too many questions and doubts?

Software firm heads often look for viable options to expand their software team and hire qualified individuals. 

Coders that would contribute. Project managers that’d help scale and progress.

But often, the tech heads and business heads are confused over 

the viability of talent vs cost; 

of requirement vs reliability; 

of remote vs in-house.

Finding strategies to scale while remaining as efficient and productive as possible is, thus, one of the most difficult challenges businesses face today.

Many CEOs believe that forming an internal team would be too costly. It implies that businesses of all sizes must save more while also achieving more, which in fact is what Outsourcing or a Dedicated Remote team allows them to do. 

Outsourcing is preferable to hiring and managing an in-house staff, particularly in the software industry.

Around 45 percent of companies who outsource IT operations indicate they wish to save money on their outsourcing projects. And 46% think Outsourcing allows them to obtain skills that aren’t available in-house.

Outsourcing, on the other hand, is not about saving money. Outsourcing entails much more than simply delegating a task to someone with relevant competence. Offshoring, Onshoring, and Nearshoring are all options for outsourcing a project. 

While the three most common outsourcing models are similar in some aspects, they differ in others.

This blog covers everything you need to know about the different types of outsourcing models, with pros and cons before going ahead with it.

What is Onshore Outsourcing?

Onshore Outsourcing transfers a task or job to a third party based in the same country as yours. In this case, you can schedule weekly or monthly face-to-face meetings to discuss project management needs, work status, and other specifics.

• Ease of work
• Convenience of access

A generic example of onshoring might be when a New York-based company hires workers at a West Virginia manufacturing plant to make parts for its machines.

On the other hand, onshoring is ideal for anyone who wants daily progress updates and frequent face-to-face meetings to ensure that their task is done exactly how they want it. Virtual assistant outsourcing the choice is prevalent among businesses that don’t want to operate globally but don’t yet have the in-house expertise to run their software development department.

Pros of Onshore Outsourcing

• High-quality workforce (with a good vendor)
• Constant access for meetings and calls
• Work in a similar time zone with immediate response to emails and meetings
• No cultural differences, that is, no delays in work
• No language barriers & the communication process is Quick

Cons of Onshore Outsourcing

• The most expensive of options
• Choosing from a much smaller pool of talent 

What is Offshore Outsourcing?

Offshore Outsourcing involves hiring a company from a distant country to perform a particular business function – codebase maintenance, feature addition, or product dev. 

In case the outsourced agency is a subsidiary, which is a branched version of your business. It is commonly known as in-house offshoring.

Generic example – a US company that ships its production to a factory in India. Another example would be a Canadian company that uses call centers in Australia to handle customer service requests.

Offshoring is a valuable solution for companies that do not constantly transmit information to their external teams. It is beneficial for countries that prioritize cost savings above all else and are more interested in producing more work than higher quality.

Here’s some more information about Offshore Development.

Pros of Offshore Outsourcing

• Save on some expenses
• Less Oversight over operations (with adequate control)
• Access to specialist knowledge with lower hiring costs
• More focus on core business activities
• 24/7 technical support

Cons of Offshore Outsourcing

• They will work completely different hours 
• Language and cultural differences can be huge
• Access is minimal as constant travel would not be realistic.

What is Nearshore Outsourcing?

Nearshore outsourcing is the practice of transferring some responsibilities to companies in neighboring nations, particularly software development and business procedures, to gain better control over operating costs. It may bring cultural proximity, a handy location, and language convenience in tow.

For example, when a US-based company collaborates with a software development company in Costa Rica or Mexico, it is called nearshore outsourcing due to the relatively short distance and similar cultures/language.

Nearshoring is generally recommended for a company that occasionally travels to monitor operations progress, not wanting to bear the higher costs of a software kit at home. Countries in the same region also tend to have trade deals, which means you won’t have to deal with large amounts of red tape and regulatory documents. 

When hiring a nearshore team, it is essential to keep in mind that since you may not know much about a unit from another country, getting the opinions of other companies on that team and researching their working reputation thoroughly is an essential step. 

Pros of Nearshore Outsourcing

•  Lower recruitment costs than other outsourcing options 
•  No communication barriers 
•  Upgrades using advanced technologies and tools 
•  No time zone differences 
•  Minimal cultural or language barriers compared to offshoring 

Cons of Nearshore Outsourcing

• Need to investigate and check equipment thoroughly 
• Will not have constant in-person access
• More expensive than Offshore

How To Find Out Which One Is Right For Your Business

When determining which outsourcing strategy is ideal for your company, it is good to assess the advantages and disadvantages of each option.

In this way, you can clearly define the goals you want to achieve with Outsourcing. Whether you are interested in Offshoring, Onshoring, Nearshoring, or Outsourcing Models, you must do your research and make sure you select the right vendor, backed by reliable reviews. 

And always remember that depending on the quality of work and local government guidelines, there may be hidden costs.

That said, there is no definite answer for it when it comes to choosing amongst the three outsourcing choices listed above. 

There is nothing like a superior or inferior model. Everything depends on what is best for your business needs, whether in terms of cost, culture, or monitoring. One thing is certain: as teams continue to operate remotely and in global locations, knowing the best outsourcing solution for you is critical.