Onshore vs Offshore vs Nearshore Software Outsourcing

The advent of software outsourcing has become a go-to business strategy for businesses of all sizes and domains. Every business wants to empower itself with tech-enabled business solutions and software outsourcing seems to be an invidious option with considerable advantages. Businesses can collaborate with other businesses based on their unique business requirements and convenience. One of the vital reasons why businesses use software outsourcing is to save on hiring and training new in-house software developers, reduce operational expenses, and save time. The productivity and success of outsourcing software development depend on the business model one chooses. You can get access to software engineers and software development teams with extensive experience developing software applications of international standards and quality.

Other than financial engagement models, businesses can collaborate with Software Outsourcing Companies based on geographic convenience. “Shore” is not only related to beaches and seas but in the software development industry, Shore means the Geographic location, and based on that there are different types of engaging models for businesses to partner with. These outsourcing models differ according to the geographical location of the client and its software development services partner. Enlisted are the three types of software outsourcing models:

1. Offshore Software Outsourcing
2. Nearshore Software Outsourcing
3. Onshore Software Outsourcing 

The main difference between the three can be based on factors such as Cost savings, Considerable time zone differences and Geographic proximity, Effective communication, Cultural barriers, and Collaboration and Convenience. So, without much delay let’s explore each model individually with their added benefits and limitations.

1. Offshore Software Development Outsourcing

In the software development outsourcing business, Offshore Outsourcing is the most popular and renowned method for businesses to partner with software outsourcing companies. “Offshore” as the name suggests, means outsourcing software development tasks to a distant location like some foreign country based on specific criteria and project goals such as talented and high-skilled professionals, cost, communication, information security policies, and many other promising factors. Software developers make use of best practices to keep work transparent and better communication easy.

Offshore Development Outsourcing is highly adaptive and is meant to benefit businesses at all levels of outsourcing. It will help you to reduce development costs and will give you a talented pool of resources to help you with your development work. Popular offshore countries such as India, Indonesia, China, Ukraine, or other European nations, typically apply to collaborate with development teams at a distant location using technology. Among these, India is considered a preferred option. Let’s discuss some benefits of offshore software outsourcing

1.1 Benefits of Offshore Software Outsourcing

• The first and foremost reason for considering Offshoring is that it is cost-friendly with an array of other added benefits too.
• Technology has enabled various tools and techniques to collaborate, hence coordination on regular updates is quite easy with Offshore Software Development Outsourcing.
• Time zone is considered a benefit as the employees of outsourced development companies work round the clock and deliver the requirements on time.
• Easy to escalate the pain of managing larger employee sizes.
• Offshore outsourcing offers large flexibility in business offerings.
• High-quality deliveries and faster turnaround time to expectations.

1.2 Limitations of Offshore Software Outsourcing

• Reliability is a questionable
• Transparency and Trust issues prevail at times
• In different regions, different policies are applicable to intellectual property rights creating roadblocks sometimes.
• Language, time zone differences, and cultural differences affect the overall Software development process.

2. Nearshore Software Outsourcing

It may be a real challenge for businesses in the Software development industry to find an exact match as per their current technology trends and the right outsourcing partners. The second one of the three outsourcing models is Nearshore software development outsourcing and which means contracting with businesses in the nearest geographic location or neighboring countries or within proximity to the main head office. This type of outsourcing company collaborates with outsourcing companies near the same time zone and has no cultural gaps.

Nearshore software development services are considered an in-between option between the two and preferred with the convenience of traveling to the outsourced software development company. This is one of the most flexible options which provides benefits for both types of engagement models. Your business is outsourcing to an offshore location along with the added advantage of being nearby. Nearshore Outsourcing offers several positive and negative aspects that are discussed further.

2.1 Benefits of Nearshore Software Outsourcing

• The highly skilled workforce is at ease and a nearby location with availability to travel anytime.
• Enabling personal meetings with software development teams for discussion is expedient.
•  The Nearshore software development team is located close so there are minimal cultural differences and time zone differences.
• Extended cultural alignment between the client company and outsourced software service provider.
• Average hourly rates are quite affordable.

2.2 Limitations of Nearshore Software Outsourcing

• Lower labor charges can make the quality of service questionable at times.
• The talent is restricted to a region or country.
• The possibility of copyright issues or patent violations in bordering countries is complicated to enforce.
• Information security rules may vary and might cause disputes as per the rules in the client’s country or outsourced business country.

3. Onshore Software Outsourcing

In the Software development business, companies can hire software development companies providing outsourcing services from a specific region, i.e their own country. “Onshore” itself means on the shore, within limited proximity of the location. They know how to handle complex projects and maximize the quality of your project. This option is mostly preferred because it is closest to the client’s location and businesses can easily save on travel costs in case of any disputes or emergencies.

By collaborating with this model, businesses are connected more to local networks of the software development industry with a skilled set of resources within the city, state, or country following the same time zones and seamless communication. So what makes businesses get hitched with this type of Outsourcing model? So here are some of the advantages it offers:

3.1 Benefits of Onshore Software Outsourcing

• Highly skilled software engineers and experienced developers within your vicinity i.e your own country.
• Best fit for smaller software development projects with limited budgets.
• No cultural gaps or language barriers.
• Follow the same time zone which is beneficial when you want something urgent and you don’t have to wait for that country to open or start their day to get your work done.

3.2 Limitations of Onshore Software Outsourcing

• Firstly businesses may face a common challenge of higher development costs compared to businesses that tend offshore.
• Lack of global access to a talented workforce.
• The cost of operations and software developers’ expenses are high.
• The progress of a business is at stake and it cannot globalize.

4. Sum Up

The ultimate aim of this blog was to elucidate businesses on various types of Outsourcing models along with their advantages and disadvantages. Choosing one from the various models depends on the convenience and capability of the selected outsourcing software development partner. If your nearshore partner offers the same facility as the offshore then it is obvious you will partner with the nearshore provider. However, it is always advisable to partner with an offshore company with a local office in the same country or city which enables businesses to leverage cost benefits and save on travel costs as well.