Distributed Software Development Teams – Do You Really Need Them?

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According to recent studies, work from distance might surpass office labour by around 2025.

Businesses have started to adopt the concept of remote working. With its increasing adaptation, the popularity of the distributed development model is also increasing. But why is this model of development increasing steadily?

There’s a chance that you might be considering to introduce this model to your firm. If that’s the case, you should definitely know about it in brief, beforehand. In today’s blog, we’re going to explore why businesses are adapting to the distributed software development team model.

In addition to the brief about this model, we’ll understand the advantages of adapting it. So are you ready to get into the depths of this model? Without any further ado, let’s jump to our first topic!

What is a Distributed Software Development Model?

A distributed software development model consists of a process where planning, building, designing, testing and managing software. All these phases can be performed using 2 and more decentralised development teams, with different work locations. Internet-based collaboration software, source code databases, web forums and communication platforms allow this process to complete and deliver top results for businesses.

Each distributed team must comply with continuous development practices and agile development principles. The adherence to these principles and practices will enhance the efficiency of software and scaling of companies to global levels. Before moving forward with this team model, brands must understand the difference between remote teams and distributed teams. Most people think that both of them are the same. Do you think that too?

The basic similarity between these two is their ability to work remotely. However, in dedicated remote teams, hierarchical structures are followed. In addition, the decisions are made by that structure’s higher administration. On the other hand, the power of decision-making is distributed among members, in the Distributed development model. When a decision is made with the compliance of other members, the chances of future disputes remain low.

Why Distributed Software Development Team Model?

It’s been hot today for a while now in the market – why should one adapt the concept of distributed software development? You might find yourself asking the same question. Let’s find the answer right here. You might agree with us about this – Software development teams have been sharing workspaces, for ages, with the major objective of getting work more done and hitting considerably more deadlines. After the global pandemic, it’s clear that the distributed team model has a way to go!

A huge reason why so many tech giants prefer distributed team models is because of the fact that it goes straight against the principles of Agile development. The Agile development models emphasise on face-to-face communication. It has been a great deal so far, but its future is definitely inconsistent. In recent years, there have been major advancements done in video technology. These advancements have promoted the use of face-time or video calling, as a medium of communication, rather than face-to-face.

Since distributed software development includes the use of video technology, which is pretty convenient, brands have got more convincing reasons to adopt this method. If the development process is enhanced, all while saving some valuable business resources (manpower), why won’t a brand invest in such a work model?

Key Benefits of Distributed Software Development Model

Another answer to why the distributed software development model is getting recognized and adapted on a global level is – it has got some impressive benefits. Following are some of its primary benefits that one should know about:

Enhanced performance

There was a study conducted on the performance of distributed teams by the MIT Sloan Management Review. The study revealed that distributed teams performed better than in-house or local teams. They dealt really impressively with various challenges, related to collaboration models. Thus, if you want to enhance the overall performance of your business, using a distributed development model would be an ideal choice.

Cost-efficient

With a distributed development team model, your brand would have a huge opportunity to reduce your work-related costs massively. According to one study by PGI, brands can save up to or more than $10,000 per employee on real estate. Isn’t that such a wonderful thing? With this work approach, one can easily hire contract-based or full-time freelancers for dedicated roles. This will in return help you scale your business operations, without going above budget.

More Coverage

With multiple distributed model teams distributed throughout the country, you can get work done throughout the day. In other words, you don’t have to limit your operations solely to day or night only. You have the opportunity to utilise the 24 hours of the day because, with teams located in different countries, you can turn the time gap to your advantage. Brands can make their support systems available 24/7, and deliver more development projects.

Target Talent Pool

Another advantage of adopting distributed model teams is getting access to a large pool of experts. You won’t be just limited to local talent but can hire talent globally, giving your project the best possible team. Moreover, the freelance market has grown steadily in the last few years. It’s expected to reach around $455 Bn by 2023. Thus, there will be more options that you can imagine, in the upcoming years, for your brand.

Increase Productivity

Getting access to a diversified and large pool of global talent means more professional options to choose from. This will further allow you to supply your development team with developers who indeed are hardworking and productive. When you have a team of developers who value productivity and time management, your brand’s overall productivity will increase. Additionally, a study by Stanford University proves employees working from a distance i.e distributed employees, are more efficient than in-house workers.

Better Employee Satisfaction

In an organisation, almost every employee prefers flexible working hours, along with no commitment to be present on-site. But there are so many brands who still assume it is an efficient approach to work when it is the exact opposite. There are so many successful brands, HelpShift for example, that have allowed most of their employees’ permanent work from home. As a result, they have experienced satisfactory results in the long run. With a distributed development team, your brand can shift its focus on the effectiveness and results of workers, instead of looking for arranging and taking care of physical work location.

So these are some of the key benefits of a distributed development team model. These advantages prove how worth it is to work with a distributed team. Thus, if you weren’t sure about adapting to this work approach earlier, we hope these benefits offered you some clarity.

Final Words

Every brand wants to fulfil its objectives and achieve success in its respective field, especially in the software development sector. Employees are an integral part of a business and play a huge part in a company’s success.

Businesses all across the globe have started to opt for a distributed software development model. Everyone is increasing their profits and growth rate using this work approach. It’s time you get into the league and start adding rockets to your company’s success.

If you’re considering using a distributed team for your next software development project, let’s chat with us today to make sure your distributed team is successful.

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