Category: Innovation

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EngineeringInnovationOutsourcing

How to Set Up a Distributed Workforce

Distributed Workforce

The organizations that succeed will be the ones that build it with intentionality

For fast-growing and cost-conscious companies

Simply repackaging old habits into digital formats won’t cut it. The future belongs to those willing to rethink everything, from meeting structures to performance metrics, with clarity and purpose.

How to Set Up a Distributed Workforce:

Embracing Intentional Design

The world of work has undergone a seismic shift, with distributed workforces becoming the new norm. But simply scattering teams across locations isn’t enough—success hinges on intentional design. Here’s how organizations can thoughtfully set up a distributed workforce for long-term productivity and engagement.

Start With Purposeful Planning

Intentional design begins with a clear understanding of why you’re going distributed. Is it for access to global talent, cost savings, or employee flexibility? Define your goals up front to guide every decision that follows.

Design Communication Flows, Not Just Tools

Distributed work thrives on seamless communication. Instead of relying solely on digital tools, map out how information should flow within your organization. Identify key communication channels, establish norms for meetings, and ensure transparency in decision-making. Planning information flow from the start prevents miscommunication, duplicate work, and project delays.

Build Trust and Flexibility Into the Culture

A distributed workforce requires a shift in the workplace contract. Trust, flexibility, and choice become foundational (autonomy). Empower employees to manage their own schedules and locations, while providing the digital infrastructure they need to stay connected and productive.

Rethink Collaboration Spaces

Physical offices are no longer the default. Instead, design a blend of digital and occasional physical spaces that support collaboration, creativity, and social connection. Mixed reality and other collaborative technologies can help bridge the gap between remote and in-person teams, fostering a sense of presence and shared purpose.

Prioritize Employee Wellbeing and Belonging

Intentional design means considering the holistic experience of distributed employees. Create opportunities for informal interaction, mentorship, and professional growth. Regularly check in on well-being and ensure every team member feels included, regardless of location.

Continuously Iterate and Improve

The distributed workforce landscape is dynamic. Gather feedback, measure outcomes, and be ready to adapt your design as needs evolve. Treat your distributed work strategy as a living system, always open to improvement.

Transform The Work Environment

Transforming the future will require a reinvention of how, where, and when we work – a new workplace model, Motivation 3.0, as well as a new workplace contract between employer and employee. Employers must ensure trust, flexibility, and choice, as well as the highest quality experience.

In Summary

Setting up a distributed workforce isn’t just about technology or policy—it’s about intentional intrinsic design. By planning communication, building trust (autonomy), rethinking collaboration, and prioritizing well-being, organizations can unlock the full potential of distributed teams and shape the future of work.

Let's talk

Professional Advice: When considering a nearshore outsourcing partner, always ask for examples of past projects that demonstrate their commitment to software quality. Talk with their current customers, and ask for use cases similar to your company’s competitive landscape, all that can give you the confidence you need to make the right decision for your business.

June 18, 2025 0 Comments by MSc. Adrian Lopez

EngineeringInnovationOutsourcing

Methodology: Choose the Right Software Development Approach for Your Organization

Methodology Matters:

Choose the Right Software Development Approach for Your Organization

Software Development Approaches

Welcome to our comprehensive exploration of software development methodologies for technical leaders and practitioners. This guide examines established approaches that organizations employ to structure their development processes, with evidence-based examples from industry implementations. We’ll analyze the strengths and limitations of each methodology to help you determine which framework might best align with your organizational requirements and team dynamics.

Agile Methodologies

Agile methodologies represent an adaptive approach to software development that emphasizes flexibility, customer collaboration, and rapid delivery of functional software. Born from the Agile Manifesto in 2001, these methodologies emerged as a response to the limitations of traditional development approaches.

Scrum

Iterative approach with 2-4 week sprints
Key roles: Product Owner, Scrum Master, Development Team
Ceremonies: Sprint Planning, Daily Standups, Sprint Review, Sprint Retrospective
Artifacts: Product Backlog, Sprint Backlog, Increment
Example: Spotify uses a modified Scrum approach with “squads” (Scrum teams) organized into “tribes” for product development, allowing them to quickly iterate on features and respond to user feedback for their streaming platform.
Source: Kniberg, H., & Ivarsson, A. (2012). Scaling Agile @ Spotify with Tribes, Squads, Chapters & Guilds. Spotify Engineering Blog.

Kanban

Continuous delivery focused on flow of work
Visualizes workflow on Kanban board with columns (To Do, In Progress, Done)
Limits work in progress (WIP) to prevent bottlenecks
Continuous improvement without fixed iterations
Example: Microsoft’s Azure DevOps team uses Kanban to manage their service updates and bug fixes, allowing them to respond to critical issues immediately while maintaining a steady flow of feature development.
Source: Banfield, R., Lombardo, C. T., & Wax, T. (2015). Design Sprint: A Practical Guidebook for Building Great Digital Products. O’Reilly Media.

Extreme Programming (XP

Focus on technical excellence and quality
Practices: Pair programming, Test-Driven Development, Continuous Integration
Short development cycles with frequent releases
Emphasizes customer involvement and feedback
Example: Pivotal Labs implements XP practices like pair programming and TDD for client projects, which has helped them maintain high code quality while developing complex applications for companies like Twitter in their early days.
Source: Beck, K., & Andres, C. (2004). Extreme Programming Explained: Embrace Change (2nd Edition). Addison-Wesley Professional.

Lean Software Development

Derived from Toyota Production System
Principles: Eliminate waste, amplify learning, decide late, deliver fast
Focus on creating value and reducing non-value activities
Uses value stream mapping to identify inefficiencies
Example: Intuit (maker of TurboTax and QuickBooks) applies Lean principles to eliminate waste in their development process, enabling them to deliver faster updates while maintaining quality through techniques like A/B testing and customer feedback loops.
Source: Poppendieck, M., & Poppendieck, T. (2003). Lean Software Development: An Agile Toolkit. Addison-Wesley Professional.

Traditional Methodologies

Traditional methodologies originated in manufacturing and engineering industries, where structured, sequential processes were essential for efficiency and quality control. The Waterfall model, one of the earliest formalized approaches, was introduced in 1970 by Dr. Winston W. Royce as a way to manage software development with clear, linear phases like planning, design, implementation, testing, and maintenance. These methods emphasize predictability, documentation, and rigorous upfront planning, making them ideal for projects with stable requirements. 🏗️📊

Waterfall

Sequential, linear approach
Distinct phases: Requirements, Design, Implementation, Verification, Maintenance
Each phase must be completed before moving to the next
More suitable for projects with well-defined requirements
Example: NASA used Waterfall methodology for the Space Shuttle software development, where requirements were extremely well-defined and changes during development could have catastrophic consequences. The approach led to incredibly reliable software with a defect rate of less than 0.1 errors per 1,000 lines of code.
Source: Fishman, C. (1996). They Write the Right Stuff. Fast Company Magazine, Issue 6.

Spiral Mode

Combines iterative development with systematic aspects of waterfall
Four phases: Planning, Risk Analysis, Engineering, Evaluation
Risk-driven approach that emphasizes risk assessment
Suitable for large, complex systems
Example: The Windows operating system development at Microsoft has historically used aspects of the Spiral model, particularly in earlier versions, allowing them to address risks early while developing a complex software system through multiple iterations.
Source: Boehm, B. W. (1988). A Spiral Model of Software Development and Enhancement. IEEE Computer, 21(5), 61-72.

V-Model

Extension of waterfall with corresponding testing phase for each development stage
Emphasizes verification and validation activities
Testing is planned in parallel with development activities
Higher success rate than traditional waterfall
Example: Siemens uses the V-Model for medical device software development, where validation and verification are crucial for regulatory compliance and patient safety. Each design phase has a corresponding testing phase to ensure requirements are met.
Source: International Medical Device Regulators Forum. (2015). Software as a Medical Device (SaMD): Clinical Evaluation. IMDRF/SaMD WG/N41FINAL:2015.

Scaling Frameworks

Scaling frameworks originated from the need to extend Agile methodologies beyond small teams to large enterprises. As Agile gained popularity in the early 2000s, organizations faced challenges in coordinating multiple teams while maintaining agility. Frameworks like SAFe (Scaled Agile Framework), LeSS (Large-Scale Scrum), and Spotify’s Model emerged to provide structured approaches for scaling Agile across departments and business units, ensuring alignment, collaboration, and efficiency at scale. 🚀📈

SAFe (Scaled Agile Framework)

Framework for implementing agile practices at enterprise scale
Multiple configurations: Essential, Large Solution, Portfolio, Full
Organizes work in Agile Release Trains (ARTs)
Includes concepts like Program Increment (PI) Planning
Example: Cisco implemented SAFe to coordinate work across 800+ teams worldwide. They organize quarterly Program Increment planning sessions where teams align on priorities and dependencies, resulting in faster time-to-market for their networking products.
Source: Scaled Agile, Inc. (2019). Cisco Case Study. Scaled Agile Framework.

LeSS (Large-Scale Scrum)

Framework for scaling Scrum to multiple teams
Two variations: LeSS (2-8 teams) and LeSS Huge (8+ teams)
Single Product Owner, multiple teams working on same Product Backlog
Emphasizes feature teams over component teams
Example: J.P. Morgan Chase adopted LeSS for their trading systems development, enabling multiple teams to work on the same product backlog while maintaining a coherent architecture and reducing coordination overhead.
Source: Larman, C., & Vodde, B. (2016). Large-Scale Scrum: More with LeSS. Addison-Wesley Professional.

Nexus

Developed by Scrum.org for scaling Scrum
Integration team coordinates 3-9 Scrum teams
Introduces Nexus Sprint Planning, Nexus Daily Scrum, Nexus Sprint Review
Focuses on integration challenges across teams
Example: Schlumberger, an oil and gas technology company, has used Nexus to coordinate the development of their digital platform across multiple Scrum teams, with a Nexus Integration Team ensuring that integration issues are identified and resolved quickly.
Source: Schwaber, K. (2015). Nexus Guide: The Definitive Guide to Scaling Scrum with Nexus. Scrum.org.

Disciplined Agile (DA)

Hybrid approach that combines elements from multiple methodologies
Context-driven, not prescriptive
Organized around process goals rather than specific practices
Allows teams to choose their way of working
Example: IBM has implemented Disciplined Agile across various business units, allowing teams to tailor their processes based on their specific context while maintaining enterprise governance. This flexibility helped them during their large-scale digital transformation.
Source: Ambler, S. W., & Lines, M. (2020). Choose Your WoW!: A Disciplined Agile Delivery Handbook for Optimizing Your Way of Working. Project Management Institute.

Development Frameworks and Approaches

Development frameworks and approaches like DevOps, DevSecOps, FDD (Feature-Driven Development), and BDD (Behavior-Driven Development) emerged to improve software delivery speed, collaboration, and quality. Each approach was developed to address specific challenges in software development, security, and collaboration, shaping modern engineering practices. 🚀

DevOps

Cultural and technical practice that unifies development and operations
Key practices: CI/CD, infrastructure as code, monitoring, automation
Focus on shorter development cycles and reliable delivery
Tools ecosystem includes Git, Jenkins, Docker, Kubernetes
Example: Netflix has built a sophisticated DevOps culture that enables them to deploy thousands of changes to production daily. Their Chaos Monkey tool deliberately introduces failures to test system resilience, ensuring their streaming service remains reliable despite constant updates.
Source: Humble, J., & Farley, D. (2010). Continuous Delivery: Reliable Software Releases through Build, Test, and Deployment Automation. Addison-Wesley Professional.

DevSecOps

Integrates security practices into DevOps process
“Shift left” approach to security testing
Automated security validation and compliance
Security as a shared responsibility
Example: Capital One implemented DevSecOps practices to integrate security into their development pipeline, using automated security scanning tools that run with each code commit. This approach helped them identify and address vulnerabilities earlier, reducing security incidents while maintaining rapid deployment.
Source: Myrbakken, H., & Colomo-Palacios, R. (2017). DevSecOps: A Multivocal Literature Review. In Software Process Improvement and Capability Determination (pp. 17-29). Springer.

Feature-Driven Development (FDD)

Model-driven, short-iteration process
Five main activities: Develop overall model, build feature list, plan by feature, design by feature, build by feature
Feature teams organized around feature sets
Regular builds and progress tracking
Example: Danske Bank used FDD to develop their mobile banking application, organizing work around customer-centric features. This approach helped them prioritize features that delivered the most value to customers while maintaining a consistent domain model.
Source: Palmer, S. R., & Felsing, J. M. (2002). A Practical Guide to Feature-Driven Development. Prentice Hall.

Behavior-Driven Development (BDD)

Extension of Test-Driven Development
Uses natural language constructs to express behaviors and expected outcomes
Bridges communication gap between technical and non-technical stakeholders
Tools like Cucumber, SpecFlow implement Gherkin syntax for specifications
Example: The Guardian newspaper uses BDD for their website development, with product owners writing acceptance criteria in Gherkin syntax (Given-When-Then format). This approach has improved communication between business and technical teams, ensuring that developers build exactly what the business needs.
Source: North, D. (2006). Introducing BDD. Better Software Magazine.

Process-Oriented Methodologies

Process-Oriented Methodologies, like Personal Software Process (PSP) and Team Software Process (TSP), were developed by Watts Humphrey at Carnegie Mellon University to improve software quality and team productivity. 🚀📊

PSP (Personal Software Process)

Developed by Watts Humphrey at the Software Engineering Institute (SEI)
Structured framework for individual developers to improve personal productivity and code quality
Emphasizes data collection, measurement, and continuous improvement
Progressive learning path with increasing levels of sophistication (PSP0 to PSP3)
Key components: Time tracking, defect logging, size and effort estimation, code reviews, quality management
Example: Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) implemented PSP training for their developers, resulting in significant quality improvements. Engineers who adopted PSP practices reduced defect rates by over 75% and improved estimation accuracy. The structured approach to tracking time, defects, and size helped individual developers better understand their performance and systematically improve their work.
Source: Humphrey, W. S. (2005). PSP: A Self-Improvement Process for Software Engineers. Addison-Wesley Professional.

TSP (Team Software Process)

Extension of PSP principles to the team level
Provides a framework for building and managing high-performance software teams
Emphasizes self-directed teams with defined roles and responsibilities
Includes detailed launch process and regular checkpoints
Key components: Team launch and role assignment, detailed planning, quality management system, risk management, weekly team meetings
Example: Microsoft’s Windows Embedded team adopted TSP for firmware development, resulting in a 40% reduction in system test defects and improved schedule predictability. The team used TSP’s structured launch process to establish clear roles and create detailed plans. The emphasis on quality management through inspections and peer reviews helped catch defects early in the development process, significantly reducing testing and maintenance costs.
Source: Humphrey, W. S. (2006). TSP: Leading a Development Team. Addison-Wesley Professional.

Combined PSP/TSP Implementation

Example: Adobe Systems implemented both PSP and TSP for their Photoshop development, achieving near zero-defect releases. Developers first learned to track their own work through PSP, then formed TSP teams with clear roles. The structured approach to planning, estimation, and quality management helped them deliver complex features with significantly fewer defects and more predictable schedules compared to their previous development process.
Source: Wall, D. S., McHale, J., & Pomeroy-Huff, M. (2005). Case Study: Accelerating Process Improvement by Integrating the TSP and CMMI. Software Engineering Institute, Carnegie Mellon University.

Finding Your Right Approach

Let’s be real – there’s no magical one-size-fits-all solution when it comes to software development methodologies. What works brilliantly for a Silicon Valley startup might fall flat in a highly regulated financial institution. The “best” methodology depends on a complex interplay of factors: your company culture, team size and distribution, technical stack, regulatory requirements, and even the personalities of your team members.

Some organizations thrive with the structure and predictability of traditional approaches, while others flourish with the adaptability of agile methods. Many successful companies are embracing hybrid approaches, cherry-picking the most valuable practices from different methodologies to create something uniquely tailored to their needs.

The Bottom Line

The most important thing is to be intentional about your process and willing to adapt as you learn. Remember, methodologies are tools to serve your goals, not rigid dogmas to follow blindly. Your development process should evolve as your organization grows and your needs change.

Want to figure out which approach might work best for your unique situation? Let’s chat! We’d love to discuss your current state, assess your process maturity, and help you chart a path forward that aligns with your software development goals and business ambitions. Whether you’re looking to speed up delivery, improve quality, enhance team collaboration, or all of the above – we’ve got insights and experience to share. Drop us a line, and let’s start the conversation about transforming your software development journey!

March 14, 2025 0 Comments by MSc. Adrian Lopez

AgileInnovationOutsourcing

Traditional Outsourcing is Death: Why Innovative Companies Are Switching to Staff Augmentation

Traditional Outsourcing is Death:

Why Innovative Companies Are Switching to Staff Augmentation

Imagine hiring a developer who works directly with your team, shares your company culture, and feels like a true employee – except they’re cross-border in México or Central America, in your same timezone (Pacific to Eastern), and costs 60% less.

Sounds too good to be true?

This is the reality of modern staff augmentation services, and it’s revolutionizing how companies build and scale top-performing distributed teams.

Traditional outsourcing is death, and there’s a better way to grow your teams while reducing risk.

Want to learn something?

You’ll learn how companies are building successfully integrated teams, the truth about talent availability in emerging markets, and quick tips for making global hiring work for your business.

Plus, I will share some incredible insights about how Mexico is transforming from a labor market to a knowledge market and is the residence of high-skilled talent.

The Problem with Traditional Outsourcing

Traditional outsourcing is broken. I’ve seen it firsthand through my experience building Towa and CWS, a previous company.

When companies use traditional outsourcing, they write up requirements, hand them to an IT vendor, and hope for the best. The vendor acts as a black box – you never really know who’s working on your project or if they’re the people they claim to be.

This creates a massive disconnect between your team and the developers.

The Staff Augmentation Advantage

Staff augmentation fixes these fundamental problems by making nearshore developers true members of your team.

At Towa, we discovered that the key to success is direct integration. Our developers use tools like Jira, Trello, Slack, Microsoft Teams, and email. They attend every standup meeting and collaborate directly with the customer and the rest of the team.

They’re not hidden behind project managers or account executives.

Why Project Managers Shouldn't Be Middlemen

Here’s a counterintuitive truth: having project managers act as middlemen reduces productivity.

Some companies force all communication to go through project managers. This creates bottlenecks and prevents real relationships from forming between teams.

Instead, we add product managers as enablers, not barriers. They help with critical thinking, roadmaps, planning, and schedules – but they never block direct communication between the client and the engineers.

Building Long-Term Relationships

The real magic happens when you treat external engineers like inside employees, not temporary contractors.

In my experience building Towa, some of our clients have worked with the same engineering teams for over six years. This longevity creates deep organizational knowledge and strong interpersonal relationships.

This is impossible with traditional outsourcing where engineers often come and go without warning.

Security and IP Protection

One of the biggest concerns with traditional outsourcing is intellectual property protection.

Staff augmentation through a US-based company provides clear legal frameworks for IP protection. At Towa, we conduct background checks on all our employees based in Mexico. Your IP is always yours and is secure with us with best industry practices.

This gives our clients peace of mind that their code and intellectual property are protected.

The Cost-Benefit Reality

Traditional outsourcing often seems cheaper on paper. But when you factor in the hidden costs of miscommunication, turnover, quality issues, handoff, and knowledge transfer, then the comparison is clear, the staff augmentation model is better suited.

For example, one of our clients at BristolPay was able to hire 2 Software Engineers for the price of one US-based developer. The key value? These engineers became long-term team members of the company who understood the culture, vision, and product.

Making the Transition

Transitioning from traditional outsourcing to staff augmentation requires a shift in mindset.

Here’s what you need to know:

Focus on building relationships, not just completing tasks.
Enable direct communication between all team members.
Treat nearshore engineers as full team members.
Invest in proper onboarding and integration.
Use the same tools and systems across your entire team.

The old model of throwing requirements over the wall to an offshore team is in the past. Innovative companies need integrated distributed global teams that work together seamlessly.

The Bottom Line

Traditional outsourcing might work for simple, isolated tasks. But if you’re building complex software or want to scale your team effectively, staff augmentation is a much better model.

It’s not just about saving money – it’s about building a more effective, integrated, and scalable team of people with the same mission and culture.

I’ve seen this transformation firsthand at Towa, where our clients report higher satisfaction and better results compared to their previous outsourcing experiences: happy stories and good relationships that last long-term, not troubled ones.

The future of global hiring isn’t about outsourcing work offshore– it’s about augmenting your team with talented professionals who just happen to work cross-border in the same time zones as you.

Are you ready to move beyond traditional outsourcing? Let’s talk about how staff augmentation could transform your team’s productivity.

Nearshore staff augmentation can be an effective strategy for delivering high-quality products.

December 3, 2024 0 Comments by MSc. Adrian Lopez

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AgileInnovationOutsourcing

Why Software Engineering Quality Matters

Why Software Engineering Quality Matters:

Ensuring Long-Term Success in Nearshore Software Outsourcing

In the world of software development, success is often measured by two key factors: delivering a project on time and within budget. However, meeting these goals without ensuring the quality of the product can be a recipe for future headaches. Business owners, C-level executives, and VPs of Software Engineering know that high-quality software is not just about functionality—it’s about reliability, scalability, maintainability, and security.

As more companies with internal IT projects seek to outsource software engineering services, the importance of software engineering quality becomes even more critical. Nearshore outsourcing offers the right blend of talent, time zone convenience, and cultural alignment.

However the key differentiator for success lies in the quality of the software produced.

The Real Impact of Software Quality

Quality in software development isn’t just a buzzword; it’s a business imperative. Below are some of the key reasons why software quality matters:

Minimizing Technical Debt

Technical debt is the cost of additional rework caused by choosing an easy (but limited) solution now instead of a better approach that would take longer. Poor-quality software leads to higher technical debt, resulting in costly fixes, delays, and possible project failure down the road.

Enhancing User Experience

Whether the end-users of your software are customers or internal employees, a seamless user experience is essential. Poorly developed software often leads to glitches, frustrating workflows, and lower productivity or customer satisfaction.

Ensuring Security and Compliance

With increasing data breaches and stricter regulations across industries, the importance of secure software cannot be overstated. A focus on quality ensures robust security features are built into the code, minimizing vulnerabilities and compliance risks.

Supporting Scalability

As your company grows, so will the demands on your software. High-quality code ensures that your software is built to scale, supporting future expansion without requiring a major overhaul.

Reducing Long-Term Costs

Although high-quality software might have a higher initial development cost, it saves businesses money in the long run by reducing the need for constant bug fixes, rework, and performance issues.

Leading Financial Tech Company Scales Through Quality Development

One of the top challenges for any company in the Fintech space is scalability. A leading financial tech company found in Towa Software the right partner to build agile teams to develop a complex software solution to support their rapid growth.

The company was facing issues with its existing development team’s ability to scale with quality, which resulted in delayed project timelines and performance bottlenecks.

Towa Software provided a team of nearshore developers who rapidly integrated into the company’s processes and delivered a scalable, high-performance software solution. The development process emphasized quality at every stage—from the architecture to the final product release. As a result, the Fintech company was able to:

This case demonstrates the critical role quality plays in ensuring that software solutions remain efficient and scalable as a business evolves.

Innovative Retail Platform Achieves Reliability and Security

Another successful collaboration involved an innovative retail platform that needed to remake its existing software due to security vulnerabilities and performance issues. The platform’s leadership team, concerned with both the safety of their customer data and the overall user experience, found in Towa Software a trusted partner to ensure a reliable and secure solution.

Towa Software’s approach to quality-driven engineering allowed the team to design and build a robust, secure software system that protected sensitive customer information and eliminated the vulnerabilities that had previously impacted the platform. Additionally, the user experience was vastly improved, leading to increased customer satisfaction and lower cost of customer acquisition.

The result was a highly secure, reliable platform with greater user experience that:

This use case illustrates how investing in software quality can address critical business concerns like security and reliability, which are essential for long-term success.

Ensuring a Smooth Transition with Nearshore Excellence

Transitioning to a nearshore outsourcing model is a strategic move for many companies looking to balance cost efficiency with quality. To ensure a smooth transition, it’s important to:

1. Choose the Right Partner: Selecting a software development provider with experience delivering high-quality enterprise solutions for similar industries. The right partner will bring the expertise and experience needed to manage complex projects while ensuring high-quality and time-to-market.

2. Focus on Collaboration: Nearshore outsourcing offers the advantage of real-time collaboration in the same time zones. This helps maintain control over the project and improve communications assuring that your vision and expectations are executed properly.

3. Emphasize Quality from the Start: Make quality the central part of your strategy, and part of the project’s success criteria. Establish and measure key performance indicators (KPIs) that focus on the reliability, security, scalability, and user experience of the software product.

Quality is Key to Long-Term Success

The quality of your software is not something that can be compromised. From reducing long-term costs to ensuring security and scalability, high-quality software engineering is essential to meeting both current and future business needs. By choosing the right nearshore outsourcing partner that emphasizes quality with a repeatable process, like Towa Software, you can be confident that your software development projects will not only be delivered on time and within budget but will also exceed the standards of performance and reliability necessary for long-term success.

Nearshore outsourcing can be an effective strategy for delivering high-quality solutions.

Professional Advise: When considering a nearshore outsourcing partner, always ask for examples of past projects that demonstrate their commitment to software quality. Talk with their current customers, and ask for use cases similar to your company competitive landscape, can give you the confidence you need to make the right decision for your business.

October 6, 2024 0 Comments by MSc. Adrian Lopez

AgileInnovationOutsourcing

Nearshore Vs Offshore Vs Onshore

Offshore, Nearshore or Onshore

Software development has expanded to a global scale in today’s interconnected society. The question of whether to outsource or in-house build software faces businesses everywhere. Outsourcing can be done in a few different ways, the most common of which are offshore, nearshore, and onshore. The various models come with their own set of pros and downsides. In this article, we’ll compare and contrast these two models and look at some of the critical criteria to remember when selecting which is right for your company.

Why use Nearshore?

Example:

A company based in the United States may choose to nearshore its software development to Mexico or Brazil. Nearshore outsourcing offers benefits like similar time zones, cultural alignment, easier communication, and potentially cost-effective solutions.

What is Onshore?

Definitions:

A US-based company choosing to hire a software development agency or team within the United States for their projects would be an example of onshore outsourcing. Onshore outsourcing offers advantages such as closer collaboration, reduced language barriers, and greater control over the development process. However, it may come with higher labor costs compared to some offshore or nearshore options.

Offshore Development

When software development is outsourced, it’s called “offshore development,” it typically occurs on a different continent and in a different country. The key driver for outsourcing development is the opportunity to save money and find talent. Companies can save money on development because of the lower labor costs of offshore teams in emerging and developing countries which are often based in countries like India, Vietnam, the Philippines, and Pakistan. Offshore development is an option, but there are other considerations.

Benefits of Offshoring Teams

Time Zone Differences

The time zone difference is a significant obstacle to offshore development. The time difference may be several hours or half day, depending on the location of the offshore team. Due to this, it may be difficult for the onshore and offshore teams to communicate and work together effectively in the same active working times. For teams to work together efficiently, project managers must set up reliable methods of contact and schedule overlap in their schedules.

Cultural and Language Barriers

Language and cultural obstacles may arise as a result of offshore development. Collaboration can be difficult by cultural, linguistic, and organizational differences in the workplace. Miscommunication slows progress, and misunderstood communications can all result from a lack of ordinary language. These difficulties can be minimized by establishing reliable lines of communication, producing transparent records, and encouraging cross-cultural understanding.

Quality Control and Security

When using an offshore development strategy, it can be more difficult to guarantee quality control and data protection. Threatening factors include divergent quality standards, intellectual property issues, and regulatory frameworks. When looking for a partner to work with in another country, businesses must take precautions to ensure the highest quality and security.

Challenges of Offshore Development

Communication and Time Zone Differences

Due to time zone differences and possible language problems, coordinating with an offshore workforce might take a lot of work.

Cultural Differences

A learning curve may involve working with a team from various cultural backgrounds.

Security and Intellectual Property Concerns

Data security and intellectual property protection are two issues that may be impacted by outsourcing development.

Onshore Development

Onshore development refers to keeping software development or IT services within the same country as the client company. It involves hiring a local team or working with a service provider in the same country or region as the client organization. In onshore development, the client and the service provider share the exact geographic location, often operating within the same time zone and cultural context.

Benefits of Onshoring Development

Enhanced Collaboration and Communication

Onshore development encourages in-person teamwork, which can be helpful for high-stakes endeavors. The close quarters promote open communication, rapid problem-solving, and speedy decision-making. Eliminating time zone barriers and facilitating real-time communication made possible by overlapping working hours leads to increased collaboration and production.

Cultural Alignment and Regulatory Compliance

An onshore development strategy can guarantee cultural fit and compliance with local regulations. Developers have a solid grounding in regional trade customs, which helps them empathize with customers and anticipate their problems. A company’s ability to manage data security, IP protection, and legal and regulatory compliance can all improve.

Quality Assurance and Customer Satisfaction

The quality assurance for onshore projects is usually higher. There are local quality criteria that development teams must meet, and they also follow standard practices. Improved customer satisfaction and the possibility of successfully executing the project result from the capacity to hold frequent in-person meetings, provide fast feedback, and assure continuous stakeholder involvement.

Challenges of Onshoring Development

Higher Costs

Higher labor and operating costs make onshore projects more expensive than offshore and nearshore alternatives.

Talent Availability

In some areas, finding people with particular talents may be challenging since the demand is very high for tech skills.

Scalability

A lower skill pool may make scaling up onshore development more complex than with offshore or nearshore choices.

Nearshore Development

Nearshore development refers to outsourcing software development or IT services to a company in a nearby country or region. In nearshore development, the client company and the service provider are geographically close, often sharing similar time zones and cultural backgrounds.

Overall, nearshore development balances cost-effectiveness and proximity, offering advantages for companies seeking to outsource their software development or IT services while maintaining close collaboration and minimizing potential challenges associated with offshore outsourcing.

Proximity and Time Zone Alignment

Nearshore development is advantageous because of its proximity to, and similar time zone, that of the client. This allows instantaneous participation, fewer misunderstandings, and quicker adaptation to shifting project parameters. The nearshore model frequently allows in-person interactions, bringing the client and development team closer.

Cultural Affinity and Language Proficiency

Nearshore development teams frequently operate out of nations with more cultural and linguistic familiarity. This makes conveying ideas, learning about the bigger picture, and matching customer expectations easier. When members of a team share comparable cultural backgrounds, they are more likely to work together well.

Cost Efficiency and Talent Availability

Nearshore development won’t save as much money as offshore models, but it can still be better than onshore. The nearshore strategy often combines low costs with a ready supply of highly qualified programmers. A company can ensure high-quality outputs within a reasonable budget by balancing cost efficiency and talent availability.

Challenges of Nearshoring Development

Cost Variations

Although nearshore development is typically less expensive than onshore development, costs may be more significant.

The Complexity of the Project

Nearshore development may be the best choice for large projects that require continuous collaboration, whereas offshore models may be more appropriate for shorter projects or fixed prices scopes.

Cost Constraints

Offshore or nearshore development may be preferable if minimizing expenses is a primary objective.

Time Sensitivity

A nearshore or onshore model is recommended for time-sensitive projects due to the improved real-time collaboration it provides.

Cultural Affinity

Nearshore or onshore development may be preferable if cultural compatibility and ease of communication are top priorities.

Conclusion

Project-specific needs, financial or budget constraints, and organizational or cultural priorities are all important considerations when deciding whether offshore, nearshore, or onshore software development is the best approach. Evaluating these models in light of your unique requirements can aid in making a well-informed choice and laying the groundwork for fruitful software development efforts. Hybrid models, which include offshore, nearshore, and onshore development elements, are also popular among enterprises.

We suggest you compare providers, meet their talent candidates and their specific proposal and approach to your company, and evaluate the best provider based on a unique scorecard based on your project specifics. Watch for long-term commitment and consider their culture.

We are committed to providing our clients with the highest service and support at Towa Software. We recognize that every project is unique and work closely with our clients to develop agile contracts tailored to their specific needs and requirements. With our focus on engineering, collaboration, communication, and transparency, we can help our clients achieve their software development goals.

About Towa

Towa is a leading firm across the United States and Mexico for software engineering and outsourcing, including QA and testing. We offer from Mexico our over +300 engineers capabilities as nearshore delivery model service offerings.

Towa Software has over 20 years of experience to guarantee the quality of every line of code, we are proud of our products and services delivered. We recommend starting small and building trust with your provider before scaling.

As a leading software development outsourcing company in the USA and Mexico, we have extensive experience in many fields including fintech, banking, payments gateways, e-commerce, retail, marketplaces, health care, Omnichannel, and many more.

You can contact us at support@towasoftware.com or give us a call at +1 (210) 787-4525 for more information.

July 27, 2023 0 Comments by MSc. Adrian Lopez

Scrum team participates in daily stand up on KANBAN board, mobile app developers

AgileInnovationOutsourcing

Why Agile Contract Management for Lean Development

Agile Contract
Management

Agile contracts are a type of contract designed to support agile software development methodologies. Agile development involves an iterative approach to software development, with frequent feedback and collaboration between the development team and stakeholders. Agile contracts are designed to support this process by providing flexibility, adaptability, and transparency.

Why do we use Agile Contracts?

Traditional contracts are often rigid and inflexible, making them unsuitable for agile development. Agile development involves constant change and iteration; standard contracts can hinder this process. Agile contracts provide a more flexible approach, allowing for changes as the development process progresses. This allows the development team to be more responsive to changing requirements and to deliver software that meets the needs of stakeholders.

What is the Most Common Types of Agile Contract?

Time and Materials Contracts

Capped Time and Materials Contracts work like traditional Time and Materials contracts. However, in this agile contract management, an upper limit on customers’ payment is set. As a result, suppliers get benefit in case of early time-frame changes. On the other hand, customers need to pay up for the capped cost limit. This type of contract is often used when the project scope is uncertain, or the client wants more control over the development process.

Agile Contract for Managing Change

Agile contracts are becoming increasingly popular in the software industry due to the many benefits they offer over traditional contracts. In this post, we will explore why Agile contracts are better for software projects.

First, let’s define what Agile is. Agile is an iterative approach to software development that emphasizes collaboration, flexibility, and continuous improvement. Agile methods are designed to adapt to changing requirements, feedback, and priorities throughout the development process.

Traditional contracts, on the other hand, are often based on a fixed set of requirements and a predetermined timeline. These contracts can be rigid and inflexible, making it difficult to adapt to changing requirements or unforeseen challenges.

Benefits of Agile Contract Management

Agile contract management has several key benefits, including…

Increased Flexibility:

Agile contract management provides increased flexibility, allowing for changes as the development process progresses. This allows the development team to be more responsive to changing requirements and to deliver software that meets the needs of stakeholders.

Improved Collaboration:

Agile contract management encourages collaboration between the development team and stakeholders. This helps to ensure that the software being developed meets the needs of all stakeholders.

Greater Transparency:

Agile contract management provides greater transparency, with open communication and clear documentation. This helps ensure that all parties involved in the development process know the project’s status and any changes made.

Better Risk Management:

Agile contract management supports better risk management, focusing on identifying and mitigating risks throughout the development process. This helps to ensure that the project stays on track and that risks are identified and addressed promptly.

Better for Iterative:

Agile contracts support an iterative approach to software development, with frequent feedback and collaboration between the development team and stakeholders. This allows for continuous improvement and ensures that the software being developed meets the needs of stakeholders.

Agile Contract Management in Mitigating Risks

Agile contract management is critical in mitigating risks throughout the development process. By identifying and addressing risks early in the development process, agile contract management helps minimize the impact of threats and reduce the likelihood of project failure. Some specific ways in which agile contract management can help mitigate risks include:

Regular Communication and Collaboration:

Agile contract management emphasizes regular communication and collaboration between the development team and stakeholders. This allows potential risks to be identified early and addressed before they become larger issues.

Incremental Delivery:

Agile contract management encourages incremental software delivery with frequent releases and stakeholder feedback. This helps identify potential issues early and allows for adjustments before they become significant risks.

Flexibility and Adaptability:

Agile contract management is designed to be flexible and adaptable, allowing for changes as the development process progresses. This helps to mitigate risks by allowing for adjustments to be made to address emerging issues.

Transparency and Documentation:

Agile contract management emphasizes transparency and clear documentation, which helps ensure that all parties involved in the development process are aware of potential risks and any changes made to mitigate those risks.

At Towa Software, we understand the importance of agile contract management in supporting successful software development projects. Our team of experienced professionals works closely with clients to develop agile contracts tailored to their specific needs and requirements. We recognize that every project is unique and work closely with our clients to ensure our agile contract management approach is customized to their needs.

Conclusion

Agile contract management is an essential component of successful software development projects. By emphasizing flexibility, collaboration, transparency, and risk management, agile contract management helps ensure software development projects are completed on time, within budget, and to stakeholders’ satisfaction.

In conlcusion, agile contracts provide a more effective framework for managing software development projects. They offer greater flexibility, collaboration, continuous improvement, transparency, and reduced risk. By embracing Agile contracts, clients and development teams can work together to deliver high-quality software that meets the client’s needs.

About Towa

You can contact us at support@towasoftware.com or give us a call at +1 (210) 787-4525 for more information.

March 21, 2023 0 Comments by MSc. Adrian Lopez

InnovationOutsourcingTeam Augmentation

Why Mexico is the Top Country for Nearshore Software Outsourcing

Mexico is the best country for nearshore software outsourcing for many reasons. For one, Mexico has a robust educational system, which means that they can produce the same quality of work as anyone would find in any other country – but at a lower overall cost. This blog explores why Mexico is the leading country for nearshore software outsourcing and staff augmentation.

Mexico is Nearshore Outsourcing’s Top Choice

Mexico has a well-educated workforce, competitive price points for software development, and time zones that work well with USA and Canada. It is also a country that has experienced amazing growth in recent years in the IT sector.

Benefits of Mexico for Nearshore Outsourcing

When it comes to nearshore software outsourcing, Mexico is the chosen destination. The country’s proximity to the U.S., its knowledgeable workforce, and favorable government policies make it an ideal locale. It has a growing English-speaking population with good core values, strong work ethic, top talent, and eagerness to learn more technical skills, making it one of the most reliable outsourcing and team augmentation.

Technology Hubs in Mexico

Mexico is a perfect place for nearshore software outsourcing. They have a ton of technology centers that are ready to take on any project. Mexico City, Guadalajara and Monterrey are top destinations for landing a remote team. These delivery centers have a high level of expertise and can do anything from ideas to design to programming.

They also have excellent infrastructure that includes reliable power, internet, transportation, and other essentials needed for a great office workspace. Most of the population speaks at least some level of English.

Top Talent Pool for Software Engineers

Mexico has a very talented pool of software engineers and is a highly competitive market. They have a lot of technical schools that graduate high-quality engineers and programmers to work for nearshore software development firms.

Nowadays, you can find top software engineers in any major city and other towns all around Mexico. With the right partner, you can land, build and scale a tech team in weeks, having 20 years in the market Towa is great sourcing of top software engineers.

More Facts About Mexico Tech Talent

There are many reasons why Mexico is the top country for nearshore software outsourcing. One of those reasons is the high level of talent and technical skills in the country.

Another reason is that operations and IT expenses will be significantly lower than if outsourced to another region. Companies can also benefit from a broad array of tax incentives and an extremely favorable currency exchange rate.

Conclusion

Mexico is a great place to invest in nearshore software development. Find a tech partner that knows the market, and with extensive experience in building tech teams in your industry. Ask for use cases and don’t be afraid to ask for a blended rate for team augmentation.

There are many opportunities and benefits that companies gain from nearshore outsourcing and staff augmentation for top software engineers. Compare rates and skills to validate your competitive advantage to deliver more products.

About Towa

You can contact us at support@towasoftware.com or give us a call via (+1) 210-787-4525 for more information.

Starting small and build trust with your provider before scaling.

You can Book a 15-min call call with one of our Customer Success Managers for a conversation.

August 25, 2022 0 Comments by MSc. Adrian Lopez

AgileInnovationTeam Augmentation

Nearshore Custom Software Development Services for SMB

Nearshore IT Software Development services for SMB

FAQ

What Problems You Can Solve With Towa?

There are several problems in IT projects whose roots are in scarce resources. We have compiled a list of such problems and made it easy for you to engage in cooperation with us based on a specific problem you face.

Do you need developers to extend or scale up your team?

Your company has a well-organized IT team facing a business request to be handled by a specific deadline. The challenge is that your team is not big enough or mostly busy to be able to deliver the project as fast as your business requires. We can jump in by enabling your team to scale up with additional people with the required skills.

Do you need a project manager and developers to create an additional project team?

The business challenged you to start fast a new project to deliver additional capabilities while your IT team is tied up in other projects. The actual situation is you don’t have free resources for the new project and you are challenged to meet your business expectations. We can jump in by delivering you a self-organizing project team within days.

Do you need an expert in a certain field to solve a few problems?

You are in the middle of a project but your project team has got stacked due to the lack of a highly-qualified specialist in a certain field. You are facing delays in the project and not meeting your business deadline. We can help by providing you with experts in many different fields for a bundle of hours a month to solve your technical problems.

Do you need a custom software development team?

You are challenged by your business to design and implement a custom application to handle your business’s unique requirements. The problem is that your IT team is not big and/or experienced enough to deliver such a project within a deadline. We can jump in by giving you a skilled custom software development team within days.

Do you need an innovation team to create an MVP or Proof of Concept?

You are requested by your business to design and implement a Minimum Viable Product (MVP) quickly or maybe you need to build a Proof of Concept (PoC). The problem is that your IT team is not big and/or experienced enough to deliver such a project within a deadline. We can help by giving you an experienced innovation team working based on our Minimum Viable Project (MVP) as a Service approach. Or we can help you build a Proof of concept to validate the business case.

Do you need to train your team on best practices in certain fields?

You have a well-organized IT team but it lacks a few skills. That challenge you to deliver certain requests from your business efficiently and within deadlines, and you feel that your team is not operating as efficiently as it could. We can help you by sharing best practices learned during our past projects, including providing you with a project manager who will tell you how to approach a given project, run a workshop, or work on use cases, as well as an innovation officer to help you with digital transformation issues.

IT Nearshoring Services for SMB

Every company has different needs and expectations, at Towa, we have been working with Small and Medium size companies providing expert software design and development services so you can create world-class products.

Our nearshore development teams deliver the benefits of tech expertise, bilingual collaboration, time zone alignment, and competitive costs.

Fuel your business with IT experts to speed innovation and increase ROI.

About Towa

You can contact us at support@towasoftware.com or give us a call at +1 (210) 787-4525 for more information.

August 19, 2022 0 Comments by MSc. Adrian Lopez

eCommerceInnovationOutsourcing

Does Augmented Reality Make Sense for eCommerce?

Augment Reality for eCommerce 3.0

(4 min read)

Every new technology has it’s “A-Ha!” moment. Think of Edison’s light bulb, the Wright brothers’ biplane and 3-D glasses for moviegoers in the 60’s.

The watershed moment for augmented reality was the Pokémon Go phenomenon in 2016. In case you don’t recall, it was a video game played outside using smartphones to find little creatures. People were running around like crazy in public areas staring into their phones searching for animated creatures that they could only see with their phones.

AR continues to make headlines, and heads turn, watching products magically appear in smartphone apps. However, does it make sense for eCommerce to adopt this newcomer to the marketing arena?

Letting Customers Try Before They Buy Reduces Returns

According to a poll taken by Adobe, 54% of retailers said the customer experience is their most important area of focus. Of those retailers, 33% said “targeting and personalization” were in the top three marketing priorities. As a personalization tactic, AR has become the tool of choice.

Augmented reality has become a new and potent marketing strategy for personalizing products, both in-store and online. Customers can visualize furniture or wall colors while standing in their homes. It lets customers try on, experience or interact with products that they can’t physically touch. It is an interactive shopping experience topped only by physically handling the merchandise.

The National Retail Federation states that eCommerce retailers are stuck with 8% returns of all sales (2016). Clothing returns are as high as 40%. By offering AR apps that allow customers to visualize themselves wearing any item in the catalog, it eliminates the customer’s doubts and should reduce the number of returns.

Memorable and Unique Experiences Lead To Sales

BigCommerce says that 96% of Americans have made at least one purchase online in their life and 51% prefer online shopping to brick and mortar stores.

To keep customers glued to the site and coming back, retailers need to provide unique and personal experiences. It doesn’t get more unique than trying products through augmented reality. Retailers who have integrated AR to enhance their web development and design are automatically ahead of their competition. It provides an innovative way to interact with customers that will soon become the norm, like mobile-friendly pages.

Advantages of Leveraging Augmented Reality

Retailers who offer AR apps provide a better customer experience which leads to more sales. Here are four more reasons why customers are taking to AR like ducks to water:

Better Visualization of the Product
The online retail environment is mostly a two-dimensional world. That’s not good if you’re selling physical products. AR lets customers visualize the product from all angles. They can virtually try before they buy. Dresses, furniture and cars are a few ways customers can see how a product fits without having to visit a store.

Instantly Show Options
Merchants can include product details and specifications that the customer can absorb while simultaneously viewing the product. Customers can immediately change options such as colors, allowing for a faster buying decision. Better visualization creates ownership, moving the buyer closer to a sale.

Broaden Your Reach Globally

IKEA proved that AR works with their furniture catalog. Customers from around the world use the app to visualize IKEA’s products right in their homes. By merely moving their phone, customers can imagine what a bed or sofa will look like in a room.

Any retailer can have the same global potential and reach by adding AR to their marketing strategy.

Keep Them In Your Store Long

The AR experience keeps customers in the store longer, and The Wall Street Journal reports that engaged shoppers can spend up to 40% more.

A UK research company showed that new visitors to a retail site spend an average of 2 minutes and 31 seconds browsing, but sites with AR increased the browsing time by five times longer. Longer shopping times mean increased sales.

Is Augmented Reality Suitable For Every Business?

Online merchants, both B2C and B2B, who sell physical products will benefit by offering their customers an augmented reality experience. However, if your business sells digital products or is service oriented, AR may not be the best choice of marketing tactic since it is more about visualizing a 3-D product.

It lets shoppers interact with products online, at home or in the store. Wowing shoppers with a personalized experience is vital for the future of any retailer. AR does that while removing uncertainty from the shopper’s mind.

BigCommerce also reports that 67% of Millennial shoppers and 56% of Gen Xers would prefer to make purchases online than in a store. AR provides them with the interactive, gamified experience with which most of them grew up. U.S. 2018 sales revenue from AR was $1.26 billion. It’s estimated to grow to over $15.5 billion by 2020 (Statista).

You should seek a full-service eCommerce development outsourcing company to partner to help plan and implement AR, to stay ahead of your competition; contact us and we can help!

Conclusion

Towa Software has over 20 years of experience as a leading software development outsourcing company in the USA and Mexico, we have extensive experience in many fields including fintech, banking, payments gateways, e-commerce, retail, marketplaces, health care, omnichannel, and many more.

We have eCommerce Specialists and Innovation Consultants along with top talented teams who have delivered awesome products to customers in U.S.A, Canada, Mexico, London, and Australia.

You can contact us at support@towasoftware.com or give us a call via (+1) 210-787-4525 for more information.

You can Book a 15-min call with one of our Customer Success Managers for a conversation.

March 28, 2022 0 Comments by MSc. Adrian Lopez

Online Survey Concept. Tiny Male and Female Characters Filling Digital Form on Huge Laptop and Smartphone Application

AgileInnovationOutsourcing

Nearshore Agile Software Testing Services

Quality Assurance & Software Testing

Today digital transformation of businesses and lifestyle have an increased need for software products and services of outstanding quality. In combination with the current fast-paced world, companies expect faster time-to-market and continuous delivery of software solutions.

Which can be provided with effective quality and software testing service, the Nearshore offering of software testing services is a response to the increased demands of the local market. Nearshore software testing services can reduce operating expenses while increasing productivity and ensuring the quality of delivered services in the development lifecycle.

Agile Software Testing Services

What is Nearshore Agile Software Testing Services?

Software testing services refer to the process of verifying a system to identify any errors or gaps in a software application or program so that it functions according to the client and end-user requirements.

Every product deserves to be delivered to the full specifications required by the client, which means quality assurance needs to be thorough, deliberate, and efficient. The traditional means of software development is known as the Waterfall method, which splits the build process into a series of steps. This linear design provides a clear course of action, but sacrifices versatility and seamless delivery.

Agile Software Testing can be implemented at the start of the project with continuous integration between development and testing, something the Waterfall method cannot deliver. Rather than being sequential, Agile software development is continuous.

And, nearshore refers to the geographical location used for outsourcing projects and services to partnered companies. Most business-minded people are already familiar with offshore and onshore outsourcing, which leverage overseas partners and in-country third-party companies respectively to supplement your software development teams.

Nearshore, by comparison, is used for outsourcing companies that are situated within the same time zones used by your company but reside within the borders of a separate country. This allows you to have your quality assurance and software testing extended teams be in a location that is close to the country of your headquarters. A great nearshore location for companies in the U.S. would be Mexico.

What is Nearshore Agile Software Testing Services?

Nearshore is a form of outsourcing that refers to services delivered from an adjacent or nearby location.
Any outsourcing location “near” to its primary market (i.e. Eastern European countries to Western European Countries). Some analysts describe it as services delivered from an adjacent or nearby country.

Manual and Automated Testing

Testing can be done both manually and automated. Manual testing utilizes the input, inspection, and attention of human software testers. Automated testing, uses several tools and scripts to do the work.

Manual testing is done by a tester to make sure all use cases are working as expected and requires time to validate each case scenario. The software tester works with the application or software, clicking through it to find errors. Manual testing takes some time, but it provides the unique insight of a hands-on experience to help validate the product quality checks.

Automated testing is performed by a software tool that executes a test script written in advance. Since each test is pre-programmed, the quality of the tests depends on how well the scripts are written. It’s more reliable and robust than manual, but poor programming may lead to missed bugs in the product.

Benefits of Nearshore Agile Software Testing

Creating software products is a complex task, any project or product in the first iterations is difficult to make bug-free. Quality assurance and testing are crucial in solving these errors, preventing potential system failures that result in higher costs. Having the right nearshore software testing services will guarantee that a dedicated team will work from the beginning of the project on identifying and removing errors on time. This will increase software quality and reduce maintenance costs.

The initial development stage is critical for identifying errors, and issues before they become bigger problems. Quality should be one of the main concerns for all software projects from the early stages, ensuring that potential mistakes are minimized.

Principles of Agile Software Testing

Here is a list of some fundamentals of agile software testing. These principles should drive every team’s software development process, reporting, and determining the most effective team strategies.

Everyone Should Tests

There are no individuals within your software development teams that are exempt from testing the product. This means that all developers are tasked with interacting with the application and systems, putting more hands on deck to potentially pick out any vulnerabilities and weaknesses within the design of the program.

Continuous Testing

Agile development requires the team to test the software regularly, any product increment should demand running testing use cases again, and again. New issues could arise at any moment, so that is why testing help to reduce bugs quickly and effectively. Both manual and automated testing techniques are very useful for delivering continuous releases of the software product.

Testing Improves the Team and Project

The feedback generated through the continuous testing process repeatedly informs how you can meet the requirements of a software product. Each time you test, you learn more about what needs to be done to improve the project. The more testing is done, the better the team becomes in all the specifications of a given project.

Faster Feedback Response

Continuous feedback translates to more immediate response times. With every project iteration that comes across, testing reveals more feedback about what needs to be improved. Constant attention to product incremental during each sprint will increase the team’s capability to address any issues, creating a faster cycle of development with greater quality.

Good Coding Practices

Each time the project moves through on a continuous testing cycle, your team of developers fixes any new defects. Every iteration delivers a better, improved version, effectively improving, and optimizing the final code. Adding up new features and having a continuous testing practice will help the end product and end-user have a better user experience.

Minimmum Documentation

Creating documentation for every phase, iteration, or testing cycle is extremely time-consuming. The agile manifesto states that people, interactions, and working software over comprehensive documentation, there is no real need to document every single step. Agile software development and testing promote the use of checklists rather than filling documentation templates per cycle. These checklists focus on the essence of the test and results.

Test-Driven

The agile process for software development is executed with the corresponding testing before releasing functionality. Agile in comparison with waterfall does not wait for the whole project to be finished in order to do testing cycles to see if it functions properly. Every product incremental during the agile building process is done through testing, ensuring continuous participation in the quality of the product.

Nearshore IT solution provider

At Towa, we are certain that these elements serve as a great foundation to build a powerful value proposition for users of IT services.

The Nearshore model is much more efficient in achieving higher percentages of work performed at a lower-cost location than offshore.

Value propositions

Leverage proximity
- Proximity and time zone
- Cultural affinity and ease of doing business
- Cost savings
The total cost of engagement

Although nearshore rates tend to be higher, the overall cost of nearshore engagements is equivalent to or less than offshore, because of the efficiency gains that working in close proximity to the US and in the same time zones can bring.

Productivity gains

Global nearshore
- World-class cost-efficient services
- Fill the gap left by India centric global sourcing
- Outstanding customer services
- Reduce the complexity of IT services management
- Globalize IT operations
- Optimize costs
- Support the evolution of the business

Nearshore software testing

Increase software quality, reduce costs

Today’s software applications are increasingly intricate, often operating within multi-layer, multi-platform environments, and shaped in rapid and agile conditions, with increasingly ambitious requirements.
In this complex scenario, software testing becomes even more critical as a means to assure quality and minimize risk, while meeting the market and organization’s needs.

Towa provides a robust and comprehensive testing practice that identifies the correctness, completeness, and quality level of software products. Towa enhances productivity and increases communication with the development teams while helping clients achieve significant cost savings.

Services

Quality assurance
Software testing
Test automation
Performance testing
Mobile testing
Security and penetration testing

IT Services Nearshoring

Towa´s goal is to improve the efficiency of all processes throughout the application lifecycle from vision and development to implementation and continuous maintenance.

Services

Application development services
- Application modernization
- Business intelligence
- Custom application development
- System integration
- Ecommerce services
- Open source
- Mobile

Application value management
- SLA Management and monitoring
- Requirements management
- Configuration management
- Transition management
- Communication management
- QA management
- Risk management
- Change management

IT infrastructure services
- End-user support services
- Server and datacom support
- IT business process support

Nearshore cloud solutions

Cloud technology maximized

Leading organization are controlling their futures by using the cloud to drive change and innovation, build new business models, and follow new opportunities.

Towa takes a holistic approach to leveraging the cloud with our architecture and advisory Services, Cloud Migration and Application Development Services, Managed Services for Cloud Hosting, and Cloud Application Support Services. We combine all these services into one package and deliver a solution that allows you to phase your implementation of the cloud relative to the business requirements you have. Our approach to the cloud combines both business and technology, ensuring a positive result.

Services

Cloud architecture and advisory services
Inventory application portfolio
Cloud roadmap and strategy
Build business case
Architect solution
Cloud migration and application development
Cloud application migration
Cloud application development
Managed services for cloud hosting
Cloud hosting
Software as a service
Managed storage and database services

Conclusion

Agile development is a proactive strategy for delivering the highest quality assurance for every project. Constant assessment maintains a system that continuously improves the product, polishing its design until the code, functionality, and interface are performing as expected. Combining agile quality assurance with the convenience of a nearshore outsourcing team delivers premium digital products at an affordable cost with accessible collaboration.

We have expert Project Managers and Innovation Consultants along with top talented teams who have delivered awesome products to customers in U.S.A, Canada, Mexico, London, and Australia.

You can contact us at support@towasoftware.com or give us a call via (+1) 210-787-4525 for more information.

March 28, 2022 0 Comments by MSc. Adrian Lopez

Software Development Services

Engagement

Services

Software Development Services

Engagement

Services

Category: Innovation

Distributed Workforce

The organizations that succeed will be the ones that build it with intentionality

For fast-growing and cost-conscious companies

How to Set Up a Distributed Workforce:

Embracing Intentional Design

Start With Purposeful Planning

Design Communication Flows, Not Just Tools

Build Trust and Flexibility Into the Culture

Rethink Collaboration Spaces

Prioritize Employee Wellbeing and Belonging

Continuously Iterate and Improve

Transform The Work Environment

In Summary

Let's talk

Methodology Matters:

Choose the Right Software Development Approach for Your Organization

Software Development Approaches

Agile Methodologies

Scrum

Kanban

Extreme Programming (XP

Lean Software Development

Traditional Methodologies

Waterfall

Spiral Mode

V-Model

Scaling Frameworks

SAFe (Scaled Agile Framework)

LeSS (Large-Scale Scrum)

Nexus

Disciplined Agile (DA)

Development Frameworks and Approaches

DevOps

DevSecOps

Feature-Driven Development (FDD)

Behavior-Driven Development (BDD)

Process-Oriented Methodologies

PSP (Personal Software Process)

TSP (Team Software Process)

Combined PSP/TSP Implementation

Finding Your Right Approach

The Bottom Line

Traditional Outsourcing is Death:

Why Innovative Companies Are Switching to Staff Augmentation

The Problem with Traditional Outsourcing

The Staff Augmentation Advantage

Why Project Managers Shouldn't Be Middlemen

Building Long-Term Relationships

Security and IP Protection

The Cost-Benefit Reality

Making the Transition

The Bottom Line

Nearshore staff augmentation can be an effective strategy for delivering high-quality products.

Why Software Engineering Quality Matters:

Ensuring Long-Term Success in Nearshore Software Outsourcing

The Real Impact of Software Quality

Minimizing Technical Debt

Enhancing User Experience

Ensuring Security and Compliance

Supporting Scalability

Reducing Long-Term Costs

Leading Financial Tech Company Scales Through Quality Development

Innovative Retail Platform Achieves Reliability and Security

Ensuring a Smooth Transition with Nearshore Excellence

Quality is Key to Long-Term Success

Nearshore outsourcing can be an effective strategy for delivering high-quality solutions.

Offshore, Nearshore or Onshore

Why use Nearshore?

Example:

What is Onshore?

Definitions:

Offshore Development

Benefits of Offshoring Teams

Agile Contract
Management