IT outsourcing to Sri Lanka: benefits, and what to consider before doing so

It’s no secret that software and IT outsourcing has now become the norm for developing high-quality software. Especially with remote and distributed working environments now popularised, even the most traditional of businesses have realised the value that software outsourcing can bring, sans compromising on any quality.

Add to this the pressure of a highly fast-paced business environment; customers keep shifting preferences and priorities, while tight budgets compel companies to downsize and only hire the most necessary people. Irrespective of the business climate, you need digital systems (both internal and customer-facing) to be optimal and reliable.

Enter software outsourcing, and its ability to deliver the best in world-class talent, that too at a budget. When it comes to software outsourcing companies in Sri Lanka, though, what’s so special? In this article, we shed light on the benefits of outsourcing your software development operations to Sri Lanka, as well as what to look out for when moving from one software outsourcing partner to another.

Additionally, we also share some tips on choosing the right software outsourcing company for your business, and ensuring smooth working operations for a long time to come.

Looking for a top software and IT outsourcing company in Sri Lanka? EFutures has long-standing experience in designing, building, testing and maintaining quality enterprise software and mobile applications, including allied services such as cyber security, cloud services management and AI model training.

Let us know what your business requirements are, so we can craft a software development and/or IT strategy that meets your objectives.

The advantages of conducting software outsourcing in Sri Lanka

Significant cost savings

With software and IT outsourcing offering a substantial reduction of costs in general, Sri Lankan software outsourcing companies are no exception. With a currency exchange rate that is favourable to clients who primarily deal with currencies such as the US dollar or Euro, outsourcing your software development needs is going to be a budget-friendly investment. Furthermore, no compromise is seen in terms of quality – obtain the same standard of service and deliverables, in spite of reduced costs.

This reduction in cost does not require time for an ROI; see it unfold from the start itself, owing to how substantial your cost reductions may be. With employee hiring and management also overseen by your software outsourcing partner, these overhead costs, including that of hiring equipment and office space are also slashed – thereby making software outsourcing, particularly in Sri Lanka, a win-win.

The flexibility to incorporate schedules based on foreign time zones

The keenness and openness to be forthcoming towards a client’s time zone and work according to their preferred local timings is one of the biggest strengths of most Sri Lankan software outsourcing companies. Teams are open to work the shift with odd timings, or at least meet their clients virtually at a time as per their time zone, that is suitable to them.

Such flexibility has been one of the contributing factors for the success of the Sri Lankan IT workforce. By being determined to go the extra mile to suit their clients’ requirements which go beyond the software development life cycle, it’s safe to say that the Sri Lankan hospitality also extends to its IT workforce as well.

A constantly innovating culture of technology

With multiple information technology hubs now based in Colombo, the IT workforce in Sri Lanka is one where specialists gather to discuss what is trending, while also pursuing a constant quest for such knowledge individually. Such communities consist of developers, designers, testers, sysadmin professionals and even marketing experts who are already employed at IT companies in Sri Lanka, and who also have an exposure to international markets through the clients they serve.

This constant culture of innovation has therefore enabled the Sri Lankan IT workforce to embrace newfound trends such as AI and machine learning, which includes building custom algorithms for AI model training. Add to this a general keenness to meet clients’ requirements by going the extra mile, and you have a team that you can rely on for a long-standing software development partnership.

What is required from a company that is looking to offshore software development in Sri Lanka?

Nothing specific or extra is required, when it comes to choosing a software and/or IT outsourcing partner in Sri Lanka. However, if you are moving from one software outsourcing partner to another, it is important to address a few key items, to ensure a smooth transfer. These include:

Data migration: While hosted resources significantly streamline access to data today, for on-premise deployments, ensure proper processes and compliance protocols are in place. Improperly handling physical items of storage could render data corrupt, while also increasing the risk of compliance violations.
Reallocation of tasks and resources: It’s likely that you may need to reallocate tasks to team members who have been hired via your new software outsourcing partner. For this, establish a process to transfer duties, be it via briefings, through collaboration over real-time task management tools, or ideally a combination of both.

Choosing and working with the right software outsourcing company in Sri Lanka for your business

Sri Lanka or elsewhere, this advice serves as general rules-of-thumb to help your organisation select a suitable software and IT outsourcing company for your project, along with tips on maintaining a successful cadence of collaboration to meet goals accurately, and on time.

A preliminary assessment: Ask questions pertaining to bottlenecks, customer complaints and poorly optimised resources to understand where gaps lie, and what can be done to save time, money and effort, to meet overarching business goals.
MVPs: Implement what is planned following the initial assessment phase, as small and bite-sized goals. This reduces pressure on development teams, while also allowing users to gauge whether they like a new feature or not. In turn, this helps determine where efforts need to be reduced or increased, in the interest of customer-centricity.
Measure, improve and repeat: Make sure the right KPIs are in place for your project, with subsequent reporting tools relaying this information, ideally on a real-time basis. This will help teams align their work towards one common goal, and even encourage a complete recalibration, if needed.

To sum up…

Whether you need to hire remote developers or build a complete team of developers, designers, testers and software architects, the Sri Lankan software outsourcing industry can cater to most requirements, no matter the niche. Services span beyond core software and mobile app development, which include cloud and data management services, AI model training and cyber security, so enterprise IT teams have a one-stop-shop for all things technology.

With a talent pool that is skilled as it is nimble, the Sri Lankan IT workforce has much to offer any enterprise client, thanks to their attention to detail and persevering work ethic. Open to nearshoring arrangements as well, Sri Lankan software outsourcing companies can deliver in-person meetings as needed or on an annual, semi-annual or quarterly basis, so companies that prefer in-person collaboration can avail all the benefits of software outsourcing, but without the compromise of in-person communication.

FAQs

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Q1: What are the best software offshoring models to adopt with Sri Lankan software outsourcing companies?

A: Any software offshoring model or a combination of two or more models is possible, as Sri Lankan software outsourcing companies are typically very flexible when it comes to working arrangements. For example, a staff augmentation approach may be ideal if you are only looking to hire developers for an existing team. Conversely, use a fully-fledged dedicated team approach for entire teams that are hired to serve your company’s software development project alone.

Ultimately, it is less about which software offshoring model your organisation uses, but more so about what objectives need to be met while building your software - and Sri Lankan software outsourcing companies will use any model that helps teams meet said objectives.

Q2: Do Sri Lankan software outsourcing companies have offices outside of Sri Lanka?

A: Many leading software outsourcing companies in Sri Lanka either have regional offices or individual representatives in regions abroad, particularly in countries where they have a client base. This is highly beneficial for companies that are comfortable with nearshoring, as they prefer to meet with a representative from their outsourcing partner in person.

Alternatively, some Sri Lankan software and IT outsourcing companies also arrange in-person meetups on a semi-annual or annual basis, either by sending teams over to clients’ locations, or in Sri Lanka itself.

Q3: Do software outsourcing companies in Sri Lanka also offer cyber security services?

A: Some Sri Lankan software and IT outsourcing companies do offer cyber security services, either via an in-house SOC (Security Operations Centre) or via partnerships with a dedicated cyber security provider. At EFutures, we can cater to your organisation’s cyber security needs by assessing your current security posture and attack surface, to understand how we can enable robust and all-round protection of your network’s perimeters. Contact us today to know how you can get started.

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