Key Benefits of Distributed Software Development
Rapid advances in technology and the COVID-19 experience, there were made significant shifts in societal attitudes toward work. Therefore, today, more types of workplaces than just a single office exist. We are no longer limited to geographical distances, time zones, and physical locations. The era of distributed work began.
What are Distributed Work and Distributed Teams?
Distributed work is collaborative work completed by a team of distant workers that don’t have access to a shared location they can work from. Members of the distributed team are physically located away from each other and can even operate within different time zones.
With more freedom to work around, employees may be more efficient while enjoying a comfortable work environment. For instance, a study from the Harvard Business Review shows that distributed teams were more productive than in-house at assuring the accomplishment of tasks.
What is the Difference Between Remote and Distributed Teams?
The terms "remote" and "distributed" are sometimes used synonymously, but they are actually in different categories. In contrast to distributed teams, remote teams typically have a central office where one or more employees might come in to work full- or part-time. In general, remote work is a discipline for the individual worker, while distributed work is a discipline for the entire organization.
Benefits of Working With the Distributed Software Development Team
Tech executives are leery about distributed teams because it disagrees with several fundamental tenets of agile development, such as that the maxim of face-to-face communication is preferable. However, recent developments in video-call technology have rendered this argument all but irrelevant. Even greater development outcomes may be achieved by adhering to the remaining agile principles and including deliberate video communication. Let's go through the greatest benefits distributed development can bring to us.
Benefits of Distributed Teams
A Wider Pool of Talent
When employing a distributed team, you can look outside the geographical limits of your organization. You get access to outstanding professionals all over the world, so even if you require someone with a very specialized skill set, you will undoubtedly be able to find them. Moreover, a research company in the U.K. discovered that diverse teams are 60% better at decision-making and are 35% more likely to have profits above their competitors.
Reduced Operating Costs
Companies save money on rent and office-related costs like utilities, parking, and other maintenance items when they have less or no office space. Also, offered salary sometimes can be adjusted to the employee's resident country.
Increased Productivity
Many distractions can keep employees from producing their best work at the office, including workplace politics, commute fatigue, and pointless meetings spread throughout the day. 85% of organizations report that enhanced productivity is a result of giving employees more freedom to select where and when they work, which also improves employee motivation.
Larger Coverage
The amount of work that may be completed in a day increases when you have several distributed teams spread across multiple locations. Your development teams can be accessible around-the-clock to sustain the delivery of continuous software development services.
Best Practices to Manage the Distributed Software Development Team
Virtual cooperation should be managed in a certain way, though, for it to be successful. Here are several critical strategies to employ:
- Create a Face-to-face Video Onboarding Process. You shouldn't limit your onboarding to simply outlining the tasks of a new employee. The newcomer should benefit from it by better understanding the workplace culture and getting to know the team. Putting names to faces right away will help lay the groundwork for a great collaboration.
- Use the Right Collaboration Tools. By developing your toolkit, you establish a remote setting where your team can work and communicate without difficulty. The basic set of such tools includes team chat and video conferencing apps, document-sharing, and project management platforms.
- Hold Regular and Structured Meetings. Distributed team interaction may require a lot of conscious effort. Plan some virtual team-building activities and organize one-to-one meetings to address questions and share progress. That also helps in keeping distant workers motivated and preventing isolation.
- Build a Culture of Transparency. Your expectation, requirements, and the company's objectives must be known and understood by every employee. In turn, trust your colleagues, and let managers step into employees' workspace only when things aren’t on track.
- Give Feedback. Managers must hold team feedback meetings once a project is finished to discuss what went well and where there could be improvements. Such meetings help discover how employees truly feel. Additionally, it can give an understanding of how to enhance work procedures.
Wrapping Up
A highly centralized organizational structure is no longer necessary, as seen by the large number of globally dispersed businesses, like GitLab. Moreover, distributed software development can actually bring a lot of advantages.
Here at CodeLions, we have long-time expertise in creating web & mobile apps for small and medium-sized businesses, in particular using distributed work approach. Feel free to book a free consultation.