Why outsourcing company insists on hiring a Project Manager?

Published: August 8, 2016 4 min. read
Svitla Team
By Svitla Team
Managed Operations
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When starting a new project with an outsourcing company, such as Svitla Systems, clients often hear a recommendation to hire a Project Manager at least for the first few weeks. And while the outsourcing company has no doubts about this recommendation, this proposition often raises some questions and concerns on clients’ site.  

Why does an outsourcing company insist on bringing in one more team member? What will be his/her responsibilities? How long will he/she stay on the project? Can we do the project without him/her? We already have a PM on our (clients’) side, what the hell this dude is going to do?

Here at Svitla Systems, we try our best to make our work very transparent. So we want to explain why we think hiring a PM at the beginning of a project is a worthy idea and why believe that a Project Manager is as important in software development as a musical director in any orchestra band.

Setting up an effective communication between customer and dev team 

First few weeks of any project are crucial. And setting up an effective communication process among all members, making sure everyone is on the same page, is one of the most important tasks. While a Team Leader is often focused on technical aspects of the project, a Project Manager helps a team to understand what business needs a client wants to achieve. Thus, the PM helps both teams to adapt to each other and understand everyone’s expectations. After communication between a customer and a dev team is well-established, and development process is running smoothly, the role of PM can then be shifted to a supervisor, where he/she helps Team Leads and a customer when needed. 

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Team Lead function and supervision

Another well-established practice takes place when a development team does not have a Team Leader at all. In those cases, clients works directly with development teams. However, projects with over three developers or several dev teams may require a Project Manager’s supervision on general progress, making sure clients stay happy with Svitla teams’ results. So PM will be in charge of transferring tasks to all team members and communicating with the customer. Thus, the customer will be freed from the necessity to control separate developers independently and will be able to focus on a product as a whole and its business aspects. 

Leader-training function

As a rule, a Project Manager possesses strong leadership and communication skills to perform effective team management. That is why a PM may train other developers to become future Team Leads. Sometimes, a Senior Developer needs to take on Team Leader functions, in this case PM helps him grow professionally, improve his/her communication and management skills. It usually takes no longer than a month for a PM to coach an effective Team Leader for a project. 

Being the customer’s right hand 

There are different types of customers in the outsourcing industry. It is great if a customer has a technical person on his site, but if he does not, then there is hardly any person, who gets closer to the customer than a PM, who can translate the technical language of engineers into the business language of a customer and vice versa. The PM can explain to the customer all organizational principles and reporting systems used in IT to avoid misunderstanding and conflict situations. 

Statistics and risk management

Experienced Project Manager is in charge of accounting risks, terms, and project deadlines. The ability to prioritize, identify weak spots, and reassign efforts in the process makes a PM an important decision-maker and adviser. The project failure risks are very low if a PM is assigned; moreover, there is hardly any need for a PM to stay longer than it is necessary. In most cases, one month of a PM’s work is enough to set things right. The role of the Project Manager brings more benefits than losses; in fact, a PM is focused on the success of your company and knows how to kick start the development process on the spot.

Written by
Svitla Team
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FAQ

How should we initiate communication between the developer and the customer?

Begin the Developer-and-Customer-Communication process by engaging a Project Manager who plays the key role of bridging business needs to the development team. During the initial weeks, this PM sets up communication channels, aligns everyone’s expectations, and translates business requirements into technical tasks – making sure that everyone understands what “on the same page” means. She coordinates with Team Leads or directly with developers while task distribution and reporting fall under her purview, so that the customer can concentrate on product and business goals rather than micromanaging engineers. When communications and processes have solidified, she steps back into a supervisory support role and is engaged only when there is a need for risk management as well as conflict prevention.

How to communicate with clients effectively?

The technical engineering language needs to be translated into business objectives for the client, usually by means of a facilitator who makes sure that all parties understand not only what is being delivered but also how it meets expectations. It is in reporting systems and organizations that there should be clarity from the very beginning of any project to avoid misunderstandings and minimize risk; getting useful business insight from technical details maintains transparency and allows the client to focus on the overall success of the product.

What is the key to effective communication?

It begins by getting all parties on the same page- aligning technical execution to clear business objectives right from the very start. This demands relentless effort to convert complex engineering jargon into actionable business insight, but it keeps miscommunication at bay and builds transparency upfront. With structured reporting systems and organizational principles nailed down early on, the team is enabled not only to manage expectations but also to work proactively regarding potential risks. In the end, success is found in maintaining a continuous bridge between the client’s vision and the development team’s daily progress.

What are barriers to effective communication?

Barriers in effective communication are mostly due to differences between technical engineering language and the business-oriented language of the customer, which leads to very great misunderstandings. Friction finds a good ground for growth if clear alignments on expectations and business goals are not well laid out at the initial stage of a project. Progress can also stall due to the absence of structured reporting systems or central coordinators, as task management will be unorganized and risks to the project will not be identified early enough.

How can I improve my communication skills?

You will be able to speak well when you master the art of changing technical details into simple business words so that different parties understand each other well. Listen keenly from the beginning by asking specific questions about what is most important, the risks involved, and the results needed. Learn how to organize information through brief status reports, progress summaries, and clear explanations of timelines and constraints. Also work on leadership skills that involve giving and receiving feedback, leading a conversation, and helping others move toward a shared understanding of goals.