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GENERAL
How does the offshore development work?
The offshore
development methodology does not change, whether the development
is done domestically in the United States, Europe or any other part
of the world. Our team works with an industry standard offshore development
methodology. You will be in direct communication with the project manager
who will track your project through all the phases of development, from
needs analysis, requirements documentation, prototyping, development,
testing, release, business practice integration and support. The work
will be done in our offshore office, but through the power of the Internet
and through our very strong communication skills, it will feel as though
we were working right in your facility.
What are the main benefits that businesses gain from
offshore outsourcing?
Today's organizations must find ways to cut costs, obtain higher productivity
from skilled resources and have in place best practices, de-risked business
through diversification, and accelerate time-to-market for products and
services.
Offshore outsourcing helps companies meet these objectives by
providing:
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Cost effectiveness - Salaries of IT professionals are significantly lower than
those in North America and Europe. This wage differential translates into cost
savings.
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Large pool of IT talent - India has a large resource pool of highly qualified
and experienced IT professionals with expertise in a wide variety of domains and
sectors. This cost effective talent pool can be tapped into and world-class IT
resources can be deployed for a reliable services delivery.
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Best Practices - Focused heavily on quality and continuous process
improvement, offshore development centers operate at high levels of efficiency,
predictability, and reliability. High process maturity greatly reduces the risk
of project failures and provides significant advantage when managing service
level agreements. Also, majority of the SEI CMM certified IT vendors are located
in India, which denotes the high quality culture and a passion for excellence.
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Round-the-clock operation -
Offshore development facilities located in India
are in a distant time zone. There is a time differential between onshore and
offshore destinations which translates into a virtual 24/7 kind of operation for
your projects. Different time zones can lead to reduced development cycles and
time-to-market for your solutions/products.
^ TOP
Why does India score over other
destinations for offshore outsourcing?
Offshore development centers have appearing throughout the world. Buyers can
choose from locations across Asia/Far East (India, China, Philippines), Europe
(Ireland, Russia, Hungary, Poland, Czech Republic), the Americas (Canada,
Mexico, Brazil, Chile, Argentina), and Middle East/Africa (Israel, South
Africa).
Although there are many choices for offshore outsourcing, not all offer the
right formula of success. Selecting the right option requires right mix of
factors such as cultural affinity, geo-political risk, cost advantage and
resource availability. India has emerged as the dominant player because it is
the strongest option across a range of factors:
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Competency in delivering IT services - India has a strong understanding of
business applications and has many decades of experience in delivering IT
services. Many of the IT blue-chip corporate like Microsoft, IBM, EDS, Dell,
HP, Compaq, Sun Microsystems etc have their own captive development facilities
as well as outsourcing relationships with offshore vendors.
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Availability of skilled resources - By any measure, India has the largest pool
of skilled, experienced IT professionals. India's premier universities and
colleges churn-out thousands of well-educated professionals pool every year.
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Government support - Indian government is a strong supporter of IT initiatives
and has invested heavily in building its capabilities and supporting it.
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Cultural affinity - India is the second most populous English speaking country
in the world and IT professionals have extensive experience working with their
American and European counterparts. In contrast, China has a low rate of English
speakers, significant cultural differences, and far less experience in working
with global IT organizations.
What are the implications of outsourcing?
How do I manage outsourcing relationships? Surveys and studies have proven that
more than 90% of Fortune 1000 companies outsource some part of their IT
operations. Also, their spending on offshore IT outsourcing is repetitive, i.e.
they do it on a year-on-year and not experimental basis. If this is the case,
why would an organization not outsource and benefit from reduction of the cost
of IT initiatives. Selection of the right vendor is also very important in
determining of the success of the new paradigm. If the vendor has an onshore
office in your country, your relationship is highly de-risked as you have
someone in your country to respond to you as any point in time. After you have
made the decision to outsource and also selected the right vendor, you need to
also maintain a regular and seamless communication so as to constantly monitor
the project's progress and maximize out of the outsourcing possibility.
^ TOP
How do I know if my company is a candidate for outsourcing?
Outsourcing is now being considered as a mainstream business strategy to improve
overall corporate performance and bring about efficiencies. The Outsourcing
Model has evolved and has undoubtedly become the preferred way of doing business
by corporations of all sizes. Your company may be a candidate for outsourcing if
you are asking yourself the following:
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Are my resources being utilized optimally?
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Can my IT department improve our corporate efficiency?
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Is my company ready to meet the future challenges of technology?
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Is there a quicker, more effective method to handle IT function?
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Should we consider offshore solutions and services?
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Are 40-50% savings for real; what are the after-effects?
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Will employees have a basis for litigation? What are their options?
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BUSINESS
What services does BorderlessMind provide?
BorderlessMind works with leading organizations world-wide to provide them with offshore development solutions and services. We specialize in establishing
offshore development centers for our clients and partners with teams of IT
professionals working dedicatedly for their projects and processes. Broadly, we
provide the following services:
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Application Development and Maintenance
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New Media and Creativity
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Internet Marketing and SEO
Where is BorderlessMind's Offshore Development Center located?
BorderlessMind's Offshore Development Centre is located in NOIDA, Utter Pardesh, India.
What are the normal working hours in a day and week?
8 in a day and 40 in a week.
What are the modes of communication?
The modes of communication are the following:
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Telephone using VOIP technology
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Email
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Instant Messenger Chat
Do you have your own offshore development center, or do you subcontract?
We have own development centre in New Delhi, India and we do not sub-contract.
This is basically to safeguard the interest of our clients/partners and also to
have a greatest control over the processes, people and projects.
^ TOP
What is the strength of your company?
We currently have a team of Seventy Five (75) IT professionals in our
offshore
development center in India.
What type of a team does BorderlessMind have?
At BorderlessMind, we have a team of exceptionally bright and talented professionals with
experience of working with companies like GE, Oracle, BirlaSoft, Convergys, HP,
Wipro, NIIT etc. Majority of our developers/programmers are Engineering
Graduates with Masters in Computer Application. We have the distinction of
attracting and retaining bright talent through promotion of a culture of growth
and continuous improvement.
What type of processes does BorderlessMind have in place?
At BorderlessMind, we have in place sound processes that enable us to deliver best-
in-class services to our clients. Our processes are designed to help our clients
check project updates on a real-time basis, QA methodologies that enable us to
deliver defect free service and project management tools that allow us to manage
the projects effectively. To ensure the timely and quality delivery for high
client satisfaction, we have implemented the following processes:
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Prototypes & Staged Deliveries
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Weekly Status Reports
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Comprehensive Bug Management System
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Configuration Management
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Knowledge Management System
What are the company's core competencies?
Our core competencies are the following:
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Expertise in Microsoft .NET
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More than 50 custom solution deployments world-wide .
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Best-of-the-breed IT talent .
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Fortune 1000 customer endorsement.
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State-of-the-art offshore development facility with a capacity of 100 seats .
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Partnerships with leading global software companies .
Do you provide post-development maintenance?
Yes, we do support all software we design and deliver on the basis of a separate
support/maintenance contracts. This generally includes bug-tracking and fixing.
Feature enhancements and developments are handled as separate contracts. We
track all post maintenance requests, issues, bugs, etc. in our proprietary
software TAR Manager. We also do support and maintain software developed by
other vendors.
^ TOP
How can we be sure that the software you develop for us will not end up in a
competitor's hands after it is completed?
We have confidentiality agreement with our with each and every team member. This
confidentiality is also validated on the basis of existing laws. Most
importantly, our team consists of skilled professionals, who would not risk
their career or professional integrity by misusing a customer's code.
What kinds of guarantee do we get that the work is done well?
We give you a one month of warranty after the final delivery for all bug-fixing,
etc. After the warranty period, we sign a separate monthly or quarterly
support/maintenance contract with you, so that you continue to get ongoing
support.
How does BorderlessMind protect confidentiality?
Before a initiating a project, BorderlessMind signs a Non Disclosure Agreement (NDA) and
Project Confidentiality Agreement with the client. Under this agreement, we keep
the client and offshore project-related information in strict confidence. Any
references or client's outsourcing project details are not revealed without the
prior approval of the client. We also sign a Non Disclosure agreement with our
employees so that the confidential information of the client is not shared with
any external entity.
Can you provide references?
Yes, we can provide you with our client references. We have built solid
relationships with our clients and partners by helping them meet their business
objectives and providing them high quality service that exceeds their
expectations.
How do you ensure quality of services?
At BorderlessMind, we have adopted a quality framework that is aligned as per SEI CMM
Level 3 standard. Quality at BorderlessMind is a continuous process and it permeates deep
down in the corporate hierarchy starting from the top management. Quality is a
culture for us. Our processes are derived from industry standard practices and
have been customized to suit the requirements of offshore development.
How flexible are you in accepting our standards or methodologies for development
on our projects?
BorderlessMind is flexible enough to accept your methodologies and standards that suit
your project. We can work the way you want us to work and ensure that your
business objectives are met.
What engagement models does BorderlessMind offer its clients?
We offer multiple engagement models to meet diverse needs of our clients. We
offer the following engagement models or a combination of the three:
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Project based pricing
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Effort based pricing
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Dedicated Development Facility
We offer a de-risked offshore project migration methodology that enables us to
deliver a zero-defect delivery of offshore service.
Can I outsource the projects and assignments that I have from my clients to BorderlessMind?
Yes. Partnerships are at the core of our business philosophy. We have built
solid relationships with consulting companies globally in order to help them
reduce their cost of development through strategic offshore delivery model. We
partner with companies that are looking at reliable offshore services provider
that can bring about tremendous synergies to their businesses.
^ TOP
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OPERATIONS
What is the response time to an initial communication?
The response time to an email is a few minutes, whereas IM chat is
instant with no response time at all. Our team in India can also be
available virtually 24/7 for the purpose of responding to customer
query.
How do you provide project estimates and project schedules?
Before the initiation of the project, we carry out a very
comprehensive scoping and estimation exercise using intelligent
tools developed in-house. We have onboard systems analysts who are
adept at project analysis and estimation. On the basis of the
work-load involved in the development phase as well as the project
delivery requirements, we provide the estimate for the project. Once
when the project has been estimated and scheduled, we use Microsoft
Project Server 2000 for scheduling the deliverables and monitoring
of the project progress. We have also developed our own
custom-designed tool named TAR Manager for issue and bug tracking.
How do you handle change request and changes in project scope?
We use a time-tested change management procedure for any changes in
the project. For ongoing minor changes in the running project, the
changes are communicated to the project manager concerned, who gets
them executed. If the changes are significant and can greatly add to
the work-load that has been estimated at the beginning of the
project, then we scope creep the project again and submit the
revised quote, for acceptance to the client.
^ TOP
How is testing and quality assurance performed?
We have a well organized process for testing and qualification. We
have a team of quality assurance specialists located in our offshore
development center who provide systematic testing, verification and
quality assurance. We have aligned our development methodology as
per ISO 9001 development standards. We have a process in place to
ensure that quality is maintained every single time. These processes
are derived from industry standard practices and have been
fine-tuned to meet the unique requirements of remote development.
The following points summarize our quality initiatives:
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Testing is performed at every step in the SDLC
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Quality is assured through our rigorous project management
methodology and quality assessment procedures
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ISO 9001 has been streamlined and adopted into BorderlessMind's
organizational and project management models to ensure predictable
results and repeatable success
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BorderlessMind has a dedicated team that ensures Software Quality Assurance
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All quality issue tracking will be done using our proprietary TAR
Manager.
How do you ensure knowledge retention in your organization
pertaining to the projects that you handle?
At BorderlessMind, we understand the importance of knowledge pertaining to
the project and ensure that we deploy a shadow resource for every 5
or 6 resources who work on the project. This ensures that despite
the attrition that may happen in the future, there is an extra
resource (who will be the knowledge source) pertaining to that
project. Majority of our projects have shadow resource deployments
in order to ensure safety of our client's and partner's projects.
Detailed project documentation at all stages of the project also
helps us manage the project knowledge.
^ TOP
How do you deal with urgent bug fixing?
We have a bug fixing and bug tracking mechanism. In this system we
prioritize the issues on the basis of priority P1, P2, P3 and P4.
All urgent bug fixing issues are put in the priority P1 list and our
support team addresses them immediately.
How detailed a set of requirements do you require from us?
Again, it's an interactive process. In scenario one: if you do not
have any spec outlined we ask you to give us minimal requirement
specifications (may be a page or two page description of the
system). Then we start developing the formal requirements document
from that. Every release of this document is reviewed by the client
and we do modifications accordingly. Generally it goes on from few
weeks to a couple of months (depending on size of the project). In
this process the Requirement Specifications becomes the Bible for
development. All changes and modifications are captured continuously
in this document. On the other hand if you already have a
specification document we start with a discussion on that, refine it
for some period of time, try to freeze it once all agreed.
Offshore software development strikes fear in my mind... Are you
easy to reach and how fast do you respond to calls?
Our greatest advantage of working with BorderlessMind over other offshore
companies is the fact that we have an onsite Project Management
Office in Dallas, Texas. You do not have to worry about the constant
headaches that communication and cultural barriers often bring to
the software development process. You will be in direct
communication with our Dallas office who will work with you and with
your team on a regular basis. We also have web based project
management tools and mechanism for each and every page, so that each
project can be monitored 24/7 and updates and bug tracking can be
done any time. Also at our offshore development center, we have an
IPLC connection that gives us a local American Number (Dallas
Number) that reaches our Indian Office. You can make a domestic call
from America and speak with your team in India as long as you like,
and vice versa. This way you have access to some member of our team
24 hours a day.
Are there mechanisms in place to ensure deadlines, milestones and
timely delivery?
We follow all standard project management methodologies using all
available tools (e.g., MS Project). We have a sign-off process for
each delivery after the specification is firmed up.
How do you deal with people who change their minds all the time and
want something changed in mid-project?
This is a very difficult question. Our processes have been designed
around "XP" Extreme Programming? which works towards being able to
handle just this situation. We spent close to 50% of the time
allocated to any project on Design, Architecture, Prototyping and
thorough documentation before we write a line of code. We do
understand that no client can be hundred percent sure about their
requirements at the start of the project. To counter this we first
develop the prototype of the entire application (Minus the backend
code) and get that signed off screen by screen for the entire
application. Usually it has been seen that majority of gaps get
filled up at this phase and the chances of missing out important
functionality as well as making changes mid-project are reduced. In
addition we recommend a iterative process for managing changes. Our
methodology makes this possible and practical.
^ TOP
Can you provide us with onsite consultants?
Yes, we can. In cases where onsite consulting is required, we can
follow a Hybrid Development Model. In this model, there is an onsite
component together with the offshore mix in the development
methodology. We can fly consultants for knowledge gathering,
requirement specification design, solutions architecture etc. and
then set-up a dedicated team of IT professionals in our offshore
development center to work on the project. This way, we can ensure
that you get the dual benefits of cost-effectiveness through
offshore development and effective onsite consulting through
consultant deployment onsite.
How do you manage resource attrition in your company?
At BorderlessMind, we have implemented HR policies which are very
people-friendly as well as a work culture that promotes healthy
competition, dynamism and continuous learning and improvement. Our
compensation packages match industry standards and are performance
based. All this has ensured that the attrition rate in our company
is low and our people retention rate is high.
How do you manage recruiting process in your company?
We have access to thousands of highly qualified IT consultants with
expertise in various domains like .NET, Oracle, Java, PHP, C#, etc.
We have a team of Recruiting experts who swing into action as and
when a requirement comes in for any particular resource. The
qualified and experienced consultants are contacted and a initial
interview is scheduled. We follow a rigorous selection procedure in
order to ensure that the best people join our team. Our selection
process includes technical test, communication and English
proficiency test, group discussion and interview. If required, we
can also arrange an interview with the client over the phone.
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TECHNOLOGY
Does the company have any certification's)?
Our quality processes are adapted to SEI-CMM and ISO standards and
our methodology has enabled us to deliver software projects on-time
and on-budget. Currently, we are undertaking the initiative for
making compliant our processes as per ISO 9001 standards and hope
that to complete within a time-period of 6 months.
^ TOP
What is company's project management procedure?
For every project (big or small), there is one project manager, who
is responsible for heading the project and ensuring the delivery of
the end solution on time and on budget. The client corresponds with
the project manager directly and he/she is the sole point of contact
for the client for any issues related to the project. The Project
manager manages the resources internally using Microsoft Project
Server 2000. Internally, the tasks are assigned to the teams through
a custom developed solution, known as TAR. This ensures that the
team is allocated with sufficient amount of work and the progress of
the same can be monitored and measured using this system.
What version control system is used?
We are currently using Microsoft Visual SourceSafe for version
control.
How complex a software project can you develop?
We have done and are doing fairly complicated projects (involving
10-20 team members in a project over a period of more than a year).
The number of lines of code varied anywhere between few thousand
lines of code to more than couple of million lines (however it
depends on what type of code/system you are referring to .NET, Java,
C++, C, OO, Assembly, Oracle, FoxPro, VB, etc.).
Who owns the code at the end?
Our clients will own all the code, documentation, design, and
conceptual ideas. We have a very strong legal process in place to
assign all proprietary and ownership rights to you.
Do we get the complete set of development files at the end?
You get files continuously in the development process. After
starting the project we ensure a high-level of interactivity in the
development process (status meetings happen once in week, in some of
our projects we even have international conference calls everyday).
Every document, design or code generated in either side is exchanged
continuously and reviewed and fine tuned very frequently (sometimes
daily). Therefore you keep on getting the files and other
deliverables very frequently.
What technology experience does BorderlessMind have?
BorderlessMind has worked on diverse technology platforms and build a solid
backbone of technical strength, which enables us to deliver
best-in-class services to our clients. BorderlessMind has worked extensively
for its various clients in the following technology areas:
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Web-based technologies
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Client/Server Applications
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Web Services
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Application Packing Services
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Legacy Migration Applications
Do offshore programmers write code in their native language?
Code development is done using English language and all code is
written using the same tools used by developers in the U.S and
elsewhere. Development team members have good knowledge of English
language and world-class communication skills. Our Project Managers
work directly with the clients and regularly communicate using a
host of channels like email/telephone/IM chat etc. English language
is never a problem working with us.
Is the code documented?
Yes, we document all the codes that we develop. We have processes in place
that make it compulsory for our programmers to document the codes and
we also follow standard coding practices. Code documentation also helps
us better maintaining the code and providing warranties during the active
life of the application.
^ TOP
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