The 3 Biggest Challenges of Managing Development across Time Zones By Saunak Ranjitkar, CIO and Chief Software Architect, Spiralogics

The 3 Biggest Challenges of Managing Development across Time Zones

Saunak Ranjitkar, CIO and Chief Software Architect, Spiralogics | Thursday, 23 March 2017, 11:08 IST

  •  No Image

One of the most significant challenges that modern companies face is coordinating employees across time zones. Today, the demands of cross-country teamwork are compounded by a global market: many team members are contending with 8-12 hour time differences on a regular basis.

Fortunately for companies whose teams span the globe, each challenge comes with its own unique set of benefits and best practices. We spoke with Spiralogics’ CIO Saunak Ranjitkar to learn how he successfully manages three of the most difficult aspects of working with software developers in different time zones.

Availability

The Challenges:

• Adapting to new working hours accordingly when the concept of 8-to-5 work vanishes.

• Very small window when all team members are available during their normal working hours.

• Physical and emotional challenges that result from some team members having to sacrifice personal time.

• Key players of the team need to be on standby 24/7.

The Solutions:

• Hold a short daily standup call – no more than 15 minutes – at a time that is most suitable for all team members.

• Keep documentation organized and simple. This helps keep meetings on track, resulting in less wasted time.

• Utilize as many collaboration tools and communication channels as possible. No one tool available today is perfect, so it’s important to use a wide range of resources such as Google Drive, Skype, Go To Meeting, Hangout, Atlassian Jira, GreenHopper, emails, and phone calls.

The Benefits:

• Removes geographical restrictions for recruiting the best and brightest.

• Provides continuous momentum for development and support.

Cultural Differences

The Challenges:

• Cultures vary significantly across regions, which can lead to misunderstandings between team members. A practice that is acceptable in the US, for example, might be considered offensive in Japan.

The Solutions:

• Adjust to cultural differences by doing your homework. It’s important to research the working culture on the other side(s) of the phone. Cultural expectations, holidays, social norms, and even sense of humor vary significantly, and it’s always better to know these things sooner
than later.

The Benefits:

• Developing software is a creative process, and creativity shouldn’t be restricted to a region or locale. The collaborative creativity contributed by members across multiple cultures is a pressing need today.

Interpersonal Relationships

The Challenges:

• A WebEx meeting, video conference, or a phone call can never be quite the same as meeting the team face-to-face.

• Collaboration is most effective if team members know and trust each other, and it can be difficult to build this bond remotely.

The Solutions:

• Be attentive to your colleagues during calls. This short window plays an important role in team-building.

• Bring the team together for annual or biannual events. No matter how much you invest in technology and tools, nothing can be as effective as being with your team in the same meeting room.

The Benefits:

• After making the initial investment to bring the team together, it becomes easier to build trust and maintain personal ties down the road.

CIO Viewpoint

Challenges and Issues of Online classes

By R. Chandran, Chief Information Officer, Bahwan Cybertek

Educational Technology, Digital Learning In The...

By Swati Sankhye, Chief Information Officer, MIT World Peace University

CXO Insights

Education Should Be A Want And Not A Need

By Dr. Prem Das Maheshwari, Business Director, South Asia, D2L

Current Industry Trends In Education

By KVS Seshasai, CEO, Kangaroo Kids Education Limited

Going Digital - What We Need To Remember As A...

By Damayanti Bhattacharya, Principal, Jasudben M L School and Bloomingdales Pre-Primary

Facebook