Are you thinking about opening a software factory? Are you already in business as an outsourcer? Well, keep on reading then. Building a competitive an effective software factory in today’s digital marketplace is no easy feat. However, you are in luck. Here I lay out 5 simple steps that will help you do exactly that.
1.- Modular Organization Model
There are defining factors, such as customer needs or the directions you want to take your business to, that unavoidably generate multiple models in your software factory. This results in your internal structure having to be flexible. Several teams, the scale of which can increase or decrease, working on each project/initiative. Being nimble allows you to reassigning resources to different projects depending on your varying needs.
2.- Agile processes
Any software factory needs to be able to adapt its methodology to meet the customer´s demands. Your IT environment should incorporate the perfect combination of tools, workflow and process to stay competitive and provide the best possible service.
3.- Talent
Sadly, talent doesn´t grow on trees. This is why you need to ask yourself two very important questions: how do I find and how do I keep top performing individuals? The Canary Islands for instance, offer an answer to both.
The archipelago pours over 1.000 STEM graduates into the market yearly. Besides, their 180 Professional Training Centres and more than 20 Official Schools of Languages are sure to provide the qualified workforce you are looking for. In addition, the outstanding quality of life translates into a turnover rate well below the average of the western world. As it turns out expats like to stay in the Canaries, the current 200.000 foreign residents (about 10% of the total population) can attest to that.
Where to place your company affects not only your operation, but also your workforce, so choose wisely. Have you ever heard the cliché ‘Location, location, location’? Well, property experts made it famous, but this holds particularly true in the Canary Islands.
Here you can find a more than beneficial tax offering, with the lowest corporate tax in EU (4%) and outstanding connections to mainland Europe, Africa and the rest of the world. If that wasn´t enough, Numbeo (the famous cost of living website) states that rent is 72% cheaper in the Canaries than it is in London.
5.- Metrics
Never forget that no matter how well you did it, you can always do it better. Metrics are an aspect of your operation that you shouldn´t just drive by. Properly understanding how you operate should lead to either in-house or outsourced evaluations to generate process improvements in all aspects of the business.