April 16, 2024

Guide to Agile Nearshoring: What It Is and How to Get Started

Agile nearshoring is a combination of two powerful resources for software development. Through Agile nearshoring, you can develop your projects cost-effectively while following one of the best project management methodologies. All this guarantees a product that exceeds expectations for less budget.

Let's dive deeper into agile software development, how it works and how you can start taking advantage of it.

What is agile nearshoring?

Agile nearshoring occurs when a company outsources tasks related to software development to nearby countries while supporting the Agile methodology.

In this way, companies seeking outside help can benefit from nearshoring and Agile practices. These benefits include lower costs, easy collaboration with teams in similar time zones and flexible project management.

Typically, clients need to look for an Agile nearshoring company to ensure they support this type of work. Ancient specializes in Agile nearshoring, offering multiple services such as end-to-end software development, Staff Augmentation, AI development and more. You can access the best tech talent in Latin America while staying agile.

Principles of Agile nearshoring software development

For effective Agile nearshoring development collaboration, the following principles should be applied.

Collaboration with the customer

In agile nearshoring development, teams collaborate closely with customers. They talk often to understand the needs. In this way, the software meets the real demands of the users. 

Clients should be able to see the progress in real time in case they suggest changes that the teams can implement quickly. This keeps the project in line with the client's objectives. 

Gradual delivery

In Agile nearshoring, work is done in small parts. Each leads to a usable feature of the product. This allows for step-by-step testing and improvements, while reducing risks. 

Agile teams deliver these increments regularly and customers can use the new features without having to wait long.

Flexibility and adaptability 

Flexibility is a cornerstone of Agile nearshoring software development. Plans often evolve based on feedback and market trends. Even in the middle of development. Teams must be able to shift focus to meet new priorities. 

In addition, Agile nearshoring services should offer clients the ability to scale up or down as needs and budgets change.

Continuous improvement

After certain periods, agile teams need to review what worked and what didn't. They can then apply these lessons to the next phase. They can then apply these lessons to the next phase. With constant improvements, projects become more efficient and avoid problems in the future. 

Team empowerment

Agile nearshoring teams have a high level of autonomy. They decide how best to achieve project objectives. This aspect of responsibility increases motivation and efficiency.

When an agile team owns the project, they are committed to delivering value at every stage. Their close collaboration and self-management drive project success. 

Advantages of Agile nearshoring

These are the main advantages why companies prefer to do Agile nearshoring.

Cost

Agile nearshoring reduces costs because it offers lower rates than local teams, making it more affordable. Companies save on costs without sacrificing quality. 

Operating costs are also reduced, as there is no need for additional office space or equipment. This makes Agile nearshoring much more cost-effective than other development solutions.  

Improved communication

Everyone, from developers to customers, collaborates closely. This shared effort leads to better results. Nearshoring enables this increased collaboration, as the customer and the team of developers are geographically close. 

Cultural similarities also promote teamwork and reduce misunderstandings.

Access to talent

Agile nearshoring opens up access to a large pool of talent instantly. Companies can easily find qualified professionals, as other countries also have a large number of developers. This access helps to fill the shortage of certain skills.

Flexibility and scalability

Agile nearshoring offers flexibility, as teams can adapt quickly to project changes. They can be scaled up or down as needed. This also gives companies the ability to respond to market demands as they change.

Risk mitigation

Nearshoring reduces the risks in software development that companies might encounter with other outsourcing methods. The close collaboration enabled by nearshoring and agile project management helps identify problems at an early stage, before they become much bigger problems. This leads to faster solutions and less downtime.

In some cases, this diversification can also protect against local outages. 

Why Agile?

Agile is a project management approach that helps teams respond quickly to change. Agile focuses on delivering small, viable parts of a project regularly and frequently. 

This translates into the following advantages.

Customer satisfaction

This methodology gives priority to the customer's needs. It allows for regular feedback and changes. This ensures that the final product meets your expectations. 

Flexibility

Agile offers a level of flexibility that other methodologies do not. Teams can easily adapt to changes in project scope. This is critical in a fast-paced business environment. It allows companies to remain relevant and competitive.

Quality improvement

Periodic testing and review helps to catch problems early. This is key in Agile, leading to fewer errors in the final product. High quality is maintained throughout development.

Risk management

With the work divided into smaller parts, problems are easier to identify and solve. This reduces the chances of project failure and makes the development process safer. 

Faster time to market

Agile speeds time to market, as periodic releases accelerate feature delivery. This allows companies to benefit sooner from their investment. It also helps to respond quickly to market changes.

Strengthened collaboration

Everyone, from developers to customers, collaborates closely. This shared effort leads to better results. Nearshoring enables this increased collaboration, as the customer and the team of developers are geographically close.

Continuous improvement

Agile also encourages continuous improvement. Teams learn and improve at every phase of the project. This continuous development improves skills and processes over time.

Start developing with Agile nearshoring

Here is a brief summary of what you should keep in mind when considering this type of service.

Where to do Agile nearshoring?

If you are a U.S. company, the natural choice is LATAM. Especially Agile nearshoring in Mexico because of its proximity, which facilitates collaboration. Mexico and Latin America have the advantage of sharing time zones with American cities and lower overall costs.

In addition, these countries are familiar with working in English and the talent is as qualified as that of local professionals.

Some Agile nearshoring service providers often have teams of people in several countries. Others are based entirely in one country. If the collaboration involves travel, it is beneficial to choose a specific country.

Choose a supplier

Ancient is an Agile nearshoring company with experience in software development for small and large companies in different sectors, from finance to healthcare.

You can rely on our team to deliver high quality solutions using Agile methodology for maximum flexibility and convenience.

Supervise and give feedback

After choosing an Agile nearshoring company, you will need to go through the discovery and planning phases. Here, the company will learn about your needs and develop a plan that fits them. Once agreed upon, you will need to oversee the project and provide feedback whenever necessary. Your goal should be to address any concerns immediately so that adjustments are quick and there is less downtime.

When working with remote equipment, this communication is very important.

Agile nearshore software development services

Ancient is the leading Agile nearshoring company in Mexico and LATAM. Our team has extensive experience in delivering high quality software solutions for US companies across different industries such as Fintech, Insurtech, Telecom, Healthcare, Retail, and more. 

We can handle all kinds of innovative technologies, including AI/ML, Cloud and Mobile, even for the most complex projects. Our team's ability to adapt and innovate ensures that we can meet any challenge and deliver cutting-edge solutions following the Agile methodology. 

Our dedication to continuous improvement and excellence establishes us as a leader in Agile nearshore development throughout Mexico and Latin America.