Change in role of the onsite coordinator as part of the offshore software development team in a post Covid-19 world

Well, we all can agree on the fact that onsite coordinators are real saviors!
Not only are they responsible for transparency, communication, feedback management, and review of the delivery, but also act on behalf of the client while dealing with the offshore software development team.

There is a lot to the role of an onsite coordinator that one can actually fathom.
But since this pandemic has struck the world, a lot has changed in the functionalities and operation of the IT industry. 

Companies have adapted themselves to full-fledged remote working and that is totally a different ball game altogether. Hence, the role of an onsite coordinator too needs to be adapted according to the current scenarios. 

Why this change? 

• Most companies are opting for the work from home scenario therefore no one actually is “Sitting” at the client’s end and there is no actual face to face communication.
• There are various international flight restrictions across the globe though most software outsourcing Companies are restricted in flying their candidates to locations in Europe, UK or USA.

Also Read: Role of on-site coordinator as part of offshore software development project team

Still, a lot has changed and its high time that software outsourcing companies adapt to new processes and methodologies to stay abreast of the times. 

There surely needs to be a few changes in the role of an on-site coordinator. Here are a few that we suggest: 

• Along with great communication skills and domain knowledge, it is a given that an on- site coordinator is great at managing the project lifecycle. It would be so much better if the person is well-versed with the Agile methodology that will eventually help one to understand and achieve targets in a well-planned manner. It will also heighten the transparency and communication throughout the project life cycle.
• Change is the only constant. Therefore, the person at this role needs to adapt to agile scrum methodology so that one can actually facilitate agility in the product planning and execution process. One needs to train in becoming an Agile Scrum Master, which will be quite a natural move as the person already possesses onsite coordination skills.
• To keep up with the pace, the person needs to also brush up/ acquire business analysis skills as that can actually help organisations to create agile decision-making frameworks and ensure that the organizations move forward even in the midst of the changes and challenges caused by the coronavirus pandemic. It will help organizations to continuously identify their gaps, evaluate different alternatives for improvement, define and implement the best available solution.

We all know that the onsite coordinator is actually the foundation of your project and with the current scenario, the person at this role, really needs to buck up and adapt to the environment, update a few skills and lead businesses to leverage organisations post- pandemic!