from Jan Keller at
In our diselva Nearshore Excellence Framework, we have defined four central pillars that structure the nearshore process. After highlighting the first pillar - the definition and sharpening of the business model - in the first blog, we are now focusing on pillars 2 to 4, which concern the structure, scaling, collaboration mode and integration of the nearshore location.
The success of these steps depends not only on technical and logistical aspects, but also on how well the cultural challenges are mastered. And that's not easy: everything has to be considered in parallel and constantly adapted in order to be truly successful.
Pillar 2: Development and scaling of the nearshore business
Establishing and scaling a nearshore location requires a good mix of technical, cultural and operational aspects. Success depends heavily on how well the location is integrated into the company and how flexibly it can react to changes.
Here are the most important key factors:
- Willingness to integrate: The company must accept the nearshore location as an integral part of the global strategy and incorporate it into the corporate culture.
- Employer branding & attractiveness: The location needs a strong employer brand that attracts and retains talent in the long term. Attractive working conditions are the key to attracting and retaining talent - today this goes beyond a good salary. These include private health insurance for the whole family, transport and meal allowances, team events, additional public holidays and top office space in prime locations.
- Cultural adaptation & change management: Development only works if you live a culture of change. Fears must be addressed and resistance overcome, while at the same time a positive change culture is established. The mindset of the employees must be right - they must work together as a global team.
- Establishing a culture of its own: The location should develop its own culture that is aligned with the company's values and at the same time takes local conditions into account.
- Optimization of processes: The site must be integrated into the global business processes, so regular communication and efficiency are important to ensure that collaboration between the teams runs smoothly.
- Recognizing and managing risks: During the scaling process, the company must recognize risks at an early stage - be they financial, cultural or legal. This is the only way to remain successful in the long term.
- Technical and social onboarding: Solid technical onboarding is a must to ensure that all employees work with the same tools and technologies and that collaboration runs smoothly. Social factors must not be neglected. After all, the ultimate goal is to work together as a team.
Only if the location is continuously adapted to the growing requirements of the company can it be successful in the long term and offer real added value for the organization.
Pillar 3: The collaboration model: recognizing and acknowledging different team setups
Depending on the corporate strategy and project requirements, there are various models for working with nearshore teams. It is not just a question of how close the teams are geographically, but also how the services should best be provided:
- Remote teams: These teams work completely remotely and offer a high degree of flexibility. This enables rapid scaling and access to a global talent pool.
- Balanced teams: Onshore and nearshore teams work together here. Both teams are roughly the same size (balanced) and contribute their local strengths to work together on the objectives and support each other.
- Satellite teams: An onshore site serves as the main site of service delivery and works closely with an individual or small team at the shoring (satellite) site. This requires strong integration of the satellite (or satellites) and a lot of structured communication.
- Inverse Satellite teams: In principle, the opposite of a satellite. The shoring location provides the large part of the team, which is supported by an individual or a small team (often with customer contact).
Each of these setups has its justification. However, it is crucial for the success of the project to determine which setup you are working with in order to structure and manage the collaboration accordingly. Each setup has its own characteristics that you need to be aware of. In a satellite setup, for example, you run the constant risk of losing the satellite (communicative, integrative, etc.), while in a setup with balanced teams you have to make sure that both more or less independently efficient teams are moving in the same direction.
Technical onboarding is crucial in all models so that everyone works with the same tools and platforms and collaboration runs smoothly.
Pillar 4: Integration and successful collaboration
In addition to the technical and organizational aspects, the integration of nearshore teams depends on communication and the ability to overcome cultural differences. Strong integration is the key to ensuring that the teams really function as a unit.
- Tools and technology: Which tools and platforms ensure that collaboration runs effectively? It doesn't work without the right tools.
- Cultural integration: How are cultural differences taken into account and effectively integrated into collaboration? A common culture ensures that everyone pulls in the same direction and misunderstandings are avoided.
- Best practices: As soon as there are good and successful examples, they must be talked about in order to inspire other parts of the organization (“walk the talk”)
In the coming blogs, we will take a closer look at what practical collaboration with nearshore teams looks like. The focus will be on communication best practices, dealing with cultural differences and the decisive factors that make for successful long-term collaboration.
If you need support with integration, scaling or setting up a nearshore location, we are of course there for you with our expertise. We look forward to hearing from you!
