Company Services Our Clients Methodology FAQs Contact Us FAQs > Provider FAQs Geographical FAQs Provider FAQs Whether you are just exploring offshore possibilities or are quickly approaching your decision timeline to launch an offshore team, we are sure you have plenty of questions. We have included the following commonly asked questions in two sections. The first section (below) is frequently asked questions about Augmentive and our services. The second section is frequently asked questions about Eastern Europe. In addition, feel free to contact us if you have additional questions we did not answer. How do I get started outsourcing? How can I outsource to an offshore provider without even meeting them? What development roles can I outsource? What types of projects can I outsource? Do you do fixed-bid projects? We have our own development methodology; do we have to use yours? How do I evaluate the cost of an offshore project? Who is the owner of the intellectual property of the software that your team develops? How do you communicate with customers throughout the project? How do I get started outsourcing? The easiest way to get started is to contact us. One of our account executives will begin working with you to understand your company goals and project needs. We have an in-depth knowledge of offshore development that can quickly get you started on your offshore project. Augmentive believes that every offshore project begins with a detailed needs analysis. What are the project goals? What are the current gaps in development methodologies? What skill sets and resources are missing? For more information on our methodology, click here. Return to Top How can I outsource to an offshore provider without even meeting them? You cannot and we would not ask you too. The Augmentive team is prepared to arrive onsite and meet face to face with your project team. Part of our development methodology relies on appropriate knowledge transfer and team training. Both elements require a level of face-to-face communication. Depending on the length of the project and the level of complexity, you may need more or less initial product knowledge transfer. As your team grows, however, there will be less of a need for new members to arrive onsite. For more information about growing and maintaining and offshore development team, contact us. Return to Top What development roles can I outsource? Augmentive offers a full suite of development services from needs analysis and definition to final testing and deployment. We believe that each client's needs are different and must be assessed independently. Based on this assessment, we will work with you to outsource those roles that makes sense for your business. To get started on your needs assessment, contact us. Return to Top What types of projects can I outsource? Whether you are launching a new product, customizing existing products or rewriting legacy applications, Augmentive offers full-service outsourced project development and offshore staffing services. For companies looking to outsource a complete project, Augmentive works with you to understand project needs and will deliver high quality software. Using our methodology, customers engage in successful projects at any stage in the development process. For those companies looking to expand operations into low-cost, high productivity locations, Augmentive provides staffing services to create a dedicated offshore team. Return to Top Do you do fixed-bid projects? Yes, Augmentive does provide fixed-bid project services. In order to determine the most cost effective way to work with Augmentive, please contact us. Return to Top We have our own development methodology; do we have to use yours? No, we are firm believers that there is no need to reinvent the wheel. The first step in our development methodology is to understand your current methods and process. We will only institute changes if we both agree that there are necessary modifications for a distributed development environment. Return to Top How do I evaluate the cost of an offshore project? There are three main areas to look at when evaluating an offshore partner: Knowledge and experience - Has the provider done projects in my industry? Do I need a specific set of skills? Does the provider understand my project needs? Ability to execute - Augmentive has worked to perfect our methodology and processes to ensure successful execution of your projects. The method of execution is the most critical piece of provider selection. Without successful execution, cost savings quickly become project losses. Cost - wage is not the only way to look at offshore project costs. See the question below for more information on evaluating the true cost of an offshore project. It is important to have an understanding of your project needs when selecting an offshore vendor. We believe that each client's needs are different and must be assessed independently. Based on this assessment, we will map Augmentive services to your project needs. To get started on your needs assessment, contact us. Return to Top Who is the owner of the intellectual property of the software that your team develops? The intellectual property is the client's. Augmentive helps clients hire employees in offshore development centers. Therefore, any work done by these employees is the client's intellectual property and not Augmentive's. Augmentive will not disclose any information about a project without permission, will not re-use or resell project code and we are willing to work within any non-compete agreements agreed upon at the start of the project. Return to Top How do you communicate with customers throughout the project? Continuous communication is an important part of any offshore relationship. Augmentive has created a communication infrastructure that gives you direct access to your offshore project team. In addition to phone, email and Internet chat, we can establish video conferencing and onsite meetings. Also an advantage to Eastern Europe is the window of direct communication unavailable to firms in India and China. Return to Top © 2017 Augmentive, SIA. All Rights Reserved