Yes...You guessed it right, I am talking about CW project assignment which was closed down last month.Despite shown good QA results and working hard for the client,one fine day we came to know about the project closure news.
Closure news was in air for sometime and I also got to sense the same from the situation.I was still in hope of QA work to be continued seeing the QA work load and challenges to release OXXXS on time.But unfortunately it didn't work.
Time to Introspect
Unexpected end of this project has triggered array of questions to everyone.As a Analyst I tried to look into the situation and tried to find out what went wrong and where did it failed to shape up the already built relationship.Whether its we (the Offshore team) who didn't perform well or Its Client who failed to take advantage of such a good QA team.Regarding performance of the team so far we never received of any negative comment/feedback from the client.So does it mean Client has failed to take advantage of QA team.
I think it may be due to different and non standard SDLC/work modules they follows.It may be the failure of typical Offshore Development Module(ODC) which didn't work for either parties.Though client claims they follows Agile methodology but in reality they don't.
One of my good QA friend says..."it only takes one man with a vision" and to add to it.."It takes good amount of skilled resources to achieve that vision".
I still remember the starting days with this assignment where everyone on board were new to the system.Initially we started implementing testing process which was missing in Client's QA department.We documented each and every feature of the System Under Testing as a part of learning process.Our first assignment was huge success wherein we worked long hours,put up lots of hard work in to the product's testing.
Lessons learnt
Requirements can change at any given time as and when needed by Business. We learnt to write the smart test cases which were came handy for regression testing.
The greatest thing we learnt from this project assignment is Planning is very important.Planning should be integral part of each and every stage of SDLC irrespective of SDLC modules one follows.Sadly this is never been realized by the client.We also learnt working independently and at the same time ensuring to meet projects common goal of Quality product.
Signing Off
It was such a wonderful experience working with different personalities(Advertising Guru's), Knowing great product idea's and also the knowing US working culture partially though not completly. May be this kind of experience will be useful for my own startup.
It was really sad moment for all of us who worked on this asignment. It was also very difficult for me to explain resources about the reasons behind project closure.Thanks to Management who supports us now and during the project tenure as well.
Thanking all those who worked and help to make it a BIG success.
Special thanks to those who actually didn't work at all or little worked and still able to influence the Client Management's decision.
PS: I am unable to write all the things like strategy used for the client or its product in detail due to information security policy.If you have any query regarding solutions and would like to know more, email me.
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8 comments:
Hi,
This is Madhu here. Did CW closed the QA account. Where r u now?
Madhu
Dinesh,
Nice article and agreed with your analysis. CW_QA were doing well.
Thanks,
Nilesh
Stability of a project depends on various factors which included Team Members, Team Leads, Project leads, Project Manager and Engagement head. I will not include the client as we have to work for them, so they are the GOD. Because they didnt asked and gave reasons(on talent front) to us before assigning the project so they will not ask us or give reasons when taking back the project. They havent started the project beacuse of good talented people. There primary motive was ODC. Yea talent plays a important role but then this is secondary. My Point is when the client opted for ODC, they want to cut cost and now when they want InHouse, dont they want a cut in cost. Absolutely Yes. They want the cost cut but, being with ODC made them give more financial loss. This only happens when ODC does not work properly. The whole setup in ODC when do not work in sync project will fail.
As you highlighted three points, BAD MANAGEMENT, performace of resources and Client reluctant to use a good QA resource. I think Management is the gateway to make the client know the actual performance of resources and then probably reluctant issue. This is a total management failure, ODC failed this this. We cannot blame the business demand as there are many ODCs running on this business, it was a total management failure from my side.
/Hrishikesh,
Good to know your thoughts.
There are few things which you need to know to understand the ODC relationship.
You said client didn't asked and gave reasons on talent front.
@This is irrelevant. Client did take interviews before taking up any resources on board. They did check company track records as we have big names in our list. For any US Company I think these are the major factors along with billing. US companies love to get the same talented resources with less billing as compared with BIG indian ODC's.
Yes you said it correct...Its Management Failure But it's more of Client Management failure than ODC's.
Again this engagement was of different nature. This wasn't traditional ODC relationship. Some of things like working on zone/time differences, Last moment changes to the product tobe delivered next day and inability of non business people to work on the same immediately.
I am sure seeing all the circumstances, given any Good Team to Client could have yielded same result.
Dinesh,
I agree with your views that client took interviews to access and judge the talent pool of an ODC company, but then that came second. The first attitude towards estabilishing an ODC is cost. Who ever want to curtail cost will go for an ODC and with that will judge approprioate one. As soon as the ODC is selected, it is conveyed that Cost cutting + good Talent is what client found. But still the cost cut remains the primary motive along with good results. Good Results is subjective to good resources.And it is the sole responsibility of the Management to manage resources to be more productive which will ensure client's business need to cost cutting and better product delivery. Now in this case management was unable to perform well on directing the right resources to have good productivity which in turn will make client face financial loss at there end. This becomes a contradictory situation of cost cut. The best way to manage a client is to make them feel that working with us will help them low cost input and high productivity on every front of client's business with which we are associated and also partially associated. This is what the management was not able to perform.
I agree with the fact that the was not a traditional ODC, but then we were performing as an ODC only. We either failed to define this ODC type in a particular way or we failed to give client a confident shoulder that we can provide you with good productivity anb low cost to your company.
We need to define this kind of special engagements and the startegies to maintain and grow further in this engagement. We had I guess, but things done in practical are not documented well to train the team and engagement resposible personalities.
Let me know the views.
There is no single pattern of ODC which is followed everywhere. It depends upon the type of work given to ODC. Also, the personal agreement upto which level the ODC would contribute.
Normally ODC is meant only for "company's paise bachao". Hence, the type of work given depends completely upon client.
In this scenario, at first the work received was sheer ODC at both QA and Dev end. But, as per our style of working, as we do not want to work under someone who would guide us completely without understanding us. So, we started changing the situation in the way everybody like i.e., to get in control of everything.
I too would rate the failure of relationship to Client's Management. But this doesn't become a excuse at our Managemet that they failed to undestand Client's view. Our management tried to be a partner in their Business decision but it was seen to be a half-hearted shot which forced client to think whether ODC would be capable of handling the type of work or they are just creating a hype. Accidently, this included QA too as everyone knew that it was meant only for Dev's.
To conclude the comment, I would simply give 80% failure share to Client's mgmt for ending up this relation.
Yes Dinesh, That was very sad news for us. Eventhough we were performed very well; project was closed.As we don't know what deed happened between two parties? so we can not make clearer and deep analysis. I think
1] Client was not clear about what they required. [How exactly he wants application?]
2] Fear of information leakage. [May be due to business competition]
3] Not proper design documents.[Keep changing requirement]
4] Not had any planning.
5] And mainly review(Weekly/Monthly/Half yearly) was missing. [Where do we stand from goal? where we are going?]
On the other side we gained some points which i would like to make note of you. Which are
1] Even client was not in situation to make review; we started internal review to provide them quality work.
2] Made attempt to follow each and every process.
3] At any point of time we never laid down our weapons.
4] Up to last day, we were working for them. This shows our commitment towards quality work.
5] And last but not least; we grown up as GOOD TEAM.
As Management was behind the scene always,so we can not put all blame on management's shoulders.
May they were bad? we can't say until its prove. We all have some circumtances.So i think analysis will incomplete.....
Thanks & Regards,
B.Sandeep
[N.B. - I heard one sentence somewhere that " Management planning is fails in real life 95%." http://managee.blogspot.com/2007/02/why-subcontracting-fails.html]
Sandeep,
Good points to protect the management. Thats true also. I appreciate the points posted by you. Yes there were lop holes form Client Side which were effected the final decision. The is an example of a very irrational client. The irrationality being due to there bad planning, not uptodate specification of product, market driven decisions. There are many, and I think they make thereselves responsible for that and try to come up with what they can do not to get out of the track. Obviously there business will get affected due to these loop holes and they work on this to make there business running.
The above was as per the client mentality and the way they want to do business. We only expect a project from client and try to give our best. If clients like what we have experienced, come on to us and say out of 10 clients 5 are of these, probably we will not be able to retain them if things goes this way. Issue is not the way client works, every product has there own market and the business decisions are made as per the market scenarios. My question is why should be suffer because the different way of decision making a client has. If we continue to give comments on the way client behaved and communicated with ODC, probably we will not be able to understand there true requirement and the way they want to work. What ll happen, in a day or two they will find us incompatible and will break up, even though from our side we did not nothing. This is a very big issue to be raised and given fruitful time to think, why are having a state of mind where we say " WE DID OUR BEST AND IT WAS A BUSINESS DECISION FOR CLOSURE". If we continue think in this way probably we will loose and every client of our own.
I would rather suggest lets analyse the situation where in we can handle these kind of clients. In IT Industry, we say these clients as VERY VERY NASTY client. Because if we continue to find the defects in there process which are correct will never ever help us retain the client. We are exporting service and we should know how to serve. We should know whom to serve which way and what way we can make the customer happy by indirectly letting them know there loop holes and let them understand a better way will help there business grow up which will in turn help us the retension of client.
This is business and we need to work on ways to retain the customer no matter how harsh, nasty, inappropriate, irregular is the client.
Remember our business depends on exporting the service we provide and as long as the EXPORTING OF SERVICE is concerned, I would say we can fair well if we get the customor satisfaction. Otherwise they will smile and get away from us even without saying us a reason.
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