StarSoft also got the call from the Denmark offices of Computer Sciences Corp. for a project called Labka II, a software product for Danish hospitals and laboratories. Proving work with Russian outsourcers is subject to the same pitfalls as work with other providers, the Labka II project was plagued by communication problems that caused the project to fall behind.?

“There was an us-versus-them mentality. There was bad communication. There was no CSC presence on-site,” said CSC Program Manager Alan Guthrie, in Taastrup, Denmark, who took on the assignment of setting things aright.?

Guthrie established a global program office and assigned CSC staff to the development team, which swelled to 60 members. “To improve communication, we brought some StarSoft people from St. Petersburg to [Copenhagen, Denmark]. We used Skype. We established a disciplined requirements definition,” he said.?

Looking back, Guthrie said cultural differences were behind the delay.?

“Russian and European cultures are different,” he said. “The Russian team will work longer hours without complaining. There is a shorter workday in Denmark. The Russian style is closer to the U.S. style. They want to overachieve. Nothing’s guaranteed. They want to debate. They want to understand why. They might be more compatible with an American client.”?

Guthrie added U.K. and U.S. workers to the CSC team to help bridge the gulf. “When you spend the time to build the right relationship, it’s outstanding,” he said.

http://www.thechannelinsider.com/article/Outsourcing+The+Russian+Revelation/180532_2.aspx

[tags]russia, offshore outsourcing, denmark[/tags]