The most common fears and concerns of changing the development team

Every day, the business world faces continuous challenges and complexities that often require adaptation and new approaches to address them. However, fear of change can sometimes be a deterrent for entrepreneurs. In this article, our CEO, Sergii, shared his practical experience and helped to dispel some of these fears that many are sure to face.

“I’ve been involved in the software development industry for years and often participated in project transfers from one engineering team to another. Talking to potential clients, I realise that there are some invisible obstacles to taking the first step of changing the development team. There is no sense in describing the reasons for this since founders or C-level managers feel when it’s brewing.

Here are my observations about fears of replacing the development team/vendor and thoughts on dispelling them.

1. The new team/vendor will not cope, and the situation won’t improve.
Be honest and answer why you are unhappy with the current team and what is dragging the project down. In most cases, it might be improved by changing the management approach from the client or vendor side. Management issues are the reason number 1. Many business owners need to learn how to manage this, leading to micromanagement, wrong priorities, etc.
Be pragmatic. If the project’s future is at stake, change the team without any doubts. A good vendor may fill some management gaps on the client side.

2. It may take a long time, and the delivery will stop indefinitely.
Everything runs in clouds nowadays, and the project won’t stop literally. Of course, the delivery slows down during the transfer. Discuss the expected deliverables during the transfer stage with the current team to minimise downtime. Shift the transfer responsibility to the new vendor and agree on the transfer schedule and the completion deadline. The reliability of the new vendor will be proved at this phase – on how flawlessly it’s going.

3. Communications with the new team and the competence of its members.
Establishing communications is a time investment. Look at that with thoughts like a new team brings new experience and value to the project.
You should check the competence of a new vendor in the pre-screen stage (if you need competent people or a team for this, text me in DM, and I will advise you on a particular project).

You may fluctuate when choosing the goal, but when you have the goal, you need to act decisively.”

We trust that our article has been a valuable resource for you. Feel free to contact us for guidance and support in placing the right team for your business needs.